10 Best Tips for Writing Strong Female Characters
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
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Let’s discuss how to write a strong female character! We tend to associate this character type with heroines, action stars, and women who kick ass, but punching baddies and firing guns does not a strong woman make. It may equate to physical strength, but a strong character includes strength of will, disposition, and mind. But fear not! I am breaking down my ten best tips for writing strong female characters. This list includes tips like how to avoid the “strong female character” cliche, the definition of a strong character, the importance of knowing how to write vulnerable moments, and more! If you’ve been searching the internet for how to write women with agency, how to add character depth, or how to write stronger characters, look no further! This video’s got ya covered. Be sure to stay tuned, ‘cause tip #10 is key to making your cast of characters even more realistic! 💯
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Ahh, that sweet spot between 'I'm Not Like Other Girls' and 'Stereotypically Masculine Traits Make Me Strong' is it for me. And by 'it' I mean where I put the book down and never pick it back up.
Haha I love this! If I ever see the dialogue "I'm not like other girls" DNF, just DNF.
Yeah it sucks when there's an obvious bias.
I'm honestly trying to learn how to write a female character well, since I don't have a personal reference to pull from, but how she immediately jumps to "mIsOgYnY" makes me not even wanna watch this at all.
Like she said, I'm glad she called herself out on it, I know better than to get any of her books 🤣
@Darksteel Heart Well considering how many “SFC’s” are basically “toxic masculinity in a skirt”, that kinda fits in with misogyny. 🤔
Also, trolling/flamy humor is Jenna’s style; if it’s hard to swallow, I wouldn’t recommend her other videos. 😅
@@DarksteelHeart Judging by this comment and your other comments, your a sensitive reddit "author" who refuses any advice that isn't treating you like a baby who doesn't know any better.
You've been on this app for 11 years, so I'm assuming you're a full grown adult. Capable of acting mature. Just block her if what she says makes you throw a hissy fit. She's not being serious. She's being a troll while giving legitimately good advice.
One of your comments is basically just, "Why are you insulting me 🥺😢"... just leave the video and don't watch her content? Her content is geared towards people who don't have sensitive egos.
Also all her points about misogyny (which you don't seem to see as a serious matter) are correct. Masculinity and hate for feminity does not equal strength. Sorry if that hurt your feelings.
@@llamaniaman4002 lol nah I'm not sensitive at all, I just think it's very stupid to call out her whole audience of viewers and writers for not knowing something and basically call us all idiots. I also did in fact unsubscribe from this terrible authortube hack.
For the record, not every man is an evil, hateful misogynist. I'm certainly not. Sorry if the cognitive dissonance hurts you head.
I came here at first because I want to write female lead characters with some authenticity, and got insulted for trying to do what she asked us to do.
Have a nice day.
I always use Katara from ATLA as the main example for when I wanna write a "strong girl"
Good example. Toph is also a good example of the tough girl who can still be vulnerable
I use Katniss Everdeen as a could example for a masculine strong female character.
yess !! I use Mikasa from aot
@@leigh-anjohnson the scene where she almost demands to help with hanging poster is my favorite scene because she is so capable and a simple thing is beyond. I don’t want her to hurt me don’t tell her I said that.
Megara from Hades.
A strong female character that I believe a lot of people overlook is Cinderella. On the surface, she doesn't seem like a strong female character, but she's actually endured years of bullying from her step-mother and step-sisters. And even when she's able to escape and marry the prince, she still shows little resentment to them.
In modern retellings at least.
Yes, exactly! I hate how people disregard her because she supposedly "needed a man to save her", as if escaping abuse is so easy. Just because she isn't aggresively fighting back against her family, out of self-preservation, that doesn't make her weak. In fact, she's really mentally strong for enduring it and still being able to show kindness to other people.
I think showing kindness to the person who has done wrong to you is also a good trait of character development. It is not easy to forgive someone especially that someone who has humilliated and made you suffer like hell. It is easy to take revenge but we often forget that while we may succed in taking revenge on others we often end up being like the same people who we dispised the most.
@@stephaniemasson1224 plus in those times or era, it's dangerous to go outside, lots of brigands and wild animals
Especially if you consider Cinderella iii: A Twist in Time. It’s- imo- her best story. They upgraded her character 100x fold and actually made me love Cinderella.
My suggest homework for this topic? Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Written by a woman who knows how to write strong women. Several really well written strong female characters of many different varieties.
Also the "So I'm a Spider, so What?" light novels - they have a lot of strong female characters. Not every female character mind you, but the majority of them. And the character constantly dunked on for lacking agency and being very one dimensional is a dude. He serves a purpose, I promise, he's just not very interesting compared to literally any other character...
I was literally thinking about FMAB while watching this video! I totally agree with your recommendation🔥
yes !! Also love attack on Titan even tho it was written by a guy I love how it has like no fan service and the girls actually contribute and wear normal outfits like the guys. And the girls are all different in their own ways and not j copy and paste.
What I love the most (among other things) about FMA and FMAB is that the women in the story don't have ALL to be pros at fighting or have any interest in fighting at all, to be equally badass, it was so refreshing to see that.
@@kakashisimp4818 What I would give for more anime with the women wearing normal outfits alongside the guy counterpart of the outfit more often lol. I'm not against skimpy outfits if they fit the character's personality and look cute/designed with class but if every single character dresses in bikinis and have nonsensical skin windows I usually look elsewhere for another anime because it's not a good sign for how the female characters will be written lol
One of the biggest inspirations for the strong women in my stories are the women I have met in my life.
By incorporating traits from them into my characters, I have received a lot of positive feedback; mostly the phrase "I know someone who's just like that!"
