There are considerably more male characters in fiction, and when a female character is written, she often falls into cliches or tropes. The answer to this issue lies in the fact that historically the writing industry has been male-dominated. Even now, female authors and novels with female protagonists are much more likely to be published under the YA genre because they will be more accepted there than, say, in the adult genre.
The Damsel in Distress
The damsel in distress is a trope with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages, in which the female character is in some sort of danger and must be rescued by the hero. We have all seen it. The sleeping princess is awoken by a prince’s kiss or rescued by the hero from the villain. I believe this trope became so popular because it places men in the position of saviors, reinforcing the historical gender roles of the dainty, vulnerable woman and the strong man to protect her. This idea was agreeable to men, and as stated before, men dominated the industry. However, for women, the trope created a female character archetype without any agency who was unable to defend herself, always requiring the help of a man.
The Strong Female Character
The strong female character is a trope that was created almost in direct response to the damsel in distress. It features a female character who is physically strong, but typically also translates to her being emotionally closed off, sometimes mean, and often quite snarky and sassy.
The trope originated in order to oppose the demeaning archetype of the damsel in distress. However, after so many other physically strong female characters were produced, a mold was created that all these characters tended to fall into. They began feeling flat and one-dimensional. There is nothing wrong with a female character being physically strong, but there are so many different kinds of strength. A woman can be strong in her mind, her will, or her heart, but the strong female character is nearly always physically strong.Â
This brings me to my gripe with the strong female character. She often puts down women who are strong in different ways than her. The strong female character usually doesn’t wear dresses, show her emotions, and is not in search of love. When a woman does have these more feminine qualities, the strong female character looks down on her. The trope then becomes counterproductive to its original goal of showing that a woman can do anything a man can. It creates a character who is only strong because she acts like a man, implying that femininity makes one weak.Â
The problem with this trope is that it implies that there are female characters who are not strong. However, all fictional women can be strong female characters. The character should not be written to be strong. The strength is brought about by her personality, actions, and qualities.
The “I’m Not Like Other Girls” Character
Where the strong female character is usually present in action-based genres like fantasy and sci-fi, the “I’m not like other girls” character can be found in all stories. This character is just like the name says. They insist they are not like other girls, and it can be depicted in various ways. Either they are not traditionally feminine, like other girls–they don’t wear dresses, they don’t cry, they aren’t interested in a relationship–or they aren’t like other girls because they are plain and ugly, when they are described as anything but that.Â
It is problematic in the same ways as the strong female character because it suggests there is something wrong with being a woman or like other women. While it is perfectly reasonable for a woman to feel different from others of her gender, such as due to insecurities, it shouldn’t be handled in a way that belittles other women. Women are different, but that doesn’t make them unequal.Â
The Love Interest
Sometimes a female character is reduced to her romantic feelings for the main character. She exists only in reference to them. Whether she is a past lover or the current love interest, she can easily lack depth and be present only to create a romance subplot. A well-written love interest should be able to stand on her own without the protagonist. She should honestly be able to cast off the label of love interest entirely and exist as her own character.Â
There are plenty of tropes that I did not have the chance to cover, but the importance is that recently authors have been subverting these tropes. In modern media, we are seeing female characters who are dimensional, nuanced, and compelling. They are strong without losing any femininity. They strap knives to their legs under their dresses. They are unique and genuine. They uplift women. They scream and cry and rage and laugh. So how do you write a good female character? My answer is simple. You write a woman.