I'm posting this because I know biphobia is a problem. I have never personally run across anyone of this horrible variety but I have heard of its existence.
Homophobic straight people will also be biphobic, but what's lesser known is that gay people will also hate bisexual and pansexual individuals because they think we "haven't fully come out of the closet yet" (which is true of some SOME SOME SOME SOME people who identify as bi. (did you get that I mean "not all"? should I put some more SOMEs?))Some gay people think we just "want straight privilege" and so don't want to identify as fully gay. (Um, you'd think that someone who's been oppressed for their sexuality would, I don't know, be sensitive to other people's sexualities and not be a jerk? Just a thought.)
Here's my question.
How hard of a concept is it to wrap your head around? I can explain it very simply right here using small words,if you like.
Some people don't care about their romantic partner's genders. THERE IS NOTHING HARD TO EXPLAIN! It is fewer than 10 words. (10 if you count Don't as 2 words.)
Bisexual means attracted to two or more genders (including all the different trans and non-binary type ones.) You don't necessarily feel the same level of attraction to each gender, and you don't necessarily feel attracted in the same ways (physical, emotional, etc.) If we end up with a female partner, it doesn't mean we're not attracted to males. If we end up with a male partner, it doesn't mean we're not attracted to females. Do you know what it really means? It really means we just HAPPENED to pick a partner with that particular gender. It could have EASILY been the other way around.
Bisexuals are not promiscuous or unfaithful. Of all the people I've known, the many bisexuals I know are the opposite of this description. The only person I've ever known to fit it, was straight. I'm sorry if this rant came across as condescending, I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I'd appreciate it if my words would be spread to where they were actually needed. If anyone of you who read my blog, come across someone who doesn't get it, please educate them. We need all the help we can get.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Another fun thing to do with your villains
Here's something I forgot to mention in my post about villains that is completely optional, but would make them really interesting.
Make them right.
I don't mean "make their actions completely excusable and secretly they were the protagonist the whole time." I instead mean to make their philosophies right, they just went about the wrong way to prove these philosophies, or they did wrong things in the name of their right philosophies.
Ideally, after the villain is confronted and stopped from whatever they were going to do, the heroes should realize that while the villains actions were wrong, their ideas were not. And perhaps it makes the heroes really think a lot about who they are and what they're doing with their life, and maybe they gain a new quest objective after defeating the villain. (They don't necessarily have to go through with said new objective in the story, it can just be implied that they will go and do this after the story's close, or perhaps it's enough to make a sequel.)
A good villain makes not only the reader, but the protagonists rethink major ideas they once had.
A good villain teaches that the difference between "good guys" and "bad guys" isn't that one is right and the other is wrong, rather that one is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, no matter who or what gets hurt in the process, and the other is going to find a less destructive means to the same end.
Make them right.
I don't mean "make their actions completely excusable and secretly they were the protagonist the whole time." I instead mean to make their philosophies right, they just went about the wrong way to prove these philosophies, or they did wrong things in the name of their right philosophies.
Ideally, after the villain is confronted and stopped from whatever they were going to do, the heroes should realize that while the villains actions were wrong, their ideas were not. And perhaps it makes the heroes really think a lot about who they are and what they're doing with their life, and maybe they gain a new quest objective after defeating the villain. (They don't necessarily have to go through with said new objective in the story, it can just be implied that they will go and do this after the story's close, or perhaps it's enough to make a sequel.)
A good villain makes not only the reader, but the protagonists rethink major ideas they once had.
A good villain teaches that the difference between "good guys" and "bad guys" isn't that one is right and the other is wrong, rather that one is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, no matter who or what gets hurt in the process, and the other is going to find a less destructive means to the same end.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
On Writing Couples and Love Interests
If your characters are a couple out of love then show them in love.
Show them doing things for each other, that they wouldn't do for anyone else.
Show them breaking character because their relationship (or the life of their loved one) depends on it.
Show them expressing their love (in ways other than kissing or sex).
Show them interacting with one another. You know, because couples interact. They don't just exist and then never speak to each other.
