Strong female characters

[Blind_Justice]

Violet and Shine, both from my "Ghost in the Machine" series, are strong females who use their brains as much as their other assets. Too many to name in my fantasy stories.

"Express Delivery" has two female villains (Neira and Mother), "The Rembrandt Legacy" has one (The Hive Queen). The Dunwall sisters in "Temptation of Gheeran" can be seen as villains in one way or another and when throwing all the demonesses and evil dark elven matriarchs into the hat, it will get quite crowded.

 

[lovecraft68]

Villains, yes, but strong, no. In BTB stories women are portrayed as conniving, deceitful, and manipulative, but ultimately weak and morally defective. In the end they are beaten by men who are portrayed as more morally virtuous, smarter, and more resourceful.

There are some hotwife/cuckold stories where women are portrayed in a stronger light. They're not intended to be seen as villains by the authors, but the BTB crowd sees them that way.

I was being sarcastic.

The last time I saw a BTB story was on the bottom of my shoe with the other shit I stepped in.

 

[lovecraft68]

Not the women in mine, but a commenter let me know how they felt about that.

I bet they did...nervy portraying a woman in a decent light.

 

[lovecraft68]

I guess from Game of Thrones - Arya and Brienne of Tarth, Sansa. G.R.R. Martin gave us many strong female characters.

Likewise Khalan Amnell from Sword of Truth series.

Brutal One

Let me see if I can convey my true feelings here.

Game of thrones and Martin can fuck off.

He can fuck off and he can keep fucking off. He can fuck off until he reaches a sign saying no fucking off past this point...at witch point he can tear the sign up get through the fence and fuck off for the rest of his life.

I am sick and fucking tired of hearing about the strong women in his series. Every goddamn woman in it-other than Arya because she was underage in real life, was either rapes, sexually degraded, sexually tortured or had their tits out within minutes of their debut.

Utter garbage and I can't imagine what some of those women had to do to get those parts with that slug involved.

Anyone who disagrees with that is more than entitled to do so, but nothing said on it will change my mind. if GOT is someone's example of feminism they need to look up the word...to the "but in the end it was down to two women...well you can't rape and degrade Cersi anymore of have Danni's tits out anymore if they're dead...now can you?

Even Brianne was almost raped, Jamie saved her...so back to fuck off.

 

[Emirus]

Technically, that's less than half of the total story. There are 5 more chapters.

EDIT:Also, although there is certainly the appearance of kindness, Winters' greatest trick is convincing her victims that they like the way she treats them. Normalizing this kind of behavior is horrific, which is something the conscience characyer (who appears later) brings up repeatedly.

I know there were another five chapters of the Dark Horse series but after the trilogy I had lost interest. I suppose it shows how important each chapter is in a series to keep the reader interested. Perhaps I missed out on something.

My remark about her being kind in the way she treated her “horses” was said tongue in cheek. I would have liked to use an emoji but the ones on this site are crap.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Maleficent was from Sleeping Beauty; 101 Dalmatians was Cruella de Ville.

It really depends what you mean by "strong female character". In a lot of stories it turns out to mean a woman who can shoot a gun or throw a punch, but still ends up as more or less an appendage of a male character - James Bond heroines for instance are very prone to this. Good essay here: https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/08/i-hate-strong-female-characters

I'm more interested in female characters who drive the plot through something more than just being good at fisticuffs or lifting cars. Some good examples are Edith in Crimson Peak (not physically strong, but has the courage to fight her way out of a deathtrap while holding onto enough goodness to save others as well) or Furiosa from Fury Road who is a very competent fighter, but also a leader.

I knew I could count on you for the Maleficent/101 Dalmatians correction. Thanks.

As far as strong women who drive the plot, not only through physical strength: how about Willow and Buffy from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"?

I feel like it's worth pointing out that all of the strong female characters from the OP are written by men. We should probably be looking to strong female characters written by women as examples of good character archetypes.

I mainly read sci-fi, so from recent books I'd point to Syenite from The Fifth Season and Rosemary from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet as great examples of strong female characters, in different ways.

I definitely second Syenite, and she gets better through that trilogy. Also, Yeine from Jemisin's Inheritence Trilogy. Or for a female sociopath, Amy Dunne from "Gone Girl".
Or Lessa from "The Dragonriders of Pern".

~~~~~
For my own work, I'd say all my women are strong, self-assured, and manage their situations.
"Skunked" is a fairly conventional EC story, with a woman comfortable enough with herself to take advantage of an opportunity.
In "War Prize" the female MC appears to acquiesce to her treatment, but for her own ends.
In the very first story i wrote here, "One End of the Spectrum" the female MC essentially manipulates the male into the kind of kinky sex she wants (he doesn't object, once he figured it out).

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

Let me see if I can convey my true feelings here.

Game of thrones and Martin can fuck off.

He can fuck off and he can keep fucking off. He can fuck off until he reaches a sign saying no fucking off past this point...at witch point he can tear the sign up get through the fence and fuck off for the rest of his life.

I am sick and fucking tired of hearing about the strong women in his series. Every goddamn woman in it-other than Arya because she was underage in real life, was either rapes, sexually degraded, sexually tortured or had their tits out within minutes of their debut.

Utter garbage and I can't imagine what some of those women had to do to get those parts with that slug involved.

Anyone who disagrees with that is more than entitled to do so, but nothing said on it will change my mind. if GOT is someone's example of feminism they need to look up the word...to the "but in the end it was down to two women...well you can't rape and degrade Cersi anymore of have Danni's tits out anymore if they're dead...now can you?

Even Brianne was almost raped, Jamie saved her...so back to fuck off.

Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.

If you read the book, Danarys was 13 when she became Kahleesi. Sansa was 11 and Arya 9 in the first book.

To be far, Lady Stark and Septa Mordane did not get naked, and Cersi's nude walk was CGI.

Just because a woman is strong doesn't mean she can't be beaten or raped. Brienne was a formidable warrior, but numbers trump strength. Being strong does not mean you always win, sometimes strength means overcome a horrible experience.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Let me see if I can convey my true feelings here.

Game of thrones and Martin can fuck off.

He can fuck off and he can keep fucking off. He can fuck off until he reaches a sign saying no fucking off past this point...at witch point he can tear the sign up get through the fence and fuck off for the rest of his life.

I am sick and fucking tired of hearing about the strong women in his series. Every goddamn woman in it-other than Arya because she was underage in real life, was either rapes, sexually degraded, sexually tortured or had their tits out within minutes of their debut.

Utter garbage and I can't imagine what some of those women had to do to get those parts with that slug involved.

Anyone who disagrees with that is more than entitled to do so, but nothing said on it will change my mind. if GOT is someone's example of feminism they need to look up the word...to the "but in the end it was down to two women...well you can't rape and degrade Cersi anymore of have Danni's tits out anymore if they're dead...now can you?

Even Brianne was almost raped, Jamie saved her...so back to fuck off.

Let's not forget that, at least in the TV series, the message of the conclusion is, basically, "bitches be crazy."

 

[sinnndy]

Almost all of my stories are about my experiences, and I am submissive, but I still consider myself as a strong female character.

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

Let's not forget that, at least in the TV series, the message of the conclusion is, basically, "bitches be crazy."

More like the progeny of incestous relationships are insane.

Like Joffrey, and Viserys Targaryen...

 

[Bramblethorn]

I knew I could count on you for the Maleficent/101 Dalmatians correction. Thanks.

Pedantic corrections are my brand.

As far as strong women who drive the plot, not only through physical strength: how about Willow and Buffy from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"?

I'm going to lose a billion nerd points for this, but most of my BTVS watching experience was the Kirsty Swanson film. I think I've caught one episode of the series, because I just don't watch a lot of TV and I was busy when it was screening.

