I haven’t written a mini-blog in quite a while, but there’s a topic I’ve wanted to write about for a while now, and that is what makes a “strong, female character?” Since two of the three main characters in the series I’m writing are women, I’ve had a lot of practice with the topic. I thought I’d share a few thoughts with people.

If you go by Hollywood standards, there is a growing trend that a strong female character is a cool, if not not cold, women whose primary emotions seem to be anger, hatred, rage, and other negative emotions. They are often depicted as physically strong, man-hating killing machines out to right wrongs, avenge past grievances, etc. In short, they are shallow, one dimensional characters with no depth. Any backstory usually goes like this: character had a terrible upbringing, or had a traumatic childhood event that haunts them to this day; leaving them angry, bitter, untrusting, slow to make friends, awkward, etc…How interesting. Or, not.

The trend (And, much to my horror) has continued to grow to the point where many female authors and playwriters are expanding on it, jumping on the bandwagon, overcompensating for too may generations of damsels in distress or weak, feeble creatures who can’t make a decision or protect themselves without a brave man at their side. I get that. I do. And no one who reads my work will ever be able to accuse me of writing that sort of rubbish, either. As a father and grandfather of girls, I have always taught that the fairer sex can be just as strong, just as resilient, make decisions on their own, be anything they want to be if they work hard, and learn to protect themselves. I want them to be independent, demand respect, and not settle for anything less.

But Hollywood started this nonsense of creating these “strong female characters” toxic, angry, vengeful, man-hating killing machines. Sorry, these characters are no more believable or less insulting to women than the delicate, feeble, damsels in distress that can’t make a decision for themselves or feel safe without a man. And, sadly, many young (mostly female) writers have bought into it, and bookstores and plays are now filled with this nauseating rubbish.

When writing a strong female character, I take the same approach as I do when writing a male character. Who are they? What is their want / need / goal? How far are they willing to go in order to get it? They need traits that make them relatable and realistic, such as: strengths (I don’t mean physical) weaknesses (that’s not a bad thing; it’s a human thing) flaws, obstacles, moments of triumph, moments of failure, courage, fears, and well, you get the idea. You need to create a whole person, with depth and fullness of character…three dimensional, not one dimensional. Only then do you have a true, relatable, “strong female character.”

So, that’s all I have to say today. Feel free to comment below, share your thoughts, give it a like, or subscribe. Follow me. I can also be found on Facebook and X. Thank you for reading! I plan on more miniblogs in the days ahead.

Ray