Furthermore: I don't care what your couples are into, just make sure they both consent. And make sure that their relationship isn't unhealthy or abusive (and I don't just mean physically.) And please for the love of gods, don't have one of your characters be in control of everything. Members of a couple (or poly-relationship) should all be treated as equals and should all have a say in matters concerning both (like whether or not they have children, or where they live, etc.) This is important because putting abuse, non-con, and unequal relationships in media encourages it in real life (whether you believe it or not) and that's not a good path to go down.
And of course: Your characters don't need to be in a relationship to be happy. Two main characters can come out of a situation as friends, they don't need to be romantically involved by the end of the story.
Also, here are some interesting things to do with your couples.
-Star Crossed Lovers. I just love it when a hero has a thing for the villain or vice versa. Even better is when they both have a thing for each other. Or maybe they were already together to start but the plot has separated them, yet they both long to be back together. Who knows?
-Major cultural barriers between characters. Interracial marriages are cool, both between two different human ethnicities, or between two different fantasy/sci-fi races. Or you could have a completely different cultural barrier. Like a bisexual and a gay or lesbian individual in a relationship together. Or a bisexual with a heterosexual partner. Those count as cultural barriers too.
-More than two people in a healthy poly relationship. Not a harem. A relationship with 3 or more people happily in a healthy relationship together. It's possible and I've seen it happen.
-Fight side by side against adversaries. Seriously, I love it when this happens.
Show them doing things for each other, that they wouldn't do for anyone else.
Show them breaking character because their relationship (or the life of their loved one) depends on it.
Show them expressing their love (in ways other than kissing or sex).
Show them interacting with one another. You know, because couples interact. They don't just exist and then never speak to each other.
Furthermore: I don't care what your couples are into, just make sure they both consent. And make sure that their relationship isn't unhealthy or abusive (and I don't just mean physically.) And please for the love of gods, don't have one of your characters be in control of everything. Members of a couple (or poly-relationship) should all be treated as equals and should all have a say in matters concerning both (like whether or not they have children, or where they live, etc.) This is important because putting abuse, non-con, and unequal relationships in media encourages it in real life (whether you believe it or not) and that's not a good path to go down.
And of course: Your characters don't need to be in a relationship to be happy. Two main characters can come out of a situation as friends, they don't need to be romantically involved by the end of the story.
Also, here are some interesting things to do with your couples.
-Star Crossed Lovers. I just love it when a hero has a thing for the villain or vice versa. Even better is when they both have a thing for each other. Or maybe they were already together to start but the plot has separated them, yet they both long to be back together. Who knows?
-Major cultural barriers between characters. Interracial marriages are cool, both between two different human ethnicities, or between two different fantasy/sci-fi races. Or you could have a completely different cultural barrier. Like a bisexual and a gay or lesbian individual in a relationship together. Or a bisexual with a heterosexual partner. Those count as cultural barriers too.
-More than two people in a healthy poly relationship. Not a harem. A relationship with 3 or more people happily in a healthy relationship together. It's possible and I've seen it happen.
-Fight side by side against adversaries. Seriously, I love it when this happens.
On Writing Good Antagonists
So you have your villain. He's got a death ray and a curly mustache and he only says mwahaha unless he's got the hero trapped. In which case he'll be giving his monologue. He's evil and dastardly and is not a character or a person, rather a prop, an obstacle used to hinder your hero's progress.
I'm gonna have to stop you right there.
No.
Stop.
Wrong.
A villain/antagonist is just as much a person and a character as your heroes/protagonists and supporting cast.
A villain needs to be just as human (even if they're an alien or fantasy race) as the hero is. Because your villain needs to make the audience realize that the potential for "evil" (like the potential for "good") rests within everyone. (Just don't get me started on the black and white bull crap. It's never as simple as good and evil. And I especially hate it when people automatically assume that Chaos=Evil and Order=Good. Why, I associate chaos with creativity and curiosity and the questioning of society, and aren't all those things good? I address this issue many times in my stories, which will eventually be posted here.)
A villain needs to be human because it's never as simple as black and white (see above.)
And so a villain needs to be just as three dimensional as a hero.
-Give them thoughts and ideas and emotions
-Give them interests and hobbies and a job or position in life
-Give them legitimate character development. They don't exist in a vacuum, the events of the story affect them too.
