McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Hero vs. Heroine
Aludra:
As long as the writer is giving enough motivation for the character's actions I don't care about the gender choice.
When it comes to action sequences, I've not read any that were badly done for a character doing something he or she obviously couldn't really do unless you count having super powers but like this /is/ fantasy/scifi.
There are even exceptions to gender roles within cultures in our own history (a female ruler in a time where females had no political power, Queens, Joan of Arc, Saints), so even if a writer sets up a universe where males are only used for snoo snoo, but then have one who owns a bar or something, that wouldn't really bother me as long as we got to hear the backstory of why he's an exception (like maybe his brew is a family recipe and he just happened to be born male).
But if you want an example of a heroine who has no doubts and just rushes into the fray alongside a hero who second guesses, is supremely cautious, and even hides behind the heroine occasionally, try Boneshaker. And after you do, reconsider if gender really matters.
Paynesgrey:
It's not so much "gender matters" as it is about when an author uses cheap tropes (burping, farting cussing) to depict a heroine as being strong and badass, rather writing well enough to depict her as strong without simply draping "masculine" cliche behavior on her.
Aludra:
--- Quote from: Paynesgrey on January 27, 2011, 07:30:00 PM ---It's not so much "gender matters" as it is about when an author uses cheap tropes (burping, farting cussing) to depict a heroine as being strong and badass, rather writing well enough to depict her as strong without simply draping "masculine" cliche behavior on her.
--- End quote ---
My point is that I don't really see how our culture's cliches and tropes are translatable to fiction. With proper writing and worldbuilding you can make a woman who burps and farts and cusses a badass all you like.
Starbeam:
One instance, though I don't recall where it's from, is a short chick being sized up by a bunch of over muscular military type guys and proving she's tough by lifting more weight than the guys can. Or something like that. I forget the specifics. Not sure where this was going--snow shoveling makes brain go splodey.
The Neuromancer:
Sounds like skin trade. Anita Blake. She impressed some SWAT guys in Vegas by benching twice her weight. This is fine though because she is this living vampire, werebeast, necromancer hybrid. Simply put, she has super powers.
Any ways, it sounds to me like the main problem is not so much gender roles but the reason why a character acts the way he or she does. A female character can have all of the stereotypical masculine traits but it is unbelievable if there isn't a reason for it.
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