Me too :=). I often create strong women whose personalities are in part based on my mother, and you want to talk strong she was a single mother who raised an autistic son (me) to adulthood. If that isn't strong I don't know what it :=)
@@jaymartin8273 That's not a bad idea, maybe I should try that
@@MattyParker Go for it then :=)
oh slayyyyy
As a woman that went though sexual assault I can safely say it made me more angry and depressed, not stronger, I got through it because I was 'strong' already.
Considering the tropes around strong men and the "strong female character" stereotype, I feel like a lot of writers out there think "angry" and "strong" are the same thing lol
I’m so glad Jenna said something about #9.
Also a sexual assault survivor here. I have a strong female character that is a survivor of a brutal sexual assault (not the only thing that happened to her adversity wise), but then over the stories for the next seventeen years of writing, she had to deal with that before she could finally get by it enough to get herself back. She was in and out of mental health and had to take a step back from her dream job and take a lesser job to survive and deal with it via years of therapy, venting, outburts, late night issues and other life impacts...
Writing a strong female character in this vein to me means she fights, she fumbles, she breaks down, she gets angry, she thinks, she feels, but at the end of the day, she finds it within herself to ask for help and get back up and keep trying to get herself back. And if she's lucky she gets there.
But writing a sexual assault survivor and then glossing over that trauma, that's no bueno.
One of my favorite female characters is Tohru from the anime/manga Fruits Basket. Lost both her parents one at a time, was bullied and rejected by family members, lived by herself in a tent so as to not bother anyone, then got mixed up with this super-rich family full of people with LOTS of emotional trauma. Oh, and she (accidentally) got rejected by the boy she liked and confessed to and RIGHT after that faced the super abusive head of the family - extending a hand to them in friendship. And through it all, she kept smiling, believing the best in life, helping everyone, doing exactly what she wanted to do, no matter what anyone said.That girl is indestructible.
Yes. This. Also, she has flaws. She's dumb as a post and is constantly apologising for everything? But like...it doesn’t come across as her being meak, as much as it comes across as her just being polite.
For me, shss a cliche shoujo anime girl, BUT a person who i actually aspire to be for someone, and i love her for it
Only female on the show
@@jarred110 have you read the manga or watched the show?
Of the two main characters and the main four, she may be the only female, but her best friends are girls and they appear often. Her bullies are female. Kagura and Isuzu (Rin) do exist and her homeroom teacher who becomes important later on is a woman.
And it's not like the female characters only talk to or about guys.
Yessssssss! Agreed! That sounds like something I would freak the heck out of. In. YEAH OKAY SHE REAL GOOD EXAMPLE!
Jenna: "The demand for strong female characters has increased over the years and you think that would lead to better quality women in fiction. Instead it resulted in brand new formulaic writing!"
.
Hollywood: *Grunts in pain before dropping to the floor.*
Facts
Thank God I’m not the only one! I keep getting told I have internalized misogyny for not liking poorly writing female characters.
Pardon me for well written female characters that isn’t formulaic!!
Actually, the Critical Drinker has done a very good job in showing just how badly Hollywood gets writing "strong female characters" so wrong. For instance what separates the character of Ripley from the movie Aliens from Wonder Woman 84 or the Black Widow movie? With Ripley the stakes were very high, and only seemed to get higher as the movie went on. She and the marines she was with had to out fight and out think the aliens. They had a believable betrayal within their own ranks. The action was gritty. Death was around every corner, and she was justifiably terrified most of the time. What makes her so strong is that she never became paralyzed in the face of her fears. In contrast, Wonder Woman 84 was an absolute train wreck on so many levels it would take way too much time to go into everything that cheapened Diana as a hero. (I'm actually glad my Mom was alive to see the first WW hit the silver screen, and had passed away before seeing the abomination that was WW84--she grew up in the 40s, loving WW) , and Black Widow was a dish watery version of Le Femme Nikita with clownish antagonists that no one could or should ever take seriously, which devolved into a whirlwind of meaningless cgi special effects the closer to the end you got. The writers would have done well to watch and re-watch the professional with Jean Reno and Natalie Portman, and that's just for starters.
Strong female characters? Give her long odds, make her persevere in the face of adversity where the stakes are incredibly high. Give her a powerful set of wants and things she cannot tolerate. Then start throwing stones at her, just like with any other character, and see how she figures out how to achieve her aims. I won't say that a character shouldn't have sexual trauma in her past--it's a real thing, but it is over used. Not all trauma a woman experiences in her life is sexual trauma--if you want a crucible event in her background explore other possibilities. Sexual trauma is over used and is presented in ways that are most often not psychologically sound. That being said, give her some flaws--what is she afraid of? Maybe give her secrets she doesn't want revealed. Give her impossible choices with no way of avoiding them.
Also, explore classical female archetypes--not tropes--archetypes that are deep in our race and cultural memory. This will help in revealing the kind of story you're writing, and don't be afraid to mix them up from time to time, revealing a fully realized human who has multiple facets.
Formulaic indeed... Exhausting as well.
I was waiting and waiting for #10! I have such a pet peeve about female characters who don't appear to have a single female friend, especially if they actively look down on other women. Hint: disliking every other woman you meet isn't a sign of what a tough superior badass you are, it's a sign that you're super insecure.
Anita Blake.
Or it could just be compatibility issues. I'm a woman and I've noticed that I really don't enjoy hanging out with a lot of other women. It's probably because I'm extremely tomboyish and I share my interests more with men than with women. Not to say I don't have ANY female friends that I love dearly, but the gender ratio is definitely skewed.