-Explain their motive. Don't just give them a motive with no "why?" (Why do they want power? Why do they hate humanity? Why do they want to see your hero suffer for all eternity?)
-Give them positive qualities as well as negative.
-Make them just as diverse as the heroes. The potential for good and evil rests within everyone. This means Heroes should be diverse, but so should villains. See also my post about diversity!
And here are some optional things you can do to make your villain human.
-Give them friends, or a love interest. Not people they pretend to be friends with just for personal gain, or people they befriend to anger the hero. Give them actual individuals that they care about and enjoy the company of!
-Give them a back story! While their backstory does not excuse their current actions, it can be useful for several reasons. Making them sympathetic makes people realize that they are a person with feelings and not an object or a prop. Giving them a backstory also makes them important. Your hero presumably has a backstory that shaped who they are today. Your villain should have one too.
-Maybe your villain starts off as one of the good characters, but turns bad later on. This is similar to the backstory, except it gets to be told in real time as opposed to in flash backs.
-Or maybe your villain doesn't stay the villain forever. Maybe they somehow turn good, taking a long arduous path to redemption for whatever reason or another, but they did it. They're good now. And they openly admit their mistakes and are shown struggling with their past self.
-Perhaps your villain has a code of honor. Yeah they're bad, but maybe there are some things even they won't do. Like hurt a child. Or fight the hero without first trying to reason with them. Maybe your villain is willing to listen to what your hero has to say before they fight them. Maybe they'll actually consider what the hero said for half a second!
-Perhaps your villain has a code of honor. Yeah they're bad, but maybe there are some things even they won't do. Like hurt a child. Or fight the hero without first trying to reason with them. Maybe your villain is willing to listen to what your hero has to say before they fight them. Maybe they'll actually consider what the hero said for half a second!
-Give your villain a family! Show them interact with parents, spouses, children, siblings, etc. And make those relationships real. Don't just say "oh, he's my older brother." Make it look like these characters actually grew up together!
That is all.
On Writing Characters Well
There are two types of stories you can tell.
1: Stories with heavy plot and theme and symbolism
or
2: Stories that are heavily centered around characters.
It's true, you can have a mix, but for the sake of simplicity, let's pretend there are only 2 types.
Personally, when I write, I like to make my stories Character based, instead of Plot based. Obviously it's important to have a compelling plot and a nice theme, and perhaps a little symbolism, but it's equally (if not more) important to write a good cast of characters.
There are only so many themes in the world, but every character is unique.
I have three main stories that I plan to eventually get posted here.
One of them is about mythology. It has many long story arcs, and some short story arcs and the plots of the chapters within the arcs are similar yet different and brought together at the end of the arc. The main point of writing them, however, is to showcase the characters and watch them interact with the surroundings of the given scenarios. My second story, one about a group of scientists, works in a similar fashion. But the best example to get my point about characters across is the third story.
My third story is about super heroes. And the plots of each arc are extremely similar (for there is a limited pool of super hero plots) but I still insist I write each arc and each story because I fully believe that each story is unique. And this is because the characters are different.
I will always be a fan of the super hero genre because, even though the plots tend to be the same, the characters (and the action) make up for it.
But every good writer knows that they need compelling protagonists and some good writers know that the supporting cast needs to be good too. What many people don't know (and I've seen even the best of writers fall into this pit of despair) is that your villains and antagonists need to be written just as well.
To Be Continued
On Writing Diversity
Being diverse with your characters doesn't mean simply having characters that belong to ethnic, sexual, gender, romantic, etc minorities. It means having them and writing them well.
You are not a diverse author if your minority characters: your POC, your women, your LGBT+s, etc. are just stereotypes. That isn't diversity, that's offensive.
To write a good character that is a member of a minority group you just write a good character, and then make them a minority group. Bam. That's it. If you have a hard time doing that then decide their personality, interests, social status, etc. before you decide their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Or pick their ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation at random after figuring out the character.
You are not a diverse author if your minority characters: your POC, your women, your LGBT+s, etc. are just stereotypes. That isn't diversity, that's offensive.
To write a good character that is a member of a minority group you just write a good character, and then make them a minority group. Bam. That's it. If you have a hard time doing that then decide their personality, interests, social status, etc. before you decide their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Or pick their ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation at random after figuring out the character.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
The very briefest way to explain evolution.
Okay so as a prospective biologist and anthropologist I've learned a lot about evolution (though I have no credentials.) Here's a little bit I've put together to explain evolution since it's something a lot of people have misconceptions about (including myself, once upon a time.)
How people think evolution works (a.k.a. This is NOT how it works)
"And on the third day, Mother Nature said "Let humans walk on two legs, for this is the way it must be. That is the best and fittest option for their kind.""
How evolution actually works (in fewer than 10 words)
Chance Mutation + Time (lots of time) + A Population = Change.
There is no "best" there is no "fittest" there is no "because" there is only "eh, it works." (And even that is personifying and antrhopomorphising nature, which is a common human filter.)
Anywhoo, this is just a short summary of things I've learned with a bit of a silly exaggeration at the beginning. Again, I'm merely a student, I have no credentials to my name. But I will eventually! And when I do, I'll say the same thing I said here!
Guaranteed or the 0 cents you payed me to read this back.
How people think evolution works (a.k.a. This is NOT how it works)
"And on the third day, Mother Nature said "Let humans walk on two legs, for this is the way it must be. That is the best and fittest option for their kind.""
How evolution actually works (in fewer than 10 words)
Chance Mutation + Time (lots of time) + A Population = Change.
There is no "best" there is no "fittest" there is no "because" there is only "eh, it works." (And even that is personifying and antrhopomorphising nature, which is a common human filter.)
Anywhoo, this is just a short summary of things I've learned with a bit of a silly exaggeration at the beginning. Again, I'm merely a student, I have no credentials to my name. But I will eventually! And when I do, I'll say the same thing I said here!
Guaranteed or the 0 cents you payed me to read this back.
On Avoiding Arguments and Confusion
Writing this because I KNOW that people are going to be confused with my Feminine Characters post.
I know and trust that most of y'all will understand my Feminine Characters post without having to read this, but I also feel like many people won't get it,
However, I am afraid that some people are going to read my Feminine Characters post and instantly think I hate masculine female and masculine male characters. Or that I want to push gender norms on women.
And I am going to tell you right now that that is wrong and also that you missed several of my points. I mentioned many times that I do NOT approve of gender norms (or any societal norms, for that matter. Poo on "the man"). Here's a simpler version of the feminine characters post not to be used as a substitute for reading the feminine characters post, but to be used as a means of clarifying things a bit.
1: I like strong female characters no matter if they are masculine or feminine or a mixture of both.
2: I'm just sad that many people cannot seem to portray feminine female characters (or feminine male characters) well. They are usually portrayed as love interests, shallow, or damsels in distress when they can be equally as cool as masculine female characters.
3: Similarly, feminine male characters are also portrayed poorly (often overly flamboyant and campy, and only gay male characters are portrayed as feminine.) Again, feminine male characters can be equally as cool as masculine male characters, whether gay or straight (or bi, etc.).
That is all.
I know and trust that most of y'all will understand my Feminine Characters post without having to read this, but I also feel like many people won't get it,
However, I am afraid that some people are going to read my Feminine Characters post and instantly think I hate masculine female and masculine male characters. Or that I want to push gender norms on women.
And I am going to tell you right now that that is wrong and also that you missed several of my points. I mentioned many times that I do NOT approve of gender norms (or any societal norms, for that matter. Poo on "the man"). Here's a simpler version of the feminine characters post not to be used as a substitute for reading the feminine characters post, but to be used as a means of clarifying things a bit.
1: I like strong female characters no matter if they are masculine or feminine or a mixture of both.
2: I'm just sad that many people cannot seem to portray feminine female characters (or feminine male characters) well. They are usually portrayed as love interests, shallow, or damsels in distress when they can be equally as cool as masculine female characters.
3: Similarly, feminine male characters are also portrayed poorly (often overly flamboyant and campy, and only gay male characters are portrayed as feminine.) Again, feminine male characters can be equally as cool as masculine male characters, whether gay or straight (or bi, etc.).
That is all.
How to Love Fashion, Makeup, and Accessories Without Being Shallow
So a lot of people have the misconception that Fashion and its associates are only for shallow people and that any guy who likes it is a weirdo and any girl who likes it is just a drone following societies norms.
Why the fashion hate guys and gals?
I'll tell you why. Because fashion is misunderstood. And it is misunderstood because people have been pushing the wrong views on us for years. Well I'm here to clear up a few things about fashion and makeup and tell you what all the hype is about.
Misconception #1: It's too expensive.
Oh hell yeah. Stereotypical "women's" hobbies tend to be expensive and time consuming (how long do I have to spend putting makeup on anyway?) This is because, I think, people like to take advantage of the fact that beauty standards are pushed on women. They make money off it. However, not all makeup and fashion companies are bank breaking. I've found plenty of makeup companies that have moderately or low priced makeup that I like because it's colorful and/or themed and it does the job (i.e. it lasts for as long as I need it to). A lot of these are drug store companies, but some are independently owned online stores. And the same goes for clothing and jewelry. (Not to mention, places at the mall tend to have sales often.)
Misconception #2: The only purpose is in looking good to impress shallow people.
If you think that, you are wrong. That's not how it's supposed to be used at all. Fashion isn't about all the latest trends, it's about expressing yourself. Using it to look good is like using a book as a bug-squasher. You can use it for that purpose, but that's not it's best use, and it's an awful waste. Graphic tees that announce what fandoms you are a part of are just as much fashionable (and really cute, if I do say so myself) as gorgeous summer dresses. The point of wearing them is that you express yourself. You express that you like a certain show/movie/etc. You express that you're kind of artsy or quirky in a good way, or fun loving based on what patterns you wear. This is what fashion is about!
Misconception #3: It's not fun, it can't possibly be fun for anyone.
... No. You're wrong. You're just wrong. Look, it's fun because you like a top or a necklace or a scarf or eyeshadow and you wear it and you think "gee, I really like this, I don't care if other people do too or not, I just really like wearing it and it makes me feel confident and amazing. I shall definitely wear it again some time." It is also fun to just look through *non expensive* makeup stores, and clothing stores. Have you ever seen themed makeup? Something about makeup themes just makes me feel happy inside. Heck, any makeup with a catchy name is fun.
And sometimes, you can do what I call "modern-bounding" (Inspired by the concept of Disney-Bounding which you should look up.) Modern bounding is when you pick a character you like and you find a bunch of clothing and accessories that reminds you of said character, and maybe makes you look like a modern (or human/non-fantasy) version of said character, without being a costume. You can even get some makeup in a color scheme to match. And it's really fun. It's like cospaying but socially acceptable to wear everyday!
Misconception #4: School Uniforms are a good idea.
"Oh, Katherine, the good outweigh the bad on this one. Give it up, school uniforms are a good thing."
First off, people advocating for school uniforms claim that it prevents bullying. I don't know about you but I was bullied a lot in K-12, and at NO POINT in my life was I bullied about clothing. School uniforms are horrible things that take away a student's ability to express themselves through their appearance, and don't get me started on dress codes. If boys are "distracted" by a girl's appearance, it's a problem with the boy, not the girl. If you don't agree then instead of arguing, maybe just get off this blog. It' not right for you.
Anyway, I hope you come out of this with a new view on what Fashion, Accessories, and Makeup are good for. And that it's an okay hobby for men, women, and non-binary individuals alike. Happy fashion!
Why the fashion hate guys and gals?
I'll tell you why. Because fashion is misunderstood. And it is misunderstood because people have been pushing the wrong views on us for years. Well I'm here to clear up a few things about fashion and makeup and tell you what all the hype is about.
Misconception #1: It's too expensive.
Oh hell yeah. Stereotypical "women's" hobbies tend to be expensive and time consuming (how long do I have to spend putting makeup on anyway?) This is because, I think, people like to take advantage of the fact that beauty standards are pushed on women. They make money off it. However, not all makeup and fashion companies are bank breaking. I've found plenty of makeup companies that have moderately or low priced makeup that I like because it's colorful and/or themed and it does the job (i.e. it lasts for as long as I need it to). A lot of these are drug store companies, but some are independently owned online stores. And the same goes for clothing and jewelry. (Not to mention, places at the mall tend to have sales often.)
