Guest Post: The Ongoing Debate over Female Characters – Nancy Madore
We are delighted to welcome Nancy Madore, author of The Hidden Ones. Nancy looks at the debate on what makes a great female character in a book.
The Ongoing Debate over Female Characters
What makes a great female character? This question was particularly important to me when writing The Hidden Ones, because the story revolves around three very different women whose lives converge. The first of these women is a successful business owner, the second is trapped in a loveless marriage, and the third is the legendary demoness, Lilith.
Since my characters are predominantly women, they needed to be able to carry the story. This is where the challenge comes in. Opinions vary dramatically on what makes a strong female character.
I recently went on a blog search to learn more about what readers look for in their female characters. Here are some of the issues that were raised.
SHOULD SHE BE REAL OR OVER THE TOP?
When the main character is being chased by an entire army and he or she manages to shoot every last one of them while not being so much as grazed by a bullet, I feel insulted. But I know people who will argue that they enjoy the escapism that comes with these unrealistic characters. Yet even they will agree that some authors go too far. But where do we draw the line?
The consensus seems to be that characters should be realistic to the story being told. If the character is a superhero, we feel perfectly comfortable with having them use their super abilities to get out of a scrape. We can even appreciate them stretching those abilities a bit. Everyone should challenge themselves. But when it stops making sense, people lose interest.
If the main character isn’t believable, why should the audience care about what happens to him or her? This is particularly true of female characters, and the tendency many writers have to make their main character ‘perfect.’
Art should imitate life. The character doesn’t have to be over the top to be great.
I like how Erin says it in her blog called Gagging on Sexism:
“She plays an important role in the story (whether she’s the main character or not) and is not limited to love interest.” (see article here http://gaggingonsexism.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/the-big-question-what-makes-a-good-female-character/)
I agree Erin.
LET’S TALK STEREOTYPES
I personally dislike stereotypes of all kinds but I particularly hate those applied to women. You rarely see the positive stereotype—at least not where women are concerned. We have the mother (chaste, all knowing, boring), the wife (bitchy), the sex kitten (sexy, always willing), the warrior (pouty, scantily clad, fearless), the professional (cold, out of touch with her feelings)—all one dimensional, dull characters. It’s like they take that one aspect of a woman and ‘insert character here.’
I couldn’t help thinking of the traditional romance novels when I read Kitty’s opinion of authors who create one dimensional characters in her blog on Impishidea:
“Lazy: making the “evil” female character hideously ugly while the “good” female characters are pretty.” (see article here: http://impishidea.com/writing/how-not-to-write-female-characters)
And Rachael makes a good point in her article on Hubpage:
“Even female superheroes (superheroines?) seem to be little more than sex objects despite their fantastic powers, and often they are written with little thought to characterization and their personal feelings because they exist in a universe filled with truck explosions and crazed murderers in which their place is clearly just to be eye candy.” (see article here: http://rachaellefler.hubpages.com/hub/Writing-Good-Female-Characters-From-A-Feminist-Perspective)
I think most readers agree that stereotypes are out-dated, clichéd and boring. Some go a step further and say they are demoralizing to women. Readers are calling for stronger, more empowering female characters to set the example to young women. On this I am conflicted…
DOES SHE HAVE TO BE EMPOWERING?
Do authors have a responsibility to our culture, or are we just telling a story? Really, is it up to us to promote self-esteem in the next generation of women? On the other hand, should we just let the media get so out of hand that young girls are starving themselves, doing destructive things for attention and struggling with low self esteem?
There is no denying that we are all influenced by the media. I become uncomfortable at movies when the scene blatantly panders to men and their preferences, while completely ignoring my preferences as a woman. As an adult, I can be selective about what influences me (to some degree). But I do feel bad for the younger generation.
