What do you expect from a story when it comes specifically to its female characters?

[WeShallUnclench]

Before going there, what is the provenance of this advice? Is it something you just made up or is it something any notable writer notably said as actual advice to writers?

Cannot trace it exactly but I have seen it floating around for years. The latest version was a tiktok of a nonbinary person like "writing tips for men from a nonbinary person".

But again, this is OLD, in internet terms. It's always presented partly as a joke/provocation, partly as genuinely thought-provoking.

I BELIEVE the origin was the observation (not sure if confirmed) that the protagonist from Alien was originally written as a man, that someone spontaneously suggested "let's just make them a woman with no major change", and it worked out pretty well for Ripley.

In turn she gets named as an example of men succesfully writing a female character ("for once").

 

[WeShallUnclench]

One of these questions is oriented around readers, the other, around writers. Which perspective is more of-interest to you? Which was the primary motivation behind the whole post overall?

Why does that matter?

In truth, I am interested in people's opinions as writers AND readers. I see no strict barrier between the two.

 

[ElectricBlue]

This came to mind last night while taking some pictures for this exact reasoning. No intention to ever show anyone any of the pictures, I just felt good and embraced it for myself, which is something I don't always get to experience. No criticisms, no complaints about myself.

I just felt good for a moment and documented that. And, surprisingly, after looking at them again today, I still haven't criticized anything about myself in them. I'm kinda sitting with that idea, and I don't know how I feel about it as I've had body dysmorphia my whole life. I've never been able to see myself accurately. I always see myself as weirdly proportioned and unattractive. And maybe I am, but every now and then I'll see a picture of myself like this and I can see something that might be a more realistic representation of my body, and I wonder if this is what other people see when they see me vs what I see when I look in a mirror.

From the description of yourself that you shared a month or two ago, I suspect your self image or your mirror image might not be the Erozetta the rest of us would see. This self affirmation through your photography is wonderful to read about.

One of the great wrongs Tumblr did with their inane "no nipples" content rule several years ago was the demise of some very beautiful, deeply real and achingly honest portfolios from women using their own bodies as their photographic palette. Some have returned over time, but not many. Your portraying of self for your self, sounds a lot like those artists.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I BELIEVE the origin was the observation (not sure if confirmed) that the protagonist from Alien was originally written as a man, that someone spontaneously suggested "let's just make them a woman with no major change", and it worked out pretty well for Ridley.

I believe you're right, that Ripley was originally written as a male role. However, you can't pretend she wasn't sexualised in the bikini panties and braless tee-shirt sequence towards the end of the movie.

 

[WeShallUnclench]

I believe you're right, that Ripley was originally written as a male role. However, you can't pretend she wasn't sexualised in the bikini panties and braless tee-shirt sequence towards the end of the movie.

Well, at least her character wasn't just "bikini panties"

I feel even open sexualization isn't necessarily detrimental to an egalitarian angle though. Which is good, because, you know, *looks around*, literotica.
If one can say with total confidence that they would not have shied away from sexualizing a man in much the same way they sexualized the woman, that would be pretty reassuring, though.
If however a writer and/or reader says anything like "it would give me a tummy-ache if I saw something like that happen to a man", that might be worth exploring.

 

[Britva415]

Why does that matter?

If it doesn't, then it doesn't. Maybe "does it?" was an unstated part of the question. If the answer is "both," it works for me.

 

[ronde]

I like subtlety and nuance in my female characters. I like them to have real emotion not just reaction. Depth of emotion that is complex, multi-faceted.

I also like them to have regrets and recoveries from going to far. Forgiving themselves and moving on.

Just my two pennies.

Thank you.

I try to give all my characters emotions. My female characters are more likely to vocalize those emotions while my male characters ten to hold them in. That's because that's still how most kids are raised.

Everything I've read and from my observation of a lot of women over the years, leads me to believe that women tend to be more critical of themselves than men. I try to let that show in my female characters as well.

The characteristics I find lacking in a lot of stories here are the traits that I like in my female characters. She should be strong when the situation requires her to be strong, she should know what she can do and what she can't do, and she should be smart enough to know when to speak her mind and when to let things work out as they will. I don't really care to write my female character as a seductress or as a prude. Any woman can be either depending upon the situation and the other characters in the story, just like in real life.