Nicolette Andrews is a romantic fantasy author of several works of fiction. She often has conversations with her characters, but that’s ok she’s a writer.
I love a strong female. Scratch that, I am obsessed with a strong female lead. BUT, and this is a big but, too many people think a woman can only be strong if she is literally kicking a**. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t resist a story with a woman who is kicking butt and taking names. I love a chick with a sword, a gun, a fist, a cross bow, whatever weapon she damn well pleases really.
But not all strength comes from muscles.
And this applies to the gentlemen too. Not to get all preachy, but I am seeing an epidemic of weak willed woman in books, tv and movies. These women take cues from their male counterparts and have not a thought in their pretty heads. Sometimes it isn’t obvious, sometimes she’s a killer with a katana, but for whatever reason, when she gets into a fight, her beau swoops in at the last second to save her. This has to stop, and I have some tips to help you.
She has Skills:
Nothing gets me more pumped about a character than her unique ability. She could be an amazing artist, a linguist, or a savvy business woman, whatever it is: she is a boss at it. A woman who has her own talents and uses them to get wants is just as impressive as a woman with a sword.
Now remember from part one don’t go crazy with skills or talents. One is ideal, maybe two if it relates to the other. Too much and your character is no longer relatable because they’ve reached some sort of super hero level that is unattainable for us humble mortals.
When you are developing a character take a moment to think about your female lead. What is her purpose in this story: is she a romantic counterpart or a hero intent on saving the world? Whatever the case, give her something to contribute, apart from her award winning smile. When you are developing her backstory take some time to think about how she obtained the skills she has. Not only will this help you avoid a Mary Sue who is just naturally good at everything, it will help you flesh out your character and help you get to know her better.
She Knows What She Wants:
This is the most important character element, and one that is so often neglected. Everyone has dreams, everyone has goals. So should your character –even if it’s just getting the courage to speak their mind. Part of creating a strong character is giving her morals, the lines she will not cross, and the power to not be influenced by your male lead, or anyone else around her.
Let’s say your main character is a quiet-bookish type working at a museum translating dead languages. Her co-workers hardly hear a peep from her most days and generally forget she even exists. When one day a man burst into her office claiming he is an Egyptian Prince and he demands she come with him. Now a weak willed character follows without question.
There’s two problems with this scenario: one it creates no real conflict. There’s nothing that puts the reader on the edge of their seat wondering what’s going to happen next. A wishy-washy main character who just floats along is boring. And two, no one likes a jelly fish, because that’s what your character has become when she goes along with this crazy man.
Now let’s get back to the scene: Miss Linguist instead of going with the raving lunatic, first attempts to reason with him, and failing that, bashes him over the head with a heavy book knocking him unconscious.
By giving your character a will of their own you they become stronger.
She Has Flaws:
This is going to echo back to part one but it bears repeating. There must be a balance in your character, make her too strong and she becomes a god, out of reach of your reader. And flaws can further highlight your character’s strength. Let’s say your character is easily influenced by others, but after too much time being pushed around she finally puts her foot down and stands up for herself. That in itself is strength. Doing something against their usual nature, reveals your character’s hidden strength. Think of your character development as light and dark, for the parts that make them weak, they compensate with their strengths.
Obviously these tips could be just as easily applied a sword-swinging bad-ass just as easily. But you already knew that.
It’s your turn to practice:
Create a character using these tips above. Go deeper, think about the struggles she went through to obtain her skills. Then use what you come up with to write a scene where your character’s abilities are challenged. This could be someone calling into question her talent, or wanting to utilize said talent. Think about her flaws, how do they influence the challenge? Now how does she react?
About Nicolette Andrews
Author of several romantic fantasy novels she lives in Southern California where she spends her time talking to her imaginary friends, her characters. She loves flawed characters, and stories with a lot of drama and angst. When she’s not spinning out her epic tales, she enjoys camping and making crafts badly. You can find out more about Nicolette at her website.
Connect with Nicolette: