I need help in creating a female character.

[langland07]

Ok to start off I am writing a 10 short story series centered around a treasure hunter named Kurt Glenn. I am aiming to write this for middle school aged kids since I think they would probably like the story the most. I have the first 2 stories written and you can read them here and here.

Now what I want to make is a female treasure hunter who is like a rival and reoccurring character to Kurt. I have a weakness with women since one I am a guy and two I don't fully understand women. I don't know what would be acceptable for a female character. I want her to be woman but at the same time someone who can hold her own and take care of herself.

So what kind of characteristics make a positive female character?

And just a sidenote, I don't expect any positive opinions on my idea so there isn't much need to critique my story since I'm still going to write it no matter if you guys like it or not. I am well aware that this story has been done possibly many times.

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

Just make a guy character and give him girl parts instead of man parts.

[langland07]

DarknessofHeavenandDreams

Just make a guy character and give him girl parts instead of man parts.

yeah but what about the emotions of a female character? I want to know what are good emotions to incorporate. See my main character Kurt is a naive idiot who'll go into harms way totally not understand why there is a treasure yet to be obtained until he's there and the trouble has showed itself. And when it does, he's showing his fear and yet he's works through it to get out of a sticky situation. Sometimes he'll even feign bravery to get through his problems.

Those seem to make a good male character but I'm not sure if all those makeup a good female as I wan her to be a little bit smarter too just enough to fool my male character a few times.

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

langland07

DarknessofHeavenandDreams

Just make a guy character and give him girl parts instead of man parts.

yeah but what about the emotions of a female character? I want to know what are good emotions to incorporate. See my main character Kurt is a naive idiot who'll go into harms way totally not understand why there is a treasure yet to be obtained until he's there and the trouble has showed itself. And when it does, he's showing his fear and yet he's works through it to get out of a sticky situation. Sometimes he'll even feign bravery to get through his problems.

Those seem to make a good male character but I'm not sure if all those makeup a good female as I wan her to be a little bit smarter too just enough to fool my male character a few times.

Women can have the same emotions as men. All the traits you think would make a good rival can be used to make a female character without any work beyond gender pronouns.

[RADI0 Mouse]

Girls have the same emotions, reactions, etc as guys - only difference is physiology.

Sure, we have babies and estrogen rather than sperm and testosterone, but we're still practical, still protective, still human.

Plus, you want a treasure hunter. By nature, she'll be a bit more brash, impulsive and stubborn than average - but that'd be the same whether she'd be a guy or a girl. Occupational traits.


If you want her to be smarter than Kurt, then make her smarter - there are plenty of strong female types.

Just because she's got a strong personality, doesn't make her less feminine. In fact, it can contribute strongly to it - she's a woman making her way in a male-dominant field. So she'll have to be masculine. Doesn't mean she isn't still emotional or soft-hearted at times.

Srsly, tho. Write a character. You'll find gender will follow.

[langland07]

RADI0 Mouse

Girls have the same emotions, reactions, etc as guys - only difference is physiology.

Sure, we have babies and estrogen rather than sperm and testosterone, but we're still practical, still protective, still human.

Plus, you want a treasure hunter. By nature, she'll be a bit more brash, impulsive and stubborn than average - but that'd be the same whether she'd be a guy or a girl. Occupational traits.


If you want her to be smarter than Kurt, then make her smarter - there are plenty of strong female types.

Just because she's got a strong personality, doesn't make her less feminine. In fact, it can contribute strongly to it - she's a woman making her way in a male-dominant field. So she'll have to be masculine. Doesn't mean she isn't still emotional or soft-hearted at times.

Srsly, tho. Write a character. You'll find gender will follow.

Ok then is it also ok to give her a little infatuation for my male character which in return can sometimes bring out a little bit of weakness in a sticky situation? Like if my male character is trouble and if she had a chance to escape unscathed, she instead turns back and gets my male character out the situation and then act a little bit worried only to then turn into a serious mode again?

[RADI0 Mouse]

Yeah, absolutely. That's fine. :3

Wouldn't he do that for her, too, if he was infatuated?

[langland07]

I guess so too. The other reason for the female character is get something that looks like love even though it might not really get anywhere.

[RADI0 Mouse]

Usually in young adult books, if there's a male and a female, there's a love interest. Young hormone-ridden adults can't resist. XD

[Cogent Dream]

RADI0 Mouse

Usually in young adult books, if there's a male and a female, there's a love interest. Young hormone-ridden adults can't resist. XD

I lol'd. I wonder though, is it the writer that can't resist or the reader? I remember my first attempt at writing love scenes ... @_@

With a treasure hunter you can get away with making the female character a bit more manly. If she was a courtesan or a princess, you'd probably need to do some research.

[Full_Moon_Werewolf77]

I would suggest looking into "Catwoman" from Batman or "Lara Croft" from Tomb Raider in order to make a nice starting template for that sort of character you are looking for and see their attitudes and personality for certain situations. Im not saying to blanlently rip them off though.

[Nanaran]

My advice? Unless there's any specific reason for you're characters to take on gender roles, don't worry about them. Focus on making your characters "human" and believable. Men and women aren't as different as you think. Any human being of any gender have share the same fundamental emotions and personality traits. Either can be naive, stubborn, sensitive, sensual, rough, etc, so don't worry about it too much unless the're plot reasons for it, e.g. the story takes place in a time/place where women don't have rights and your female character is unusual for the time.

Since said female character is a sort of rival figure to Kurt, perhaps what you should concern yourself with better is why they're rivals? Do they hate each other? If they do, why? Do their personalities just clash? Do they go way back? Do they have a "friendly rivalry" where even thought they're against each other they still respect each other on some level?

Worry less about gender and more about how these character complement each other. Believe me, no one is serioulsy going to look at this character and go: "She's like that!?!?!!!11 That's is so unwomanly and wrong, will never read again! U.U" lol.

[RADI0 Mouse]

Cogent Dream

I lol'd. I wonder though, is it the writer that can't resist or the reader? I remember my first attempt at writing love scenes ... @_@

True say, true say. This would explain... a lot of authors. won't got down that can of worms

[marshmallowcreampie]

Female characters are still characters. Write them as you would a male character. Generally the only differences you'll need to consider between male and female characters, are the gender roles of their society and how it has affected them. Really the only time male and female characters should be written in vastly different ways is if they all grew up in a society with deeply divided and strict gender lines.

[haunting heaven]

Women aren't a different species, dear.