Whedon is a clever filmmaker and there's a lot I've enjoyed in his work, but I've also seen some good arguments that his "strong female characters" don't seem so strong when examined closely - see e.g. https://www.themarysue.com/reconsidering-the-feminism-of-joss-whedon/ or others linked from https://geekfeminism.wikia.org/wiki/Joss_Whedon#Criticisms_of_Whedon.27s_work . Not having watched BTVS, I can't comment on whether that part of the criticism is accurate, but it does seem pretty consistent with what I have seen of his work elsewhere (mostly Firefly/Serenity, Dr. Horrible, and Avengers).

 

[Bramblethorn]

Just because a woman is strong doesn't mean she can't be beaten or raped. Brienne was a formidable warrior, but numbers trump strength. Being strong does not mean you always win, sometimes strength means overcome a horrible experience.

Yeah, but it's fucking tedious how often writers pick rape for that particular "horrible experience". It's become a lazy writer's button to mash whenever he wants to establish the grimdarkness of a Crapsack World.

There are *so many* horrible things that can happen in a medieval setting. Rotten teeth. Child labour. Dying by shitting your bowels out thanks to dysentery. Maybe writers who really need to be grimdark and edgy could write about some of those for a change?

 

[SisterJezabel]

Strength is a challenging concept for many authors because it can be seen in a misogynistic way- take the number of 'strong women' who are portrayed as strong because they stand up to BS from a man Too often women are seen as being aggressive or dominant (not in a sexual way) whereas a male who displays the same characteristics is shown as having strength about him.

For me, a strong female character is Nellie in CherylTerra's stories- she knows what she wants and is in tune with her sexuality.

 

[jaF0]

Maj. Margaret Houlihan. Strong, dominant, in command when necessary, but could also be softer, more feminine and even vulnerable.

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

^^ I don't promote or glorify crime.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2wwAAOSwH09ZJFWo/s-l300.jpg

I had to do it.

 

[jaF0]

I didn't say I don't promote or glorify stupidity.

 

[RetroFan]

My advice for writing strong female characters is to write a strong character who is female and have her be strong by her actions and experiences rather than a strong female character.

Star Wars provides a good example of what to do and what not to do. For example, Princess Leia from the original trilogy and Jyn Erso from Rogue One were strong female characters defined by their personality and deeds and by overcoming obstacles in their lives and are popular with the fan base.

Rey from the new trilogy however, is inexplicably powerful and just naturally good at things, with no real explanation as to why and subsequently little character development from learning experiences. Other characters around her are weakened to make her appear stronger, and the vibe you get is 'REY IS A STRONG AND EMPOWERED FEMALE CHARACTER AND YOU MUST LIKE HER WITHOUT QUESTION'. The result is that in trying to make a strong female character Rey actually becomes one of the weakest Star Wars characters, derided as a 'Mary Sue' and unpopular with many Star Wars fans.

 

[AlinaX]

Rey was a wonderful character and I came out of the first two films thrilled with her arc. After the third film? Meh. Utterly stupid finish to the series.

She was no more special-out-of-nowhere than Luke or Annakin, and arguably had a much tougher and more self-sufficient childhood.

ETA: The real betrayal was Finn, who could have had a fantastic arc as a Jedi and a romantic Po/Finn relationship.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Rey was a wonderful character and I came out of the first two films thrilled with her arc. After the third film? Meh. Utterly stupid finish to the series.

She was no more special-out-of-nowhere than Luke or Annakin, and arguably had a much tougher and more self-sufficient childhood.

ETA: The real betrayal was Finn, who could have had a fantastic arc as a Jedi and a romantic Po/Finn relationship.

Seconded, but also Rose.

 

[SimonDoom]

My advice for writing strong female characters is to write a strong character who is female and have her be strong by her actions and experiences rather than a strong female character.

Star Wars provides a good example of what to do and what not to do. For example, Princess Leia from the original trilogy and Jyn Erso from Rogue One were strong female characters defined by their personality and deeds and by overcoming obstacles in their lives and are popular with the fan base.

