Raneem K
asked
Roshani Chokshi:
What advice do you have for writers who are trying to break a certain stereotype in the YA/Fantasy genre, especially in empowering female heroines? How do they not go overboard and demasculinese (I think that's the right word) the male characters and still achieve their goal in empowering female characters?
Roshani Chokshi
Hi Raneem!
So I think this question comes down to how we define strength. There is a danger, in my opinion, in defining a female character as "strong" only because she exhibits traditionally "masculine" traits such as physical prowess. That kind of mentality can diminish all manifestations of strength, some of which are arguably more valuable.
One of my favorite examples of this kind of character is Kestrel, from Marie Rutkoski's THE WINNER'S CURSE trilogy (if you haven't picked this up yet, pleaaaaase do it's fantastic!). Her strength comes from her extraordinary mind for strategy. She is cunning af (TEN POINTS TO SLYTHERIN) and I find her empowering because she shows how women can save themselves by kicking ass in more ways than one.
As for the other part of your question, I don’t think a strong female emasculates a male character. For example, consider Po and Katsa from Kristin Cashore's GRACELING. Is he her match physically? Nope. Is he still strong in many ways? Yep! Or even in other fandoms, like Harry and Hermione, Aelin and Rowan, or Scully and Mulder.
So, I don't think it's about breaking stereotypes. I think it's about showcasing forms of strength that already exist and giving them space to breathe and grow on the page.
Good luck with your writing! <3
So I think this question comes down to how we define strength. There is a danger, in my opinion, in defining a female character as "strong" only because she exhibits traditionally "masculine" traits such as physical prowess. That kind of mentality can diminish all manifestations of strength, some of which are arguably more valuable.
One of my favorite examples of this kind of character is Kestrel, from Marie Rutkoski's THE WINNER'S CURSE trilogy (if you haven't picked this up yet, pleaaaaase do it's fantastic!). Her strength comes from her extraordinary mind for strategy. She is cunning af (TEN POINTS TO SLYTHERIN) and I find her empowering because she shows how women can save themselves by kicking ass in more ways than one.
As for the other part of your question, I don’t think a strong female emasculates a male character. For example, consider Po and Katsa from Kristin Cashore's GRACELING. Is he her match physically? Nope. Is he still strong in many ways? Yep! Or even in other fandoms, like Harry and Hermione, Aelin and Rowan, or Scully and Mulder.
So, I don't think it's about breaking stereotypes. I think it's about showcasing forms of strength that already exist and giving them space to breathe and grow on the page.
Good luck with your writing! <3
More Answered Questions
Kait
asked
Roshani Chokshi:
Hi Roshani! I have seen you mention on Twitter etc. that your first drafts can be lacking characterization, plot, etc. I’ve been working on a draft and have come to understand who my characters are and the world fairly well, but I don’t really know how to go about building out the plot! Not a whole lot happens and my plot feels very “bare bones” to me right now. Do you have any tips for working on that?
niya
asked
Roshani Chokshi:
I'm an okay writer but I want to become more than that, I want to make the stories I write really interesting. I'm only in middle school but I love writing and telling stories to my friends and family. I read a lot already and I want to be better at how I write the story to make the reader interested. Any tips?
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