@@corenlavolpe6143 Exactly, you DO have female friends. There's nothing wrong with having a skewed gender balance among your friends, at various points in my life I've also had more male friends than female. But I always had some women in my life who I enjoyed spending time with, too.
This
Fell hard for this one
Just realising now that mine doesn't as well
One tip: dont make her hate girly things cause it "weak"
Thank you! I'm writing a story about a female ninja from the moon. Her dad is an evil emperor.
@Dann Rajeeh I remember a woman fighter who gets her hair done before a fight to feel girly. Because you know girl.
@@hendrikscheepers4144, I guess women who are tomboys are basically men. There are women in real life who just don't like typically girly things.
@@hendrikscheepers4144, News Flash the things that are considered masculine are really just more practical.
@@hendrikscheepers4144 I'm saying it's ridiculous to call a woman character basically a man. Go ahead and describe a woman that's basically a man. I bet the description would pretty much be the description of a tomboy, but go ahead and try.
Apparently, I did all the right things with my strong female character. Always glad when a Jenna-induced self-evaluation of my work goes well. :)
Glad I'm not the only one.
Though... It was nice having the corner on that field for a while. :)
I feel the same. I think one needs first to create believable characters, male or female, without feeling obliged to give them traits that would label them as "strong". If you try to write by-the-number, you're setting yourself to fail.
I don't usually use 'strong' as a descriptor for my characters unless the character is physically strong. Same goes with awesome. Some character in my story might think that some other character is awesome and express that, but I personally as the author, would rather use words like stalward or level headed for positive traits and words like fearful or neurotic for negative traits. Personally classifying a character I came up with as 'strong' seems kind of egotistical to me and I would rather have my readers decide on their own if they percive a character in my stories as strong or not. If they like them that's awesome and if they don't I know that I have something I need to work on in the future :)
Yeah well whatever you do, make sure your writing doesn't end up being feature in r/menwritingwomen.
Otherwise I'll personally hunt you down.
Good point. Being more specific in your descriptions of your characters also means you have a more in-depth and clear image of what you're trying to do with them, rather than a surface description that doesn't say much (strong, awesome, cool etc.).
@@oneproudpeacock6901 I'm not sure I understand this comment. Maybe I'm not familiar with whatever r/menwritingwomen actually is. I know there are scads of male authors who are able to write female characters effectively. Dolores Clayborne and Misery are two examples of SK's ability to write female characters who are strong, and in the case of Anne Wilkes from Misery, terrifying.
@@andrewlustfield6079 just look it up. That subreddit is for posting terrible instances of men that try to write women in a really objectifying, out of touch way. A common case is nonsensical description of breasts that are too focused on, and how those breasts seemingly "react" to things as the woman does, almost as an extension of her mind. Stuff like that.
@@UN-Seki Laughs. Okay. I don't think I need to look it up, then. I trust you. I've seen enough of what you are talking about in my writer's group from time to time. Those authors typically don't stick with us.
If popular media has taught me anything, it's that only 2 strong female characters exist:
1. Abusive
2. Punching Bag
The First IS Hollywood
The second IS the annoying Tell but Not Show seriously Warrior titles and Tales dont make me See her as a badass for the Love of god Show me once in a while the badass Lady you Tell us actually whoop some ass
I'm really glad that we don't have to write female with strong characters as inherently physically strong and stoic (not that there's anything wrong with it), but i personally like female characters who are rather feminine with a touch independence, intelligence and the ability to speak her mind, while still being caring, kind, understanding and vulnerable. I don't think femininity is bad cause those characteristics can be strengths as well and not just physical strength and stoicism. Writers should be allowed to write feminine characters without the character being called "too weak" or "too girly"
Kinda brings the question about male characters who don’t fit into the stereotypically expected “badass” mold, and how they’re received
Most of that IS honestly self inflicted seriously Sometimes i feel when i ready some strong female Characters IT seems the writers are ashamed of feminity ,IT reminds me of the Male equilivant the Edge Lord . They try way too hard to BE "cool" they become cringe.
Remember: bad arse doesn’t mean not feminine or emotionless
Exactly! I've seen 6-year-old girl black belts spar in white floral safety padding and hockey masks and long girlish pigtails, lol! And they fought like Xena in kindergarten!!
My female MC: Goes through a hellish experience which scars her physically and mentally, but she's still standing. She got herself and her daughter out of that hell, and at the end of the book wasn't just surviving, she was thriving. She is a bit badass (she escaped by poisoning the man who hurt her,) but she's constantly fighting the PTSD and depression she has, because she doesn't want to leave her daughter behind. They have such a strong bond because of what they both went through. (The daughter is a badass too.)
Sounds creative I do like this idea.
She sounds totally cool, would love to know more about her.
This comment has a strong Sally Jackson Vibe and I'm loving it
@@RosePierce. Thank you! I first had the idea when I was 15 (I'm 33 now) and it's evolved a lot since then.
@@adamjscholte583 Thanks! The thing Jenna said about sexual assault struck a chord, but my MC was strong before that happened, she fights back, she doesn't give in, and she survives. The synopsis is her boyfriend abducts her, so it's someone she loved and trusted, keeps her locked up, impregnates her, and when her daughter is born she does everything to survive and figure out a way of getting them out of there. The story starts from the day she's picked up on the side of the road and taken to hospital, and the nastier stuff is shown in flashbacks, nightmares, her statement to the police and the court case. I wanted it to be more about how she and her daughter recover and build a life for themselves after what happened to them than unrelenting misery, although there are bits that are quite sad. My friend read it and cried in places, although there are funny bits too, the little girl getting into fights at school because she hates bullies, for instance, and her first Christmas after they escape.
