top of page

How to Write Terrible Female Characters: Science Fiction and Fantasy Edition

Writer's picture: Poppy OrionPoppy Orion

Techy woman with purple hair, staring at the camera.

This post will detail five fantastic ways that science fiction and fantasy authors can #epicfail when creating female characters.


Also, how to do better, with examples from my epic Science Fantasy story, The Valmoran Chronicles.


"I, like most women who love SFF, have spent my entire life reading science fiction and fantasy that took place in male characters' heads." --Poppy Orion, Author of the Valmoran Chronicles

Fail #1 - Don't give her a personality - all she needs are measurements!!


She doesn't need a personality or backstory: she has HUUUGE ... tracts of land!


This is an unforgivable writing sin with FMCs, but it's even unacceptable when describing random throwaway characters.


(Ok, ok--I can think of two situations where it's excusable: if you're writing erotic fiction, or if you are intentionally writing a main character who objectifies women and that is one of their character flaws.)


But, but--Poppy, men LOOK at women. Duh. Writing it is only being honest. Right? RIGHT!?!?


Wrong. I don't care what dudes think in their heads, they're allowed to think whatever they want, but it translates horribly to the page. Also, I haven't spoken to a single girl-type SFF reader who doesn't puke in her mouth a little when reading these descriptions.


Seriously--be careful with the male gaze when describing women in books. I'll repeat: MIND THE MALE GAZE. As in, don't use it. When a man sees a female character for the first time, there ARE ways to describe her without it being completely creepy.

Black man with stark white hair in a flight jacket. He is grinning good-naturedly.

For instance, in The Valmoran Chronicles, when Captain Zephyr checks out a random woman he sees on a space station, it's obvious he is ... ahem ... 'appreciating' her attributes. But it's not a total cringe-fest, and actually develops his character:

She was one of those cybermod kids, a mod kit over one eye and a full silver replacement arm proudly on display.
Cute, and a little rough around the edges in a way that Zeph certainly approved of. The way her lithe body moved, with a graceful intentionality, he imagined this one could hold her own in a fight.
Unlike some of the other cybermod kids—who tended to wear faux combat gear that was obviously for fashion rather than function—this pretty little monster was decked out in the real deal. --Captain Zephyr, The Valmoran Chronicles

See? Male character is clearly ogling female character, but it develops the setting, BOTH characters, AND exposes Captain Zephyr's not-so-subtle competency kink. How to WIN: When describing women in books, make sure it doesn't sound like the alt-text for Playboy.



Fail #2 - Make her entire personality that she is a sexy bubble-headed bombshell or a super-sexy evil bombshell.


Because everyone knows that a sexy woman must be dumb to be nonthreatening. If she is not dumb, make her evil. That way, all the dudes sitting in their basements with Cheetos-encrusted fingers can feel safe and secure.


How to WIN: A woman can be sexually liberated AND smart AND powerful AND kind, or any combination of the above. I know ... shocking!

Woman with red hair in a white silk kimono with red flowers. She has an innocent look on her face.

An example of this is Delilah, in The Valmoran Chronicles. She is literally a courtesan, so you'd think I broke my own rules, right? Nope.


Delilah is comfortable in her skin and has the power to beguile people--but not only with her physical beauty. Much more important is that she reads others extremely well and is a fantastic listener.


Delilah continued, “You’re right—I give them what they want, and then ...”
She turned around, raised her eyebrows and spoke as if imparting the great secret of the universe. “... then, I give them what they need, that one thing they need so desperately that they won’t even allow themselves to want it.”
Delilah looked him dead in the eyes and winked. “And then they need me.” --Delilah, The Valmoran Chronicles
Woman with red hair in a black kimono, holding a knife. She has in intense look on her face.

She is very much an emotional and intellectual seductress. Delilah does have a dark past, but it's not related to her being abused or attacked. (It's something else, something much less cliche and way more awesome.) She's also a complicated woman, who acts differently around her clients than she does around her friends.


See? Way more than a bubble-headed or evil seducress. It can be done, people--women can be sexy aAND have complex backstories AND depth of character. Gasp!


