So, how about that
portrayal of women in fiction?
I’ve entertained the
thought a few times on this blog that I want to be a writer. Maybe I’ve got what it takes to be the next
big name. Maybe I don’t. Maybe I’ll have people lining up to read my
fiction. Maybe I’ll just be an
underground voice, with a cult following and snooty zealots scoffing and saying
“You just wouldn’t get it.” Who’s to
say? The point is, I have a goal in
life.
I also have a very
specific, very certain fear: a scenario in which someone will stand up, point
their finger at me, and shout “That’s sexist!”
Also I'm a JPEG made in Paint for some reason.
“Me, sexist?” I would
ask, mouth agape and hand pressed to my beating heart. “Why, I wouldn’t dream of it! I’d like nothing more than to consider myself
an ally to women! Equal opportunities
for all, and --”
Then someone would
throw a brick at my face, which -- given my poor reflexes -- would turn my nose
into gnawed-on ravioli. And then the
objections would follow; someone would be able to cite evidence, right down to the
very page, that suggests that I have no respect for the fairer sex. Or rather, maybe I do, but my work is just a
platform to have the female characters bow down to the superior, much snazzier male characters. Living vicariously through fiction. Pandering to audiences. Or maybe just penning a fantasy without
anything to make it entertaining to others (or under the pretense of passing
certain ideas onto others).
The point is that, if
someone took a look at my work and interpreted it a certain way, I probably
wouldn’t be able to do much about it. I’d
have to nod and agree, offer my justification, say “Sorry. I’ll be more careful next time,” and then
self-destruct so I wouldn’t have to deal with the same question(s) again.
I’ve been around the
block (read: the internet) long enough to know that everyone, men and women
alike, are hungry for the legendary “strong female character.” That’s cool.
I respect that -- and moreover, I WANT that. I want to be able to provide a heroine like
that to the pantheon. But as I read
books and play games and watch movies and scout for fan reactions, it seems
like there are so many ways that I
can go wrong. A cynical -- very cynical,
to the point of being ridiculous -- part of me is even willing to admit that being
a man is one of the problem’s roots.
Pictured: a vehicle for spreading the joy of BDSM.
But there’s hope for me
yet. I’m glad that I’ve started thinking
about it early; I figure that if I start getting paranoid early, it’ll prevent
me from doing something ridiculous in the long run. Which is what brings me here today. I’m resolved to creating some hella-cool
heroines, and I have ideas in mind that can help bring that about. But more importantly, I want to bring
everything that I SHOULDN’T do to light.
Think of it as a…sort of reverse checklist. I can jot down my thoughts now, and maybe
someday when/if I stumble on the things here, I’ll think to myself, “Whoa! Glad I didn’t do that. That would’ve been a disaster!” Also, I’ll probably invest in a shock
collar. Can’t be too safe.
Anyway, here’s where I’ll
make my stand: The 24 Things I’ll Do (And Never Do) to Fictional Women of My Creation.
========================================================================
1: I will make at least
one character of a story I make not just a member of the main cast, but THE
lead character.
2: I will make ALL
female characters competent and reasonable.
If I am unable to do so, I will have evidential justification as to why
she is incompetent or unreasonable. If
not, then I will bash my head against the object of an indignant reader’s
choice.
3: I will NOT introduce
a female character as a badass, only to have her skills/usefulness/intelligence
inexplicably decline throughout the story.
If I am unable to do so, then I will allow an indignant reader to
bludgeon me for an undisclosed amount of time.
4: Corollary to the
above: I WILL introduce at least one badass female character in every other
story I write from now on.
5: Corollary to the
corollary: I WILL give said badass female character a personality beyond
sarcasm, stoicism, and/or inevitable attraction to a lead male character.
6: I will NOT shoehorn
in a romance between a male and female character if there is no compatibility
between them besides “we occupy the same space for a long enough period of
time.”
Worse than Bella Swan. Trust me.
7: I will NOT make a male hero look better by making a female character look worse. (See: Article 3.)
8: Incidentally, I will
NOT make a female hero look better by
making a male hero look worse. This is asinine, and destroys credibility.
9: I will allow female
characters to have all manner of skills and abilities, and not just confine
them to common roles (healer/medic, mage/summoner, etc.)
10: Corollary to the
above: princesses and other important political/social figures are to be as
well-rounded and developed as all other characters if they are featured in a
story.
11: I will have all
female characters of unknown/magical origin be more than just plot devices and
love interests. NO EXCEPTIONS.
12: I will have all
female characters have a legitimate reason -- either job-wise, role-wise, or
personality-wise -- to wear articles of clothing that reveal copious amounts of
skin. If there is no reason (besides the
obvious), it is forbidden.
13: Corollary to the
above: no female character will wear articles of clothing that would make a
woman in real life blush or groan, either due to impracticality or a
conceivable attempt at pandering to male sensibilities. Again, NO EXCEPTIONS. (Because we have porn for that.)
14: In the same sense
that I will feature men of all shapes and sizes, I will also feature women of
all shapes and sizes. However, I will
portray no singular build as superior to another.
15: Corollary to the above
(and by extension, articles 12 and 13): I will be cognizant of Rule 34, and let
my writing/the women themselves do the talking rather than their appearances.
16: I will give all
female characters their share of the limelight.
Similarly, I will not have a male character swoop in at the last moment
and do what a female character could do just as readily, given the chance.
17: I will give all
female characters meaningful dialogue, such as observations about the
setting/circumstances, and the ability to make important judgments. Their conversations are NOT to merely focus
on them pining for a male character without serious justification; otherwise I
permit detractors to scream into my ears with megaphones.
18: As I rely heavily
on body language as a means of conveyance in my writing, I will have female
characters do more than just “contort their bodies alluringly, yet impossibly.”
19: I WILL NOT have
rape and/or domestic abuse as part of a female character’s backstory (OR as an
event that occurs in the story proper) without extensive research, delicacy and
tact with the subject, and a meaningful exploration of the aftereffects. If I cannot integrate these well, then I will not use them at all.
20: I will allow men
and women alike to express emotions when appropriate; in other words, I will
not have the former express mindless stoicism and force the latter to grow
weepy at a moment’s notice.
She'd get her own game if she wasn't virtually unstoppable.
21: I will have a sense
of humor in regards to creating female characters, just as said characters will
(personality-permitting) laugh and joke around.
However, I will know when a joke has gone too far or when there are
boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.
22: I will show that Character X is a strong
female, not tell. If I am unable to do so and get called out
for it later, then I will concede and learn from my mistakes.
23: Incidentally, I
will not be afraid to introduce female villains
as well as heroes -- the only stipulation being that they are even more
effective/planned out than the heroes.
24: I will not treat
the creation of strong female characters as a chore, nor will I treat it as a
requirement. It will be something that I
genuinely want to do, and therefore will come far more naturally with practice,
skill, level-headedness, rationality, anticipation of backlash, and of course common sense.
========================================================================
Whew. Well, I’m sure there’s more out there, but
this is as good a start as any. Hopefully,
I’ll be able to use this as a guide for the future (though I am a little
worried that I’ve essentially written 24 commandments and I still feel I’m
missing things). But I’ll find a way to
manage. After all, I don’t want to
imagine a world where I have to self-destruct for wronging the fairer sex.
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