This video could not have come at a better time. I was struggling with making my female MC a badass. Thank you Jenna for posting this and for Karayah for recommending this.
I was just about the same thing, but you beat me to it! There's so many toxic tropes to avoid when writing dynamic heroic women, Jenna's video showed me what to do instead.
Watch Kill la Kill for inspiration. Strong characters at multiple roles and who go through a lot.
Currently I'm reading "The Heroine's Journey" by Gail Carriger and this book is a revelation regarding to plotting a story that deviates from the ol' Hero's Journey beats. You can absolutely build a story where true strength lies within building bonds and connections and asking for / counting on the help of friends and (found) family while having a badass female character. And you can adapt it for male protagonists as well! Just want to drop this recommendation because it's pretty powerful, I guess.
The Hero's Journey wasn't even intended as a go-to for writers originally. I don't know why people cling to it.
Read it and heartily endorse it. Not as some sort of alternate, distaff formula you can just plug in to a by-the-numbers plot, but as a different way of looking at heroism and strength and understanding that the best win doesn't have to involve going it alone, taking down the Big Bad in mano a mano, and blowing up everything else.
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the decision that something else is more important than fear."
I found this quote somewhere (don't remember where or who said it), and thought it would fit nicely here. :)
That said, another aspect of strong characters is that they are frequently in control - particularly of themselves. Strong characters often aren't flashy or loud, because they don't have to be. In fact, characters who do get loud, flashy, potentially even throw tantrums and become destructive when things don't get their way, are insecure and definitely *not* in control of themselves - which then transfers to the question, if they can't even control themselves, how can they control anything else?
I had a teacher who had a naturally loud voice. When she was at full volume, you could hear her clear from one end of the school to the other. (And I'm not joking.) But when she got quiet, that's when we knew she meant business.
Sometimes less is more. :)
It's from Caroline, I think.
That quote has many "authors" that say basically the same thing with different words. For me, the first thing that comes to mind whenever I read or hear it is The Princess Diaries. At the end of the movie, Mia reads a letter from her father that says basically that.
I agree with you to a point for example Harley Quinn but with out the Joker I consider Harley a strong female character she endured years of abuse before leaving that clown and making something better for herself and eventually ending up with Ivy at least in the Harley Quinn the animated series and Harley is smashing stuff and breaking things all the time and has a very loud personality that’s just Harley just who she is so in my opinion it really depends on the character
Also I heard a similar line
“courage is not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of it”
One of my favorite things about The Expanse (books and show) is that pretty much all of the female characters are total badasses *in totally different, diverse ways that reflect their histories, personalities, and situations*. Yes, Bobbie is a classic bruiser in power armor, but Naomi is an engineering genius who won't touch a gun, and Pastor Anna moves mountains with empathy and gentleness. Their stories and struggles drive the story just as much as their male counterparts (many of whom, I should add, are refreshingly non-toxic).
Expanse show is awesome! Thanks for reminding me there is a book series to explore.
I also love the Expanse! The books and the show. Avasarala and Drummer are amazing as well. I love how they are all strong - and yet they have moments of weakness, and sometimes they get things wrong or make mistakes. And often they don't shy away from admitting that they were wrong. Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham have done a great job writing such great female characters.
Drummer best girl.
Bob was basically a dude.
Naomi went to shit in S3 and 4. She was good till 3 only.
The president of earth was just a good char too.
Didnt read the books, but yeah, the expanse show didnt fucked up a single character (except that poor guy who got steamrolled by abuse accusation hysteria). like...that show is a modern text book about how to put well balanced characters on screen. i also would like to mention battlestar galactica where i think all characters are written flawlessly. not only "strong female characters", where, say, athena is actual embodiment of overcome, but also men characters (who, surprise surprise, share properties of goodness with female characters).
My mom was a stay at home mom, and I'll tell you, THAT is real strength - believe it!
I think I have a good range of female characters.
The one that I'm looking forward to writing the most is the protagonist of my five part fantasy series that I've been developing for years.
She starts out relying on her love interest to protect her but when they are separated she learns to defend herself and goes searching for him.
When they finally reunite, they fight side by side as equals.
Yessssss!!!! I can't way to to read that one day!!!!
This helps a lot because I'm creating an jrpg with my best friend and our party is a group of four girls and I'm always scared I'm stepping into horrible stereotypes and clichés especially since one of the four girls is a tomboy but I feel this has given me the chance to sit down and ask myself the questions of what makes each girl who they are as individuals and main characters
Jrpg? Do u mind explaining the term? It is the first time I ever heard of it and m quite intrigued
@@aribahossain6234 Japanese Role Playing Game. Think Final Fantasy Video Game series 😀 me and my friend want to create the next Final Fantasy video game
@@YinToYang2020 that sounds really cool, good luck with the writing
You used Buffy as an example of the misrepresentation of what a strong woman "should" be but I'd argue she's a unique blend of many tropes. Buffy absolutely gets knocked down and becomes weak only to rise (emotionally as well as physically) with determination for her goals. She's not a caricature.
No, Buffy was what a strong female character should be. She, Princess Leia, and Xena should be held up as an example of how to write strong female characters :=)
When I think of strong female characters, my mind goes to Yona from Yona of the Dawn and Mercy from Mercy Thompson.
They are two very different characters, but they both are well developed characters who make their own decisions, know how to play to their strengths, and are undoubtedly female.
