Margo wrote:There's a LOT that can go into creating a character. I'm usually not in favor of the idea that we just need to assign one quirky flaw or a catch phrase or a funny hat (yay for the the Turkey City Lexicon! woot, polymath!) and *presto* the flat character has depth. Because what real impact do these little quick fixes have on the character who's coming off flat? A flat piece of cardboard that we spruce up by painting it red is now a red flat piece of cardboard.
What does the character want? Why? And is it a run-to or run-from goal? Is their motivation to gain something or avoid something? And always always always, what are the character's greatest fears and dearest wishes? These might not becomes apparent or directly impact the story, but they color how the character acts and reacts.
I could go on. Mudpuppy knows I could go on. [wink]
No quick fixes or ready-mix characters!
All of this, for Margo is wise.
If you want to see a great, great, GREAT example of strong female characters in a show intended for children, watch
Avatar: The Last Airbender. THE ANIMATED SERIES,
not the film. RE: Mira's point about imagining the girls on their period (heh), pre-pubescent and pubescent girls can still get very, very moody. Hormones and all. Anyway,
A:TLA is an absolutely wonderful show that really understands characterization. It also subverts gender norms on a regular basis, and allows its female characters to be central and interesting in such a way that
young boys were actually saying one of the female characters was their favorite when the show was on, which is unheard of.
My best advice for writing interesting female characters? Treat them like real people. Give them just as much attention and backstory as the male characters get. Don't use them as filler to get someone from Point A to Point B. Don't allow them to play second fiddle to the males. And I don't mean that in a "make them SUPER STRONG KICKASS FEMINISTS" way, I mean that like "don't let the guys hog the spotlight."
There are obvious differences between the sexes, but at the end of the day, we're all human. We all have motivations, needs, loves, hates, personalities, and backgrounds. Find those things for each character, and you'll make them into a real person.