What’s Up With Our Heroines? // Crafting Female Characters Readers Will Root For
Heya, TWNers! I’m back to announce our next livestream happening tonight (July 8th) at 7 PM EDT (New York time). I’ve been looking forward to having a discussion on heroines for a while now. For the past year, I’ve been on a journey ever since I noticed how frequently I kept seeing GoodReads reviewers and readers mentioning how irritating the latest female protagonist was. It kept showing up frequently that I couldn’t ignore forever that there was a problem. What’s wrong with our heroines that audiences are faster to tear them apart or DNF a book than stick to the end? What are we doing wrong? Was there even something wrong? Maybe the problem was the reader, rather than the character. This took me on a year-long journey to find the answers. I’ve been comparing heroines I’ve loved and others have loved to ones that didn’t quite hit the mark. And there IS a difference. Something no one else is talking about.
And guess what?
I’m going to let you in on that secret today in TWN’s second summer livestream.
With the Team at Teen Writers’ Nook, Victoria Crooks (featured in the Imagine anthology), & Emma Crooks (blogger at the Book’s Dragon Alcove), we’re going to be having what I think will be the best writing discussion of the summer. And I hope it’ll give you some insights as you craft your next female character. We’re going to be going over heroines we’ve loved and why, share some secrets into making amazing female characters, and some common flaws. I hope you’ll join Teen Writers’ Nook for an evening of laughter, fun, encouragement, and, of course, writing tips & advice!
About the Victoria Crooks:
Victoria Crooks is a homeschooled grad, psych major, and follower of Jesus. When she’s not involved with school and other college-related activities, you can find this chocolate addict reading books, watching movies, hanging out with her family, and getting lost in her thoughts. Victoria also enjoys writing and has been published in two anthologies. As a lover of storytelling, she believes stories can be found everywhere–not just between the pages of books. Therefore, one of her dreams is to travel the world, explore other cultures, and meet new people to discover the inspiring stories they have lived.
About Emma Crooks:
Emma Crooks is a Christian, homeschool graduate, wordsmith, and a book addict with an undying passion for stories that spark light. An English nerd with a love for editing, Emma strives to use words wisely and create with an intention to brighten the world and encourage others. When she’s not lost in a novel or daydreaming about story ideas, you might find her adding favorite new songs to her many playlists or soaking in God’s creation outdoors.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/emma.crooks
Issabelle Perry
Issabelle Perry is a proud Jesus follower, an extroverted writer, and a homeschool graduate. When she's not writing, you can find her reading, jamming to Skillet, studying history, hunting for Narnia in wardrobes, or envisioning herself wielding a magnificent sword (but due to her clumsiness, let’s hope that never happens). This self-proclaimed exclamation mark enthusiast can be found hanging out at Teen Writers’ Nook, a community of teen authors Issabelle co-founded in 2020. She is the author of Don't Let Me Go (Sky's the Limit Press 2024), May We Make Them Proud (2023), and a co-editor for two anthologies. What she’s probably doing right now is fangirling about her favorite books to random people or scanning the pantries for chocolate.
8 Comments
Lorelei Angelino
Awesome, this is so exciting!! Great topic choice! I won’t be able to be there live, but I’ll watch the replay fs!
Issabelle Perry
Aw, thank you SO much, Lorelei!!!! I’m glad you think so too!!! Aw, well, we’ll definitely miss you tonight, but I hope you enjoy the replay!!!
Moriyah
Loved this live stream! There were so many wonderful tips. I think this is so important to nail down in writing–crafting female characters your readers love and relate too! Also, TEAM PEETA forever!!!
Issabelle Perry
Thank you SO much, Moriyah!!! I’m so glad to hear you liked the tips! I agree that I think this topic of writing amazing female characters is so important to focus on and improve! YES TO TEAM PEETA!!!! *high fives* Glad to hear I’ve got someone on my side, lol.
Saraina
Okay, I NEED TO READ THE HUNGER GAMES. I can feel I’m missing out on a lot LOL.
This was such a goldmine of character advice, ladies!! I could comment on sooo much! One thing I took away from this is the reminder that I’ve got to give the characters of my current WIP dreams and aspirations and goals. XD I knew that, but I haven’t actually thought about that too much. (Well, they have emotional goals, but I haven’t thought of anything concrete.) I’ll also be looking out for the Save the Cat moments in books I read in the future, because you’re right, that has a huge impact on our perception of those more morally grey/very flawed characters 🤭
(Also Issy, your experience of coming to faith was like mine too! Growing up in a Christian home, I pretty much always believed in Jesus and I don’t have a dramatic testimony to share specifically about HOW I became a Christian. And that’s okay! Like, I don’t have that crazy past BEFORE having been saved. [If anything, I had worse things to repent of AFTER becoming a Christian than before, just because what’s the worst a seven-year-old can do, you know? I never hear anyone talking about that though *sighs* Anyway.])
Also I’m reading Authentically Izzy right now!!! I finally got it from the library and aghh it’s SOOO relatable!!
Issabelle Perry
YES YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO READ THE HUNGER GAMES. We’ll just go ahead and say you’re Team Peeta, though, so that gives one extra point for me! 🤣
Aw, thank you SO much, Saraina! I’m SO glad to hear you found it helpful!! Haha well that’s a good sign!! YES!!! I get that about knowing it but also not thinking about it enough because it’s such a small thing that has a huge impact. I feel people don’t often talk enough about how helpful it can be to give your characters concrete goals and dreams they can reach for! Yes! If you’re anything like me, once you start looking for the “Save the Cat” moments, you’ll find them everywhere! They just start popping up out of nowhere, lol.
(Aw, Saraina, it’s so awesome to hear you have a similar story of coming to the faith! And I agree that we don’t all have to have some major conversion story to share for our testimony to have importance or for it to have an impact. Not that those stories aren’t amazing and inspiring, but I think it can also be inspiring hearing normal stories from normal people because they can be relatable! I’m so glad you were able to connect to that!!! (Also I SO get that about having more things I need forgiveness for of things I did AFTER salvation than before!! Thank goodness God gives us grace upon grace!!!)
AAAAAHHHH YESSSSS!!!!!!! Oooo you MUST tell me what you think of Authentically, Izzy after you finish reading it!!! The whole series is just amazing and one of my favorites!!!
Riley G.
I’m a little late to the party… 😅… But… I loved this stream! So many great insights!
I love Daphne du Maurier’s female characters–I mean, her characters in general are amazing, but since we’re talking ladies, haha–Mrs. De Winter in Rebecca is so relatable: her naïveté, her insecurities, her desire to be loved. She goes through so much, and as a woman of around her age, I feel for her. And Mary Yellan in Jamaica Inn: she is what a true strong woman is. She is selfless, but has her own desires, she knows how to get what she wants, but she has fears that hold her back. She might be morally stronger than some of the other characters, but she is by no means perfect, and she struggles HARD through her story.
Issabelle Perry
Haha, that’s totally okay. Better late than never, right? Thank you so much, Riley! I’m SO thrilled to hear it was helpful!
That’s awesome!! Mrs. De Winter and Mary Yellan both sound like incredible characters that are well developed and truly come alive on the page. That’s the type of characters (include female characters) that we’re aiming to write! I’m so glad you were able to make a connection from an author you love to help give ideas and inspiration for your own writing!