The juxtaposition when there is a breakdown and then badass fight 😍 She gets back up and learns from the mistake
my absolute favorite thing to write/read is when the badass fight happens during the breakdown. Having internal crisis while kicking ass is just 🤌🏼 muah
@@libbyfemenella1308 🤣 I should try that
Let's just model our badass females after Jenna :D
a beautiful example of a strong female character is mikasa ackerman from attack on titan. I absolutely love how she's constantly pulling Eren ( the mc) out of trouble and is considered an elite soldier at only fifteen, but we see moments when her stoic facade drops and she wonders if she can go on any longer. she's truly a wonderful character and one of the best love interests I've seen yet!
#9 struck with me, I hadn't even thought about it when making one of the deuteragonists, a strong woman who was sexually assaulted
Which I find kind of funny because Im female and I was assaulted as a child and I haven't found literally a single upside to having gone through that. I've gotten through it but I haven't necessarily gotten "stronger"
Thankfully I think I can nip any idealization of assault in the bud thanks to this video, but I think-- (I hope)-- I'm on the right track. She does have a big loss/trauma that makes her stronger but it is not sexual assault, it's her losing an arm and learning to accept her weaknesses. The history of sexual assault serves as an obstacle in her relationship with another side character and the loss of an arm helps her on her way to accept her past and the fact that it's okay for her to need more time to get intimate with her lover since she is forced to acknowledge and accept her weaknesses as a result of her disability
I hope that doesn't come off as idealization, but the sexual assault itself is important to her character so I can't remove it... I'll do my best :D
Sexual assault and the loss of an arm? Guts from Berserk! XD
@@mray4784 lol I've never even seen that show
It's crazy how much two original creations can overlap despite never having seen or been influenced by each other. Sometimes on art forums two people post remarkably similar images at the same time when neither even know each other
All the female characters in ATLA are strong in their own way without it being toxic unlike other coughs.. cough. A great example of a strong but extremely girly character is Elle Woods. I took inspiration to write my character who is a witch, she's a quiet introvert, loves reading, only wears dresses she doesn't get taken seriously in the community because of her demeanor but she's actually the most ruthless when it comes to punishing those who come after her loved ones.
Without being toxic ....Azula isnt toxic😂? (I get what you mean by that)
I have to say I really like the Netflix show Arcane, they got there plenty of strong female characters in many different versions! And they got that show don't tell stuff really down!
Arcane is using characters from the video game. Silko is like the only original character in the show, everyone else has had years of lore revisions and changes to get there. I don’t want to take from the storytelling but the characters, Vi, Jinx, Caitlyn, Jayce, Heimer, Singed, Viktor we’re all pre-established in the video game. So Arcane just took already full-formed unique characters and implemented into the show. Still a good show. Although I think they did Singed dirty with how little screen time he got for being an OG LoL character.
Plus, the animation is freaking amazing!!!
@@jarred110 I agree with Singed lol, and the video game development definitely would've helped their characters, but I still think arcane did a good job of putting it together on screen, imo
@@jarred110 they still had to rewrite backstories for the characters, and do an actual good job presenting them. I feel like people forget the most important part is the execution. You can have a dull and very troupey story, but as long as it’s shown in a compelling way it doesn’t really matter.
I would definitely not call myself an expert in writing in the slightest. With that said, I think the thing that helps me a lot with this is trying not to think of "female strength" and "male strength" as necessarilly separate entities.
Yes, the experiences between certain male/female characters should be different, but the actual properties of what constitutes as "strength" should mostly be the same.
The properties that make women strong and the properties that make men strong are the same. Its the experiences that each character goes through that forms that strength.
It shouldn't be "these are elements of a strong male character and these are elements of a strong female character." Just think: "these are elements of a strong character.
TL;DR : The events/experiences that made a male or female character strong are normally different, but the properties that MAKE them strong are relatively the same.
(Also, in regards to #10, I personally find it best to split your cast pretty evenly)
(Also also, I realize I did a lot of repeating there... my bad)
I am a man writing a book about five women that form a JRPG party, all with various personalities, sexualities, identities, and so forth.
Very helpful!
I think the issues with many so called strong female characters is that they too often end up being incarnations of male fantasies or basically Mary Sues. GI Janes, warrior princesses, tomb raiders and the lot. I write crime fiction (or I try to) and one of the female characters I'm most proud of is neither a cop nor a femme fatale. She is a "civilian", very good at her job, confident, attractive and smart, but she gets into trouble, partially because of her own mistakes. But she tries to fix the problems she is facing the best she can and when she could walk away from a dangerous situation she does not out of ethical and moral reasons. And I think that's what makes a strong female character: not perfection in everything but a well rounded character who has at least a degree of self-awareness and ultimately try to do what's right, even if it could cost her.
Strong female Characters are in my opinion the equilivant of edgelords. They often tend to have such an awful personality , obsessed with being cool and edgy ,but somehow still get all the Ladies and Gentlemen simping for them despite being massive jerks
There is a feature film version of this video called "Jupiter's Ascending" , which was disappointing for several reasons but mostly for collecting the mistakes listed here like they were Pokémon
All great tips, Jenna! Years ago I began to realize that so many so-called 'strong female characters', at least in genre fiction, seemed to be just simply male action hero stereotypes grafted onto female bodies. Sadly, it hasn't changed a lot since then, but I'm happy to see that it slowly is changing. Hopefully your video will be inspirational to other writers to write rich and interesting female characters who are not simply strong because they are tough and stoic and kick a lot of butt and like to have a roll in the hay afterwards.
I've noticed that in my life, actually strong women do like each other and support each other, every other woman is a catty back biter.