Misconception #2: The only purpose is in looking good to impress shallow people.
If you think that, you are wrong. That's not how it's supposed to be used at all. Fashion isn't about all the latest trends, it's about expressing yourself. Using it to look good is like using a book as a bug-squasher. You can use it for that purpose, but that's not it's best use, and it's an awful waste. Graphic tees that announce what fandoms you are a part of are just as much fashionable (and really cute, if I do say so myself) as gorgeous summer dresses. The point of wearing them is that you express yourself. You express that you like a certain show/movie/etc. You express that you're kind of artsy or quirky in a good way, or fun loving based on what patterns you wear. This is what fashion is about!
Misconception #3: It's not fun, it can't possibly be fun for anyone.
... No. You're wrong. You're just wrong. Look, it's fun because you like a top or a necklace or a scarf or eyeshadow and you wear it and you think "gee, I really like this, I don't care if other people do too or not, I just really like wearing it and it makes me feel confident and amazing. I shall definitely wear it again some time." It is also fun to just look through *non expensive* makeup stores, and clothing stores. Have you ever seen themed makeup? Something about makeup themes just makes me feel happy inside. Heck, any makeup with a catchy name is fun.
And sometimes, you can do what I call "modern-bounding" (Inspired by the concept of Disney-Bounding which you should look up.) Modern bounding is when you pick a character you like and you find a bunch of clothing and accessories that reminds you of said character, and maybe makes you look like a modern (or human/non-fantasy) version of said character, without being a costume. You can even get some makeup in a color scheme to match. And it's really fun. It's like cospaying but socially acceptable to wear everyday!
Misconception #4: School Uniforms are a good idea.
"Oh, Katherine, the good outweigh the bad on this one. Give it up, school uniforms are a good thing."
First off, people advocating for school uniforms claim that it prevents bullying. I don't know about you but I was bullied a lot in K-12, and at NO POINT in my life was I bullied about clothing. School uniforms are horrible things that take away a student's ability to express themselves through their appearance, and don't get me started on dress codes. If boys are "distracted" by a girl's appearance, it's a problem with the boy, not the girl. If you don't agree then instead of arguing, maybe just get off this blog. It' not right for you.
Anyway, I hope you come out of this with a new view on what Fashion, Accessories, and Makeup are good for. And that it's an okay hobby for men, women, and non-binary individuals alike. Happy fashion!
On Writing Good Female Characters
A while ago I was talking to one of my friends and I told her all about my views on female characters in media but I quickly realized I was preaching to the proverbial choir. And I realized that I wouldn't feel completely satisfied until I put the whole large thing out for the world to see.
This is my thoughts on female characters, and feminine characters both female and male.
First I must define "feminine." I don't define feminine and masculine by interests as I perceive interests as gender neutral (if we get really technical, gender is a social construct but this is the non-technical, simplified version.) So in essence, a character or person can like whatever: videogames, sports, magical girl anime, makeup etc. and that has no impact on whether their overall personality is feminine or masculine to me.
For the sake of this post, feminine is caring, motherly (or parental if the feminine character in question is not female), passionate (both about emotions and about interests), empathetic, calm, and perhaps also creative/imaginative where masculine is stoic, active, practical (rather than creative), action (rather than people) oriented, and perhaps a bit intense. Both have their up-sides and down-sides and neither is "right" or "wrong" for anyone of any gender to be. Now, onto the heart of the matter.
Feminine Female (and Feminine Male) Characters
Because of the way female characters were portrayed in the past; as damsels in distress, love interests, and merely there to look pretty, many writers today like to balance that out by making their female characters super masculine or "different" by making them tomboys. This is perfectly fine. I have no problem with tomboyish female characters. What I do have a problem with is a lack of feminine female characters.
A female character does not have to act masculine to be badass or "strong." In fact, I find it slightly sexist that femininity is not associated with badassery or strength. (but that's another story). There seems to be this notion that if a character is girly (or likes interests that people who are not me would consider girly) she or he is shallow and superficial.
