Swords and Manicures - Why The Strong Female Lead Has Gone Too Far

Being a child of the 90’s, I still remember a time when writing female leads who refused to await any savior and did the butt-kicking all on their own still seemed edgy.

After years of watching and reading about female characters whose roles were limited to mothers, healers, or damsels in distress, it was refreshing.

But the 90’s happened a long time ago, and since then we’ve seen the rise of strong, independent, and awesome female heroines.

The damsel-in-distress trope is as ancient as the Spice Girls, and writing “edgy” female leads doesn’t surprise or impress anyone as much anymore.

In fact, we’re seeing a (relatively) new tendency which, in my humble opinion, is just as annoying as the helpless princess who waits for the prince to save her. This new type of gender-role-defying trope is the tough heroine, and you might hate me, but I think this wonder-woman needs to chill.

I Don't Need a Man

In a world where only the recent decades gave women the freedom to do what they will without judgement (at least in the Western world, and still with some judgement), the happy ending where the princess gets the prince became one that’s really fun to break.

And I can’t blame you for wanting to—we’ve had far too many of those in the past. While a good relationship is rare and great to find, it doesn’t have to be the heroine’s ultimate goal or her inevitable destiny.

Where things become too cliché for me is when we meet a heroine who makes it her life’s mission to show just how much she doesn’t need men around her. And the men who do surround this type of heroine are often dumb clichés themselves—or just useless.

How about a heroine who’s both awesome and meets an actually great guy? Everyone loves a little bit of romance, and it makes her more relatable. They don’t have to ride into the sunset together at the end of the last chapter, but she doesn’t need to scoff at him either.

No Pink Allowed

Another way we love to break old stereotypes surrounding women in fantasy is by making them over-the-top tough.

Princesses are supposed to wear dresses? Well, how about this heroine who hates pink and anything “girly”?

A princess is supposed to dream about a prince? So this heroine will hate men!

A princess’s hobbies should include frolicking in the gardens with birds? Bam! Here’s a heroine whose only hobby is shattering practice targets with a morningstar.

I’m sure you feel very original for coming up with that kind of character—and it can lead to lots of fun and mischief—but it also feels like she’s trying too hard.

Your heroine doesn’t have to wear pink, giggle around boys, and enjoy embroidery, but she doesn’t have to be a tomboy teenager hellbent on proving to the world she’s not a “typical girl” either.

A Jackie of All Trades

Remember those princesses who used to sit in a tower awaiting rescue? Well, not any more.

Presenting the all-new heroine who can wield weapons heavier than she is, solve complex mysteries, speak seventeen languages, ride horses, and drink without passing out.

Tired of all-powerful male heroes? Well, tire no more—because now you can enjoy the same trope, just with a different gender!

So yes, we’re long past the times when all a female character could do was wait for her handsome, muscle-laden savior. But that doesn’t mean she has to be an all-powerful Rambo herself. It just doesn’t feel believable.

Swords and Manicures

So how should you write your female characters, then? How can you let a female lead be strong and weak, badass and girly, and wield swords with hands that proudly showcase pink nail polish at their tips?

A strong female lead is a most welcome theme in fantasy writing, but to avoid creating a new type of cliché, write her so that she:

1. Has limitations. Any hero, no matter how strong and capable, should have limitations. Without them, there are no obstacles or challenges on their way, and they just don’t feel believable. Balance your female lead with things she’s good at and things she’s not, with situations where she shines and others where she falters. Make her human, not an unrelatable demigod.

   In the first version of Monsters and Heroes I made Bee a little too much of a wonder woman, which just didn’t feel plausible to some friends and family who volunteered as beta readers. I ended up toning her down—while she’s still an awesome lead who’s independent and capable of defending her own, she’s not all-powerful. There are times when she has to lose, only so that she’ll have more obstacles to overcome on her way to her goal.

2. Has feelings.

   Just because she’s tough and knows how to wave a sword around doesn’t mean she’s not human. The right dose of feelings, regrets, fears, and hesitations, makes a female lead more real, and more likable to your readers.

   Think of your character’s actions and consider how she feels about events that transpire, the people around her, and the things she does or say. Does she regret flipping off the goblin guard? Does she secretly like the annoying mage who acts like they know it all? Writing a character who doesn’t relate to others, doesn’t have a soft side, and never feels remorse is like writing a female Terminator (I know, I can’t stop with the 90’s action references today).

3. Is surrounded by equals, not just idiots.

   Want to break old stereotypes? Then instead of showing how much women are better, make them equal. What if both genders have good and bad sides, where one isn’t all capable and smart while the other is useless?

   At the risk of sounding full of myself, I’ll take my first published book—Monsters and Heroes—as an example again. While not at all trope-free, Bee and Torik, who appear to stand in each other’s way, end up needing each other’s help. They’re both capable and resourceful, and neither needs the other to be weak or incompetent to look good.

   By adding capable, interesting, and not-entirely-evil male characters to either help your heroine or stand in her way, you create a deeper, more interesting story, one with complex constellations of relationships and players rather than a single shining star.

Conclusion

It’s difficult to be original at a time when it seems like all the good ideas have already been taken. Even when you try to break stereotypes and stigmas, you risk sounding like a cliché and filling your writing with overused tropes.

But that shouldn’t discourage you. A bit of trope isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Still, consider your female leads, and if you find they’re more caricature than human, try adding some eyelash-fluttering to that scene where they swing a battle-axe. You might end up with something interesting.

And if you enjoyed this post, consider subscribing (I promise I won't spam!)