But how far do we take this? This comment from Amy, on Fantasy Faction, was thought provoking:
“Warrior characters are necessary and empowering, but my concern is that we’re creating a whole new level of one-dimensional female characters that really aren’t any better than the one-dimensional virginal doormats of old fantasy. I see the same problem with another female character—the woman who has to be promiscuous to be strong. I’m not objecting to the promiscuity in itself, but rather the one-dimensional treatment of it…The problem isn’t the warrior or promiscuous personality in itself; rather, it’s the idea that to be a strong character, a woman must act like a man or shun feminine things or use her body to manipulate people or some other misconception.” (see article here: http://fantasy-faction.com/2012/feminism)
I agree! But then again, some of the items on Rachael’s list of what makes a good female character on Hubpages, made me think we might be taking this too far:
“ Not depend on men. Not slutty. She should have a strong moral compass and stick to it, but not be puritanical or preachy. She should make her own choices and stick to them, trusting herself. She should have a social justice cause that she passionately fights about.” (see article here: http://rachaellefler.hubpages.com/hub/Writing-Good-Female-Characters-From-A-Feminist-Perspective)
While I agree that this character sounds like a good role model, Rachael’s formula sounds way too structured to create an unique and interesting main character. And is this character realistic? Could we, in fact, be creating a new stereotype that is just as hard to live up to?
As with most things, I think balance is key. And ultimately, this issue really comes down to you, the readers. Now, more than ever, the consumer is calling the shots. The days of Hollywood, music studios and publishers deciding who to ‘make’ into the next icon, are long gone. In this exciting new world, you are forging the path. You’re the ones who will dictate who the next great female character will be!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
In closing, I’ll leave you with this link to a very funny article about the worst female characters out there. (see article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/08/pathetic-female-film-characters)
About The Hidden Ones (2012)
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LEGACY OF THE WATCHERS (the series)
Thousands of years ago, something came out of the sky that changed the course of human history. Testimonies abound of these ‘angels’ and their hybrid offspring, the ‘Nephilim’ giants. These mighty ‘gods’ quickly rose to power, and the ancient world came alive with industry and culture. Many consider this period in history to be the ‘dawn’ of our civilization. People who lived as hunters and gatherers for hundreds of thousands of years suddenly began settling in one place, cultivating the land and even governing themselves. They invented irrigation, the wheel, protective armor and algebra. They somehow acquired knowledge of our solar system that even modern technology wasn’t able to confirm until the 1970s. Most importantly, they began to read and write. Yet an undercurrent of terror was spreading like wildfire, carrying whispers of ‘djinn,’ ‘daeva’ and ‘demons.’
The Watchers were supposed to do just that: watch. But humankind proved far too tempting and they ‘fell’ to earth, taking wives for themselves and even having children. But their children grew into unruly giants whose souls didn’t ascend like human souls, but remained here, on this earth. These errant Nephilim souls haunt the earth to this day. They are the ‘djinn,’ the ‘hidden ones,’ also known as ‘daeva’ and ‘demon.’ They have one purpose—to live. But to live they need bodies.
This chain of events has now reached the point where the djinn need more than just our bodies to survive. They must take back control of the earth, just as in the days when they ruled as gods.
THE HIDDEN ONES, Vol. 1
As CEO of her own thriving company, Nadia Adeire is flush with success, but a secret society dating back to the Essenes believes her to be one of the ancient djinn—the notorious demoness of Hebrew legend, Lilith. What’s more, they have reason to believe that she’s plotting a catastrophic attack on the world.
Nadia is snatched from her ‘perfect’ life and trapped in a maze between a present day disaster and the ancient legends of the djinn. The only way out is to retrace the steps of her deceased grandmother, Helene. The deeper Nadia goes into the past, the harder it will be for her return unscathed. But it is the only way to stop the impending disaster that was set in motion five thousand years ago.
AN EXTRA NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
Though THE HIDDEN ONES is a work of fiction, the historical content within the book is accurate. It is especially interesting to note how what happened so long ago in Mesopotamia still affects us today. Our religions, our wars, even our worst fears are irrevocably tied to that period in history. Perhaps the past hold keys to the present, buried among the many artifacts and writings like hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered.
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About Nancy Madore
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Nancy Madore achieved enormous critical acclaim writing ‘female friendly’ erotica in her Enchanted series. Now, following her life-long interest in history and mythology, Nancy Madore is making her debut into the historical and science fiction genres with her new series, Legacy of the Watchers, beginning with The Hidden Ones.
Guest Post: The Ongoing Debate over Female Characters – Nancy Madore | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