I say a female character can have whatever interests she wants (be they geeky/nerdy, creative, beauty oriented, social, trickstery, outdoorsy, or sporty) and still be considered strong or badass.
Heck, who's to say that she has only one set of interests? Why can't a girl like fashion AND sports? (I sometimes make it a point to dress nicely when I'm going to see an action movie or put on makeup to play video games just to show that you can have a variety.)
Furthermore, a character can be maternal and badass at the same time. (Just look at Ripley and Newt's relationship in Aliens.)
People have this notion that a woman who is feminine is only feminine because societal norms have been pushed on her. I will be the first person to tell you that societal gender norms are stupid, but I will also be the first person to tell you that there's nothing wrong with a woman who likes fashion, just like there's nothing wrong with a man who likes fashion. (I will go over my thoughts on fashion in a later post.)
Finally, people seem to think "strong female character" means a female character with good fighting skills. That's NOT what it means. It means a female character who is written well and not portrayed in a sexist way. Strong characters are well built, three dimensional characters with thoughts and feelings and ideas and mistakes and triumphs. A character that can take care of her/himself and is not afraid to be her/himself. It doesn't matter if they are a masculine woman or a feminine woman, a masculine male or a feminine male. That is my criteria for strong, well written characters.
TLDR: Gender norms suck. A lot of people misrepresent femininity and I want feminine female and male characters to be more well written in the future.
This is my thoughts on female characters, and feminine characters both female and male.
First I must define "feminine." I don't define feminine and masculine by interests as I perceive interests as gender neutral (if we get really technical, gender is a social construct but this is the non-technical, simplified version.) So in essence, a character or person can like whatever: videogames, sports, magical girl anime, makeup etc. and that has no impact on whether their overall personality is feminine or masculine to me.
For the sake of this post, feminine is caring, motherly (or parental if the feminine character in question is not female), passionate (both about emotions and about interests), empathetic, calm, and perhaps also creative/imaginative where masculine is stoic, active, practical (rather than creative), action (rather than people) oriented, and perhaps a bit intense. Both have their up-sides and down-sides and neither is "right" or "wrong" for anyone of any gender to be. Now, onto the heart of the matter.
Feminine Female (and Feminine Male) Characters
Because of the way female characters were portrayed in the past; as damsels in distress, love interests, and merely there to look pretty, many writers today like to balance that out by making their female characters super masculine or "different" by making them tomboys. This is perfectly fine. I have no problem with tomboyish female characters. What I do have a problem with is a lack of feminine female characters.
A female character does not have to act masculine to be badass or "strong." In fact, I find it slightly sexist that femininity is not associated with badassery or strength. (but that's another story). There seems to be this notion that if a character is girly (or likes interests that people who are not me would consider girly) she or he is shallow and superficial.
I say a female character can have whatever interests she wants (be they geeky/nerdy, creative, beauty oriented, social, trickstery, outdoorsy, or sporty) and still be considered strong or badass.
Heck, who's to say that she has only one set of interests? Why can't a girl like fashion AND sports? (I sometimes make it a point to dress nicely when I'm going to see an action movie or put on makeup to play video games just to show that you can have a variety.)
Furthermore, a character can be maternal and badass at the same time. (Just look at Ripley and Newt's relationship in Aliens.)
People have this notion that a woman who is feminine is only feminine because societal norms have been pushed on her. I will be the first person to tell you that societal gender norms are stupid, but I will also be the first person to tell you that there's nothing wrong with a woman who likes fashion, just like there's nothing wrong with a man who likes fashion. (I will go over my thoughts on fashion in a later post.)
Finally, people seem to think "strong female character" means a female character with good fighting skills. That's NOT what it means. It means a female character who is written well and not portrayed in a sexist way. Strong characters are well built, three dimensional characters with thoughts and feelings and ideas and mistakes and triumphs. A character that can take care of her/himself and is not afraid to be her/himself. It doesn't matter if they are a masculine woman or a feminine woman, a masculine male or a feminine male. That is my criteria for strong, well written characters.
TLDR: Gender norms suck. A lot of people misrepresent femininity and I want feminine female and male characters to be more well written in the future.
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