Fail #3 - 'Strong' women come in two flavors only: men with female names, and willful 'b*tches who should have listened to the menfolk


Ok, that's more than a little tongue-in-cheek. But the female character who is a warrior and basically 'one of the guys' is very prevalent in sci fi, as is the woman who is bossy and refuses to take male advice and thus serves as a foil for the supersmart male character.

Woman in a business suit, standing in the lobby of a building. She is backlit by the sun.


(Note: some women ARE more masculine in their gender expression. Some women ARE TSTL [as are some men]. I'm mostly calling out authors who just slapped boobs and a woman's name on a male character. Or those whose misogyny is leaking out in their writing.)


Ok, now that I've summoned the fury of the vocal minority with my snark, let's talk about how to write strong women.


Profile view of a woman with shoulder-length rainbow hair. She is wearing a sleeveless black leather shirt.

First off, there are MANY different types of strong women. Some are strong leaders, some are quietly self-assured, some are great at influencing others, some are brilliant. Some are emotionally unflappable. And yes--some could kill you with their pinky. Um, Poppy--it sounds kinda like you're describing all of the types of strong MALE characters ...


Why, yes ... it sort of DOES, doesn't it? That's because gender roles are often unnecessarily restrictive of both male AND female characters, which perpetuates boring characters who are caricatures of the same tired old cliches.


People are complicated, and there are countless types of heroes to write. Make it so.


Fail #4 - Smart women must have personality defects or mental issues. Social awkwardness and an inability to maintain relationships is a must.


Blond woman in a lab coat, looking into the camera. There is a microscope on the table in front of her.

Ugh. Do not even get me started listing the women in science fiction who are brilliant and lonely and brusque. It's crazy--I know--but women can be well-adjusted AND smart AND kind AND outgoing, and any combination of the above.


Nuff said.





Fail #5 - Just don't include any female main characters. Women don't really do anything important anyway, and they're a pain to write.


A collage of eight characters, with the words 'The Valmoran Chronicles' in the lower left corner.

I'm looking at you, again, Science Fiction. (Although fantasy has a long and sordid history of excluding women from hero status as well.) Obviously, I do NOT believe this. The Valmoran Chronicles has as many female POVs as it does male ones. Each is powerful in her own unique way, as are the men. (And the men aren't all powerful in the same way, either. They ALSO aren't bound by tired gender stereotypes.)

A hand holding a white smart phone. A blond woman's reflection is in the cracked screen of the phone. The cracks extend beyond the phone, into the black background of the picture. The words 'The Valmoran Chronicles' are written in the lower left corner.

If you find it challenging to write women, reading books written by female authors would be a great place to start. Especially if the main characters are written from a POV where you are in the character's head. You'll pick up on the subtle differences by osmosis. Trust me ... I, like most women who love SFF, have spent my entire life reading science fiction and fantasy that took place in male characters' heads.


That's why I don't find it at all difficult to write male characters. I learned how male heroes think via a LIFETIME of exposure.


How to WIN: Please, PLEASE include three-dimensional women in your Science Fiction and Fantasy. Give them true character arcs, vivid backstories, and a unique mix of traits, talents, and flaws.


In Closing


Ooof. I picked on Science Fiction and possibly male authors a LOT-tle bit with this post. It was mostly for shock and funsies, and in many ways I am preaching to the choir, as my readership tends to LOVE the mix of men and women featured in The Valmoran Chronicles.


A tiled image containing character photos from the science fantasy series, The Valmoran Chronicles

Actually, I'd like to take a moment to thank my male readership. Often, in advocating for women, we inadvertently alienate men who aren't the problem by lumping the good apples in with the bad ... and that just sucks. Half of TVC's readers are men, and not one of them has been a jerk on the internet when it comes to TVC. My dream for The Valmoran Chronicles is a sci-fi fandom that is safe and fun for everyone, and you are making it happen just by being you. Thank you for reading TVC ... and stay awesome! (You, too, ladies!)


Authors of SFF, I hope you learned something about how to write female characters: go forth, and write some amazing women into your stories. Leave the cliches on the editing pile.

コメント


© 2024 by Poppy Orion. Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page