Writing Female Characters

I can only imagine that for a male author one of the most difficult things to do is write female characters. I know it is for me, but I make the attempt based on what I have observed with every woman I’ve met. It’s not an easy task, considering most of the women I’ve met are not the emotional type. Granted, they shed tears more easily them most men, but they are more logical, less emotional than they are normally portrayed in media. So along those lines, I always seem to create a woman of this type in my stories. My only possible excuse for this is that the heroine of my life is Rosa Parks because her defiant, true-to-self nature inspires me.

Reflecting on all the female characters I’ve written, I’d like to describe three of them from three different books: Chalas from the series Shadow Gods, Christina from Romance Novel, and Isis from the Jeremiah Stone series. All three of these women have very different personalities, but all of them are strong in their own way. Most of all, these female characters provide an insight into the story and the male character each interacts with which brings them all to life.

As described in my Conversation blog entry, the three words that describe Chalas are intuitive, stubborn, and motherly. Despite her leadership skills and being the one person everyone turns to in times of need, she is never in charge because of the male dominated society in which she exists. She passes no judgment and everyone looks up to her, knowing a single word or look from her can make a person quiver in silence. Also, due to her intuitive nature she knows exactly how to deal with people to get what she wants. Arguing with her is also a futile effort. Regardless of her harsh nature when dealing with ‘stupid men’, she does have a soft side. She is protective of those she cares for and she will not give an inch when she believes in something.

Contrary to Chalas, Christina has a very feminine side. She has been hurt is many of her past relationships, but it doesn’t stop her from putting her heart forth to get stepped on once again because she believes in love. She believes she will find the one person for her and she’s not going to give up until she does. Some would consider this a weakness; but this doesn’t stop her from   aggressively searching for what her heart desires. Of course, all this is hidden behind a wall of confidence as she is one of only a few women in a male dominated field. Because of this, she strives to be better and do more than her counterparts (and it shows).

Of these three women, Isis is by far the most timid and most feminine. Her strength exists in the fact she dares to defy God even though she’s an angel. Her nature is love and fertility (as in the Egyptian god Isis) and when she meets Jeremiah Stone she becomes torn between her growing love for him and her inherent love for God. To her fellow angels, she’s considered a traitor and weak, an angel doomed to be sent to hell because she is choosing to love someone besides God. Of course, Isis’ strength is her belief in love, along with the belief that if God disagreed with what she was doing than God would deny her this love. Since she is allowed to continue her relationship with Jeremiah Stone, she is defiant towards those who disagree with what she’s doing and challenges them to speak otherwise. Within Jeremiah’s arms, however, she is only his.

All three of these women are strong in their own right and they reflect a bit of me, a bit of what I desire within a woman, and a bit of the women I know. This is not to say I know how to write female characters. It is only to say I strive to present them in a light which shows both their strengths and weaknesses. I hope I do them and myself justice.