By:
Jami Gold
Writing
is often about finding a balance. Too much left in subtext can lead to
confusion. Too much explanation can feel like an info dump or be too “on the
nose.” Etc., etc.
With our
characters, if we want our protagonists to seem heroic, they
need to have strong traits. Yet at the same time, if we want our protagonists
to be relatable, they need to have vulnerabilities. This is never
an easy balance, especially when clichés fill our heads about what a
“strong character” means.
Stereotypes of
Strong Characters Don’t Allow for Diversity
On
the heroine side, Ripley from Alien is often brought up as a
“strong female character.” The stereotype, which I’ve written
about before, refers mostly to physically violent, butt-kicking women.
Furthermore, it assumes women who need rescuing—ever—can’t possibly be strong.
On
the hero side, the stereotype is all-alpha-male-all-the-time. And not just a
normal level of alpha male, oh no… In some genres, the expectation is for an
amount of alpha-ness that reaches *sshole level—leading to the label
“alpha-hole.” Again, the assumption is that heroes who are caring or
sensitive—ever—couldn’t possibly be strong.
With
all those clichés and stereotypes swirling about, it’s no wonder that we
might struggle with making likable characters. There’s no room
in those clichés for vulnerabilities that will make them relatable to the
reader.
Whatever
happened to “strong” meaning the ability to handle that which the character
thinks they can’t? Whether they’re handling a situation, an emotion, a
conflict, a weapon, a threat, or a relationship, there should be
multiple ways of showing strength, or else we’ve lost a different kind of
diversity among our characters.
Stereotypes
Don’t Allow for Three-Dimensional Characters
.
. .
Read the full article HERE!
~*~
If
you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they
are again:
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- The Literary Agent Of The Future: Be Aware Of These Potential Changes! - Writer's Relief, Inc. http://ow.ly/AofYk
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