Into the Fire

Passionate thoughts about the world of writing and the Power of God

recent posts

about

Passionate: right or wrong. Writes love stories with a passion. Raw Romantic Redemptive

Monday Musing . . .

          Muse-Neon-Sign

My Monday musing . . . 

In reading fiction, I've discovered there are certain kinds of female characters I never warm up to. However, to describe them is an exercise requiring specifics that turn out to be for that particular character rather than factors that make up a general rule. If I were to say I don't like "strong" female protagonists, that would be totally false. I'd need to add all kinds of qualifiers that would nullify the claim. Those of you who've read my reviews could easily determine I do, in fact, love strong female characters – just not a certain kind. What's up with that? 

So. Let me qualify the characteristics I don't seem to enjoy in a female character. A character who is dishonest with herself drives me nuts. A character who overreacts to another male character makes me want to slap her. A character who sometimes acts like a victim and other times acts like a conqueror. A character who assumes she's doing the right thing when she goes off half-cocked. A character who is unwilling to admit she needs help. Well, I guess the list could go on and on, but I'll stop after this one: a female character who writes off men in general because of one bad breakup. Puh-leez. 

Do you have stipulations in your characters which produce a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down"?

 

Father, help me to define my characters in ways that people relate to, identify with, in some meaningful way(s). Teach me more about your creation always and help me translate it to my writing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Posted in

5 responses to “Monday Musing . . .”

  1. BK Jackson Avatar
    BK Jackson

    What’s interesting about what you describe–and what proves that writing isn’t so easy–is that any woman anywhere is capable of one or many of those dislikes at any given moment. No one is immune. Yet how do you capture a nuanced character (male or female) on the page? Have them be real but not too extreme in any one direction?
    I’m reading the Joanna Brady series of novels by JA Jance. Joanna is a sheriff but naturally, her personal life figures into every book. In the first 3-4 novels, a common theme is her dislike of her mother’s demands and intrusiveness and wanting things her way. Yet Joanna herself emerges as someone with a sometimes pouty nature that is off-putting–EXCEPT that it is just one part of her life and she tries to self-examine and recognize those flaws and that perhaps she isn’t so unflawed & different from her mother after all.
    Figuring out how to write these characters so they don’t get ‘stuck’ I guess is the key.
    I’m just glad women aren’t written like the women from the TV show Bonanza. Loved Bonanza, hated almost all of the female characters they brought on. “Screamin’ iggits” I call them. LOL!

    Like

    Reply
  2. Brenda S. Anderson Avatar
    Brenda S. Anderson

    I don’t like the strong female character who is often described as stubborn, and that stubbornness is an attractive trait to the male. Stubbornness can be good, but typically I find it to be annoying.
    I don’t like the female who keeps running into dangerous situations, planning to take care of it on her own, without calling the proper authorities, putting herself and others in danger. And I read that All. The. Time! Drives me nuts! To me that’s not strong, that’s stupid.

    Like

    Reply
  3. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar
    Nicole Petrino-Salter

    Brenda Kay, you’re absolutely right in that at any given time any woman can act out with any of my listed characteristics (fictionally and literally). Combine them all in one character and you get an impossible-for-me-to-like “strong” female. We all do stupid stuff. Even my absolute favorite female character Raleigh Harmon has pulled some bone-headed moves, but her overall characteristics are noble, vulnerable, wounded, smart, and gutsy – and I love her. It definitely takes talent to wind a few of the ones I listed together without saturating the personality of the character with them and hence making them repugnant.
    Bren, I get that. Stubbornness can be admirable – even without dressing it up to be called “determined”. But to overdo it and to constantly display it usually translates as wanting their own way ALL the time. And when females are made to be super-heroines, it gets boring. I have no doubt some women are capable of running into danger, i.e. certain law enforcement women, some military women, and particular women involved in espionage, etc. I know there are brave women who have zero training but would die to protect their families. But pursuing danger just because of misguided bravery – not terribly real.

    Like

    Reply
  4. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    I’m pretty much with you all.
    I don’t like it when a female character…
    – writes off all men on earth because of her previous bad experience.
    – is ridiculously stubborn
    – refuses to accept help
    And I really don’t like it when there’s a character with intentional flaws that we’re supposed to notice because she’s not the main character or she’s going to realize it later or whatever -and I see myself in her;)

    Like

    Reply
  5. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar
    Nicole Petrino-Salter

    Hahaha! Never like to see those unlikable things in myself either, Deb.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Brenda S. Anderson Cancel reply