Uhhm, well, no... There are many kinds of "weak" that a female character can be. It's no different from a male character who isn't strong
Some non-strong male characters might focus on their physical strength to hide their emotional insecurities
Some might run away at the sight of adversity and be cowards
Some might hate other men for getting women when they don't... Some might idealize other men who have what they wish they had. It's the same with women. Please stop perpetuating the stereotype that all women besides "strong women" are backstabbing, gossiping fiends. There are MANY other types of immature or weak women and there's no need to make a cliche of female character faults. It's true that strong female characters should not be backstabbing or gossipy, but it's NOT true that every other female is that way. Just because a woman is kind to other women, that doesn't make her strong--she might be a huge coward or spend her life bitter and spiteful about the world for her lost opportunities because she can't admit that it was her fault.
Because weak women (weak men too for that matter) can only feel strong when they make others feel weak.
that's probably because you label those who tell you what you want to hear as "strong" and "like me"
Eh, it depends on the women and whether or not they like you.
If you can punch a lot of things and get away with it, that's "powerful"
If you punch easily without too much reason that's "agressive"
If you enjoy punching, that's "sadistic"
"strong"... means you get punched a lot, but never allows that to stop you
I can't take my eyes off the Santa hat! 😂
I loved Liv Tyler talking about Eowyn sitting out the battle of Helms Deep. She said something to the effect "You don't have to put a sword in Eowin's hands to make her strong." ♡
What makes me happy watching these videos is I'm realizing I'm instinctively avoiding these issues and tropes (across different categories of "do nots"). That's not to say I don't have a lot to learn, I still do and still am learning new things but at least I know I'm more or less leaning in the right direction.
Thanks for these tips especially the one about making sure you don’t have only one strong female character; make sure you have more. One of the books I’m writing will definitely have this tip put to good use🙃
In regards to #4, one of my favourite tropes is when the feminine character is the powerhouse and the masculine one is the more supportive one . Then again maybe it’s just a reflection of my love for strong feminine women in real life
4:38 I think I know where you're going with this and I totally agree. For me, what really gets me into a BA female character is the way they go against the things they struggle with. Watching them struggling with that-or more so, trying to maintain a hardened exterior when reality is threatening them to break-makes it the most memorable and wild and utterly electrifying to watch and interact with as a viewer or reader.
I love that Jenna is herself, a wonderful example of a strong woman character, even as she explains it all to us. You kick ass and take names Jenna.
Love the vid.
I am writing a fantasy series, and from my feedback I written one of the strongest female characters.
She is strong, but she battles so much internal pain and sorrow. This is what attracts readers to her.
I have hearing problems and kept hearing "get gas" instead of "kick ass." I was like, "Damn, is pumping your own gas a strong trait?"
I don't have hearing problems and I heard the same thing🤣
Me: "Ok I need to create a strong female protagonist who doesn't come off as a doormat"
Jenna literally ten seconds later:
This is exactly what I needed to hear. I was worried about writing women (not being a woman and all), but I'm really glad that I haven't fallen into any of these traps.
This is going to be so helpful. As a trans man I thought, hey, I've technically lived life as a woman for 14 years, I can write good female characters!
Turns out that in reality women's minds are still complex despite being undercover as one
As a trans man myself I'm sometimes like "yeah I know how the mind of a woman works, I've grown up that way for two decades" oh how wrong I am ^^;
@@jettash0720 YES AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WHERE I'M LIKE, wait they do that?
@@the_sky_is_blue_and_so_am_I IKR!! It's a wild time lol
Like sometimes my mom will do something and I'll just be like ??!?!???
@@the_sky_is_blue_and_so_am_I Yeah!! It's mindboggling just like "oh is THAT how I was supposed to be?? THAT'S how this was supposed to work??" TvT
Yes! I love everything you say. U inspire me to write more xx
Being strong does not mean avoiding mistakes. Very true. That's how we learn, through mistakes. No one's perfect. In fact, it's from weakness that we grow and strengthen.
Came back to this video just now but watched it in the past, and im so grateful i did because it allowed me to think about what ive done and didnt botch my layout. The SA point too got me and i actively remember doing a ton of research on people who had it happen and how they moved forwards and the effects it had. Which boggles me whenever i read something and SA gets trivialized like there isnt an aftermath on how it will impact the victim and those around them.
Thanks for adding the one about being perfect. I am so sick of it. Your character knows how to do everything better than people who studied and practiced for years but has no hobby, study, or occupation related to that skill? wow, so believable.
Missed opportunity to bring up around this trope: I hate that this needs to be said but everyone around them should have a different reaction and relationship to your strong female character. Everyone fawning in reaction to your strong female character is unrealistic. However, this comes up again and again with people using the strong female character as an excuse for bad writing and creating a one dimensional supporting cast.
Awesome video as always. I don't often comment on your videos but I appreciate them all.
Bought your first book. Haven't read it yet but I wanted to support what you are doing.
Take care and see you in the next one.
For that, I like the "Batman Method." Have an expert study and practice their skills and earn real-life honors and awards for their success in flashback, to explain their expertise, then show them using the skills to prove it. As for people fawning over your hero, if they are famous, show them being mobbed often by groupies, paparazzi, stalkers, etc., like real celebrities. Give them statues in parks, like real war heroes. Famous people occur in real life, too! Of course, they may have some detractors, due to their own flaws or individual or cultural tastes.
@@darlalathan6143 Your “Batman Method” isn’t what happens in bad writing. My comment was about people using “Strong female character” as an excuse for bad writing. Real life heroes and celebrities have people who hate them with as much fervor as they have people who love them. It’s why a character who elicits only one monolithic response from everyone is bad writing. They also should have friends and family that treat them like friends and family and try to keep them grounded. At least one person who knew them before they were famous and doesn’t kowtow to them because of it. The fawning isn’t what is problematic; it’s the lack of variety. Characters in good writing should be unique. And we should aim for good writing.