Rey from the new trilogy however, is inexplicably powerful and just naturally good at things, with no real explanation as to why and subsequently little character development from learning experiences. Other characters around her are weakened to make her appear stronger, and the vibe you get is 'REY IS A STRONG AND EMPOWERED FEMALE CHARACTER AND YOU MUST LIKE HER WITHOUT QUESTION'. The result is that in trying to make a strong female character Rey actually becomes one of the weakest Star Wars characters, derided as a 'Mary Sue' and unpopular with many Star Wars fans.

I agree with you.

I thought the Rey character had great promise, and I liked Daisy Ridley. I thought there was a tremendous opportunity to do something interesting. But in the end her character never really seemed true to me. Did she ever smile? Have a moment of levity? Was there anything at all about her that was interesting? She was a character who just happened to be strong with the force, but I never found her character, ultimately, to be that interesting. I thought the writing of the most recent trilogy, and in particular the last two movies, was dreadful.

But, then, I'm an old-school Star Wars fan who remembers the magic of seeing the original Star Wars when it came out in May 1977, and that was an unforgettable movie experience.

A good strong character, I think, requires a good story. The latest Star Wars trilogy was a terrible story, so it's hard for any character in it to be really good.

You can say what you want about the "misogyny" of Game of Thrones, but I can't recall any television show that had so many great, fully formed, strong, multi-dimensional female characters. The Star Wars characters in the latest trilogy are pallid by comparison.

 

[SimonDoom]

If we're looking for "strong" female characters from recent sci fi/fantasy/action thriller films, my choice would be Imperator Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road, played extremely well by Charlize Theron. She's a grown up, rather than a kid, which I like. She has a backstory, although it's somewhat mysterious for a while. She's strong, but has no superpowers. She has an interesting and worthy cause. She demonstrates moral courage. She's crafty. Her relationship with the other hero of the film, Max, is interesting, but never romantic or sexual. She is never objectified. She is a mover of events rather than a victim, although she is constantly in peril. An interesting thing about the film is that although it's nominally about Max (and Tom Hardy is great as Max) she outshines him as the true hero of the film. It's an example of what I mean by a strong character emerging from a strong story.

If you haven't seen the film, you should. It's much, much better than Star Wars or Hunger Games or most of the other dreck that's out there.

 

[AlinaX]

Katniss is an odd one. For the most part she's reacting to events rather than actively shaping them, and emotionally she's very subdued - reflecting a form of PTSD, perhaps, but arguably she's aroace (cf. Artemis, the chaste huntress) without having the words to express this.

 

[LaRascasse]

I recently wrote a mom/son story where the mom is a mafia hitwoman.

And I made another one for the summer contest where mom is a mob boss.

I think powerful crime women are an untapped theme for erotica.

Not so much, villain, but I do like strong anti-heroines.

This is my take on a female crime boss anti-heroine.

https://www.literotica.com/beta/s/broken-promises-3

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

Yeah, but it's fucking tedious how often writers pick rape for that particular "horrible experience". It's become a lazy writer's button to mash whenever he wants to establish the grimdarkness of a Crapsack World.

There are *so many* horrible things that can happen in a medieval setting. Rotten teeth. Child labour. Dying by shitting your bowels out thanks to dysentery. Maybe writers who really need to be grimdark and edgy could write about some of those for a change?

Rotten Teeth that makes a great visual, and so hard to overcome.

Rape has a visceral reaction and creates strong emotion. That's why it's used. BEsides do you really want to see someone having diarrhea when you watch TV?

 

[AwkwardMD]

Rotten Teeth that makes a great visual, and so hard to overcome.

Rape has a visceral reaction and creates strong emotion. That's why it's used. BEsides do you really want to see someone having diarrhea when you watch TV?

Watch out for the bear traps. You are implying, then, that audiences do want to see women be raped, or that the only audience that matters is the one that can lowkey fantasize the rape as a good thing (ie, men).

Death is death. Loss is loss.