“Let’s be real: if women were “naturally” anything, societies wouldn’t spend so much time trying to police every aspect of their lives.”
I make a distinction between “likeable” and “admirable,” and personally prefer that main characters in the books I read have some admirable qualities (regardless of gender). This is why I don’t read grimdark fantasy, such as Kameron Hurley, the author of this piece, writes. However, I fully defend anyone who does read it, or write it, and Hurley’s point here – that different standards are applied to men and women – is well taken.
Thinking about my own characters, I’m fairly sure Tara, from the Auckland Allies series, isn’t likeable. And I have no plans for her to become so.
Originally shared by Daniel Swensen
“Stories teach us empathy, and limiting the expression of humanity in our heroes entirely based on sex or gender does us all a disservice. It places restrictions on what we consider human, which dehumanizes the people we see who do not express traits that fit our narrow definition of what’s acceptable. Like it or not, failure of empathy in the face of unlikable women in fiction can often lead to a failure to empathize with women who don’t follow all the rules in real life, too. I see this all the time in conversations with men and women alike.”
https://bitchmedia.org/article/defense-unlikable-women
I have a few people who said they like my character Rozz, but I suspect Rozz isn’t really stereotypically likable. She’s abrupt and no-nonsense, and really into her own projects/goals. If that happens to coincide with my male protagonists’ goals– more the better. But as in your character’s case, I have no plans to change her.
I have a few people who said they like my character Rozz, but I suspect Rozz isn’t really stereotypically likable. She’s abrupt and no-nonsense, and really into her own projects/goals. If that happens to coincide with my male protagonists’ goals– more the better. But as in your character’s case, I have no plans to change her.
Tara is sarcastic, and not at all empathetic, and dismissive of her colleagues (she’ll admit to herself that she respects their abilities, but she’d never say it to them). She complains about being stereotyped as Violence Girl, but violence is often her first response. Basically, I took the trope of the snarky kickass urban fantasy heroine and pushed just a little bit, but left out the part where she makes bad decisions and has to be rescued by a man.
Tara is sarcastic, and not at all empathetic, and dismissive of her colleagues (she’ll admit to herself that she respects their abilities, but she’d never say it to them). She complains about being stereotyped as Violence Girl, but violence is often her first response. Basically, I took the trope of the snarky kickass urban fantasy heroine and pushed just a little bit, but left out the part where she makes bad decisions and has to be rescued by a man.
Mike Reeves-McMillan Oh, the making bad decisions trope drives me nuts. In True Blood we kept hearing how smart Suki Stackhouse was and then she’d go off and do a bunch of really high-risk stupid things. I wanted to shake her.
Mike Reeves-McMillan Oh, the making bad decisions trope drives me nuts. In True Blood we kept hearing how smart Suki Stackhouse was and then she’d go off and do a bunch of really high-risk stupid things. I wanted to shake her.
I really, really hate that trope, especially when we’re being told that the woman is smart.
I really, really hate that trope, especially when we’re being told that the woman is smart.
You must always recognize the character arc as well. A character might start out unlikable but as she grows/learns becomes more likable.
And it is often true that a male character can be sarcastic and cocky, but a female character like that isn’t as popular. Often people innately want a more prim/proper/motherly style of female character… though I do see this changing.
You must always recognize the character arc as well. A character might start out unlikable but as she grows/learns becomes more likable.
And it is often true that a male character can be sarcastic and cocky, but a female character like that isn’t as popular. Often people innately want a more prim/proper/motherly style of female character… though I do see this changing.