Jenna having a savage intro as always, I love the effort that goes into these videos
I was ready for some criticism of a few of my characters but by the end I was like "ok I actually have most of these covered." One of my characters was really weak willed despite being a badass for most of the book and I changed her beginning with a better plot line. This was due to me leaning heavy into the discrimination she faced early in the book combined with the trauma she faced upon her introduction but when I read a line of hers talking about the mc being her only reason for living, I was like yeah this has to change. Granted, I wrote that part originally in between calls at a call center and nobody who read it had the guts to tell me how bad it was lol
I'm writing this female love interest for my story and she starts off as an unwilling sleeper agent for the villains' main group. The reason she is working for them is out of desperation to save her family and her community, which these guys have imprisoned and are holding hostage. She is being manipulated into going through with the villains' scheme, but ultimately she turns against them to save the protagonist and innocent people caught up in the problem and truly becoming an ally for the heroes. What you said made me really think about how I should develop her character later, when I give her a redemption arc where she fights back against the villains. Thank you! :)
Aelin smirking in the corner: "You got nothing on me"
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
The anime and manga "Gintama" has many strong and well written female characters, like Otae, Kagura, Hinowa, Kyubei, Tsukuyo, Otose, Catheryne. I really love this anime, it's my all time favorite and it holds a special place in my heart. It's mainly a comedy, but when it gets serious, it does it very well. And it's written by a man. Real proof that men CAN write strong female characters if they actually put effort into it. I really recommend it.
A quote that I think about a lot when writing characters with any type of trauma is, "I'm not strong because of what happened to me, I'm strong in spite of it".
Tbh I don't remember where it's from. 😅
I can't thank you enough for introducing me to milanote. That changed my outlining game ❤️
When I think of strong female character I think of Riley from the Alien series. Not only does she have a strong will and conviction but also very badass.
I think i got it right.
My MCs teammate/love interest/antagonist is the daughter of a politician that don't want to settle with "honorary" positions and want to work protecting her country. That country being the Soviet Union, she enrolls into KGB. To keep her safe, his dad asks for someone to protect her while on a mission, and that's my MC. Both are equally skilled, she has the higher rank and more expertise in political affairs, he is more veteran and a spetsnaz, but both can save eachother's bacon. In fact they fall in love when she saves his life and get stranded while he recovers.
My main problem is that from the first third of the book onward her actions occur behind the curtain, as the book is written from my MCs POV, but i tried to solve it in the las chapter, when they get together again.
I have a lot more to say about her... but it would be the whole novel's plot.
Is there any chance for your books to be translated to spanish? English is not my main language.
Jenna, thank you so much for these videos! Over the years, you've brought up videos that make me think, "Oh no! She's found my weakness and now I'm going to see a sexist and cliched-trope-obsessed side of me come out in my writing of my MG female protagonist and her friends..." Only to find myself agreeing with you every step of the way (okay that one would be a no-brainer), and feeling relieved when you're done that I haven't screwed up. Though I am still waiting for that one video to come out in which every single number in your countdown tells me I'm a failure, but that's just my own past trauma talking, lol.
10 out of 10 agree! I'd love to see you write an example of the same scene, one with a few of the mistakes and then the rewrite done the right way! Then take us through it in the video.
7:52 The Butters optical illusion
The point about writing multiple strong characters is SO TRUE! And to that point: remember authors, characters can be strong in DIFFERENT ways. Writing multiple strong characters doesn't mean writing the same person three different ways with different names!!
All of this!!! Especially about being strong and feminine, I consider myself very feminine, but that DOES NOT MAKE ME WEAK! Strong women can also be in relationships, one thing that bugged me about other fans from the TV series Once Upon A Time, is how much flack the MC - Emma Swan got for being with Hook, like oh she found a man she'd fight for as opposed to staying forever single because "she don't need no man" and now all of a sudden she's weak. That really bothered me, and there's been other shows/books where this has happened and the poor leading female MC is labeled weak. Now if it's a co-dependant relationship or she completely changes for her man and gives up everything else in her life for him *cough* bella *cough* that's another thing entirely.
Thank you for this Jenna. Many of your points hit the nail right on the head. Fortunately the Heroine/Love Interest of my WIP hits most if not all of them. I have always believed that a "strong female character" doesn't necessarily have to be Xena or She-Ra. It's ok for them to be feminine and just because they need a rescue now and then doesn't take away from their strength. There are too many "Mary Sue" type characters out there and it needs to be called out.
I’m doing my best to write a strong character who is a woman, not a “strong female character”. I’m terrified of accidentally making a Mary Sue.
This video was incredibly helpful and informative, thank you
I’m currently trying to balance the amount of boys and girls on my YA Fantasy Novel. Let me say, I love watching these videos because I learn new things from them all the time. As a male writer who is ace, I would say, like men, women are extremely diverse and that’s okay. Right now, one of my female characters in my work is really helping me learn more and research more about trans people. I want everyone to feel included in my stories. My dream is to one day have a child come up to me and say, “Thank you for bringing your characters to life.”
This video couldn't come at a better time, these videos of yours are so helpful Jenna
I love when I watch these "things you should do"/"things you shouldn't do" videos, and I'm already completely on track with all of your recommendations.
Write a badass character and worry about the gender last
That's hard to do when you need to refer to pronouns to even write a character
Interesting prospective, I might try that.
Actually the gender of tge character effects the story in many casses.
I'm tired of people hating on the OG Disney princesses for being "weak," when Cinderella is arguably one of the strongest characters in the Disney princess canon, and even Snow White went through a lot of crap and came out standing taller than before. Aurora....
But they're constantly being misunderstood and trampled over...just because they exhibit more feminine traits.
