I am trying to write a story where a woman is the main protagonist. She is the assistant to the male protagonist of my last story, at the finale of the aforementioned piece, he went ahead and did something stupid and got himself in trouble. So, now she has to go rescue him. The thing is, I want her to be a realistic woman. I don’t want her to be a caricature of what men think women ought to be. I want her to be authentic and realistic. The problem is I am a boy my perspective on what motivates a woman to act is probably a wee bit inaccurate. I don’t think anybody understands the opposite gender as well as they think they do. So here’s my question. Does anybody have any advice on how to write realistic female characters?
The Doorway to Imagination
I would suggest reading some feminist sci-fi fantasy written by women. Octavia Butler has written some amazing stuff incorporating gender (as well as race) perspectives. The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Talents are quite remarkable. She has also written series about vampires (Lilith’s Brood) and aliens with three genders (Xenogenesis series), among others. Her genius is in small part reflected in her being awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant. She lived in Seattle for many years, but unfortunately met a tragic end.
Thank You