Writing Women

Along with other things, I am a female writer, and I have trouble writing women characters. It’s bothered me for some time. I can write multi layered male characters, heroes, villains, sometimes both living in the same person, but not women. Why?

As a strong, independent, self-reliant woman, it’s always been a mystery, until this very moment.

I just realized the reason I’m having trouble at it – it’s because I feel like I’ve been having trouble being one. Like I try, so hard to be strong and independent, that I feel like I’m not a character I’d want to see, sorry, not see, but believe.  That, men, given their role in society from the beginning of time, as being warriors and hunters, bread winners, fighters, heroes are predetermined to be interesting characters. But, women being these things are rare in comparison, and me, myself, achieving these things – honest to God, it’s exhausting. I feel like so many women are bad asses and carving out the way for the rest of us, battling the bullshit and fighting, fighting, fighting, ALWAYS to be heard and seen and taken seriously. I feel like it’s my duty to chin up and make them proud, but Lord, most of the time, I’d much rather stop trying to push myself and just sit down and watch some trashy TV. I just feel like I’m not allowed to.

So why would I want to watch/read a female character like that?

Wait a sec, why wouldn’t I?