Meg Harding's Blog - Posts Tagged "feminism"
She's Not a Prop
There seems to be several misconceptions that exist in the fictional world — and in the real world as well, about women. We’re not “catty bitches”. If a woman’s best friend is a guy, she’s not going to hate whatever women he dates. She might dislike ones that mistreat him, but she’s not going to hate that woman instantly, just for talking to her friend. If a woman has a male friend, chances are he’s just a male friend. There normally isn’t some secret, pining love going on in the background. And finally, I feel I must address the belief so many seem to harbor, that pitting ladies against each other is necessary. It’s not. It’s trite. It’s old. It’s just plain boring. It’s this last one that I’m going to discuss.
People like strong female leads, and they want to see strong female leads. They don’t want to hear about the myth of the strong female lead. A strong female lead can accept help, being rescued isn’t the end of the world. They can start out quiet and shy, they can end quiet and shy. But they don’t let people walk all over them. They grow and they learn, and in the end they kick ass.
This isn’t achieved by making two female characters go head to head. Who would win in a fight? Who wears what better? No one cares. They want to see the ladies kicking ass, together, against a common enemy. They don’t want to see the ladies bickering the whole damn book and hating each other. It’s overdone. And there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, worse than having two female characters go at it over a guy.
Write strong ladies. Write ladies who help each other rather than tearing each other down. Write ladies who aren’t a side note to the men in the book. Write ladies with a real purpose. No one wants to read your book where the woman is the equivalent of a fluffer. She shouldn’t be there to feed someones ego. In closing, if a major part of your plot is two women fighting over something trivial, in a search to see who is —by some unfathomable standard—better, then you’re doing something wrong.
People like strong female leads, and they want to see strong female leads. They don’t want to hear about the myth of the strong female lead. A strong female lead can accept help, being rescued isn’t the end of the world. They can start out quiet and shy, they can end quiet and shy. But they don’t let people walk all over them. They grow and they learn, and in the end they kick ass.
This isn’t achieved by making two female characters go head to head. Who would win in a fight? Who wears what better? No one cares. They want to see the ladies kicking ass, together, against a common enemy. They don’t want to see the ladies bickering the whole damn book and hating each other. It’s overdone. And there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, worse than having two female characters go at it over a guy.
Write strong ladies. Write ladies who help each other rather than tearing each other down. Write ladies who aren’t a side note to the men in the book. Write ladies with a real purpose. No one wants to read your book where the woman is the equivalent of a fluffer. She shouldn’t be there to feed someones ego. In closing, if a major part of your plot is two women fighting over something trivial, in a search to see who is —by some unfathomable standard—better, then you’re doing something wrong.
To Flaw, Or not?
It absolutely baffles me that people equate flaws with weakness. Why can a woman or a man not be a strong human being if they have a flaw? I see no reason why that should matter. After all, flaws are what make you human. You’re not going to find even one person out in the world who isn’t in possession of a handful of flaws. This applies to fictional human beings as well.
Giving your leading lady or man a flaw (or several of them) isn’t going to detract from them being a strong lead. In fact, it’s going to aid it. Let’s be honest, if your character has no room to grow or learn, then they’re not a strong character and why are we reading this story?Strong leads need flaws. The point of a strong lead is that they are undeniably human, that they are learning to overcome some flaws and embrace others. They are learning to work with their flaws.
If you don’t have a flawed character, you don’t have a story. Equally, if you don’t have a strong lead, you don’t have a story. And those background characters of yours? They’re not interesting if they don’t have flaws. Quite often background characters can outshine the lead because of their particular flaws and how they deal with them. If that’s the case, you should probably rewrite your story with them as the lead. Why? Because people like strong leads, with their flaws and all.
I’m not sure where this belief came about regarding flaws and weakness, but I think it’s one that needs to be put to rest. Do you look at the people around you and think, “Ah, yes, you have a flaw so you’re not a strong person?” I’m thinking you probably don’t. Women are allowed to not be perfect. Men are allowed to not be perfect. Our obsession with perfection is absolutely ridiculous. Ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t exist.
Embrace your flaws. Stop thinking they’re signs of weakness. Make your characters flawed AND strong. Forget perfection and look for inspiration.
Giving your leading lady or man a flaw (or several of them) isn’t going to detract from them being a strong lead. In fact, it’s going to aid it. Let’s be honest, if your character has no room to grow or learn, then they’re not a strong character and why are we reading this story?Strong leads need flaws. The point of a strong lead is that they are undeniably human, that they are learning to overcome some flaws and embrace others. They are learning to work with their flaws.
If you don’t have a flawed character, you don’t have a story. Equally, if you don’t have a strong lead, you don’t have a story. And those background characters of yours? They’re not interesting if they don’t have flaws. Quite often background characters can outshine the lead because of their particular flaws and how they deal with them. If that’s the case, you should probably rewrite your story with them as the lead. Why? Because people like strong leads, with their flaws and all.
I’m not sure where this belief came about regarding flaws and weakness, but I think it’s one that needs to be put to rest. Do you look at the people around you and think, “Ah, yes, you have a flaw so you’re not a strong person?” I’m thinking you probably don’t. Women are allowed to not be perfect. Men are allowed to not be perfect. Our obsession with perfection is absolutely ridiculous. Ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t exist.
Embrace your flaws. Stop thinking they’re signs of weakness. Make your characters flawed AND strong. Forget perfection and look for inspiration.