Thank you! Cinderella is an inspiring character because what she went through, being abused throughout her childhood, is such a disturbing and prevalent problem in real life. She is so strong for being able to hold on to her optimism, creativity, and sense of self despite how badly those awful people treated and belittled her since she was a little girl.
Whats worse is that most of the people hating on those kinds of characters are "feminists".
@@heyarnold7256 Probably because such characters were the only fictional women they saw.
I dislike Aurora because she's passive, and passive characters are dull. They're not the type I enjoy identifying with. The fairies, however, are good examples of female characters who are girly yet also active and resourceful. Cinderella uses her imagination to survive a horrible situation. Snow White does the same, although not quite to the same extent.
To be fair to Aurora, she wasn't actually the main character of that movie. The movie was much more about the three fairies and their struggle to raise this girl safely and protect her from the big bad guy. And they were awesome
I disagree with point 5 because I don't write womans as a men, or men as a woman, I write then as a person. Obviously, there are diferences in many ways that there aren't, in the way society views both or don't view at all, behavior, habits, but overall, characters are people
Gawd. Someone said it! ALL OF THIS. THANK YOU JENNA!❤ I was so close to quitting Game of Thrones (TV) based on a scene that never even happened in the books. Only written in the show for point #9. I wanted to break things and punch those writers in the face.
I'm proud of my female charaters and I think they're strong
One is an Adventures and has a talent for sailing. And has a very opened and rather positive attitude. And she becomes friends with the story protagonist on their journey. The second one is magic leader in her village and she is very caring for others but can be very persuasive when needed. The third one is a rich owner of ships and stores in all the land. She has a grown up son of whom she is over protective, but still everyone is a bit scared of her because she is, what we would now call it- self made millionare and she can do everything she wants. Even bunkrupt a whole city with her connections.
I like them all. They are real and all are feminine in a different way but still assertive and badass.
Abuse/Assault as character development makes so angry.
This is so convenient! 😂 It's like every time I think I need advice on something, Jenna has my back❤️ Thank you so much!
I've been needing help with my female character and THIS changed her story to be more active sooner and almost a 2ndary protagonist. Making me reduce her fighting, but she's actually BETTER than my protagonist, n smarter, just I'm the wrong side
This was a really good video. Thank you!
Why aren't you at your post? (sorry I couldn't help myself)
@@brettsteinbook5370 I was watching Jenna's videos!
@@thomasswritingjourney best reason! As you were 😉
Thank you for Number 5! Im seriously tired of seeing "write a character and then make them female" everywhere
Aloha Jenna. I'm a first-time writer who has embraced the "fly by the seat of your pants" approach to writing. It's been a wild ride so far, full of unexpected twists and turns. I had no clue who my main character would be when I started. I was astonished to see a strong female running across my page, given that I am a man. There is no need to go into the whole story but suffice it to say that each day is quite a revelation. Your discussion of strong women is great and my character does and acts in much the same way that you describe. I'm simply seeing it all unfold as I write. Anyway, I'm nearing a halfway point and things were getting a bit overwhelming until you mentioned Milanote. I now have a second laptop next to me in my writing cockpit and can easily refer back. Great tip. Love your style. (BTW, the book title is 'The history of padded wallpaper, a cookbook' ) Yeah, it's a wild ride for sure.
7:26
I have literally never heard it called a "Pikachu" before, but that's hilarious.
Thank God your video exists. I've seen tips where it's basically saying "if you don't put these stereotypes in you're basically writing a dude with a vagina or a woman with a penis and your readers can tell"
Very much needed right now thanks for the help and the laughs
... random, if your books ever have the phrase " hello everybody"... it will 1000% break immersion..
It's been ages since one of your videos popped up in my recommended, Wow am I glad to see them again.
Some good examples:
In Star Wars Princess Leia end up bossing around her rescuers. She's a leader that can defend herself, and when kidnapped not only she insults one of her kidnappers, but she didn't tell them anything. At least not until they threatened to blow up the planet she was raised.
Ripley of Alien.
Sarha Connor.
Scarlett in Gone with the Wind.
Dorothy on Wizard if Oz.
Just started watch Battlestar Galactica for the first time. “She’s going to punch someone in the fist couple seconds” well I can tell Starbuck is a strong female character as she just punched the ship’s first officer in one of the opening scenes.
I think the advice "write strong women like you would write strong men" is directed more at authors that don't really write women as characters with depth motivation and conflict, just as plot devices and pretty things to look at. The intention is not "write all people as if they have the same experiences" and more "the only characters you write as people are men, women are also people, write women the way your write men, as people."
I did most of these without even knowing it. But thanks for pointing some of these out.
I always suggest Tamora Pierce books. She has a lot of different types of strong women. I grew up reading her and still love them.
omg! Jenna thank you for telling me about milanote. I'm writing a story and my sticky notes are everywhere. This is perfect! ❤
This video reminds me of one of my favorite quotes.
„ You can be soft and still a force. You can love flowers and still lead“
Unfortunately I don’t remember who said it.
Im currently writing a character that starts out believing the strong female character arcitype and learns that real strength comes from within.
Two of the best compare/ contrast examples of strong female characters are Arya and Sansa.
Both are based on people who George rr knew in real life. Both very different but respected women
Hi Jenna! Just a suggestion for your viewers. For an example of strong women done right, watch the movie "Hidden Figures".
Superb, as ever!
I always watch these sorts of videos that you do with a mental checklist in mind, and as you enumerate the different points, I do an evaluation of my current novel projects and feel a great sense of accomplishment if I get through the whole list and can say "Indeed, I have not committed any of these offenses!" ;)