Just sharing my personal feelings here: I've gotten to the point where I'm genuinely uninterested in a spec fic book/movie/show where the only thing "fresh" about it is a "badass" heroine.

(thread)

I think combative female characters are mainstream now. That's great, I guess. But it really isn't a selling point for me.

Making your story super "feminist" isn't as unique or original as you might think.

At the end of the day, I just want to be entertained with a good story. But when it comes to subverting speculative fiction, what I'd really like to see are more protagonists of color, queer characters, and perspectives that step outside the European/Western mainstream.

Don't misunderstand me; I'm not trying to say other people should feel the same way! This is just where I'm at.

It's just, if you take a classic, Medieval fantasy story, for example, and swap out the classic farm boy for a straight white heroine... I'm still really really bored!

Again, story is king, obviously. Just because something is diverse doesn't mean it's good. But I am craving more diverse speculative fiction. There are a lot of fantasy shows coming out and so few feel *genuinely* fresh to me.

As always, literature is ahead of Hollywood here. There are so many unique and diverse takes on sci-fi and fantasy coming out in book form. I'd really like to see more of *those* adapted for the screen.

Even if you ARE starring a straight white heroine in your story, can you at least make her more interesting than the flat "badass" fighters that are supposedly cool but terribly overused?

We have lots, LOTS of heroines in movies and shows who can kick butt and take charge, but don't have much personality or depth. The "strong female character" is its own kind of cliche now.

Some suggestions: Write a heroine who is genuinely feminine, and portray that femininity as a strength, not a weakness.

Or: Write a heroine who is very masculine! We don't have enough butch representation!

Further ideas: Write a heroine who uses her cleverness to win the day. Write a heroine who is cocky and flirtatious. Or one who is shy and nerdy. Or one who is kind and soft, and this, again, is not seen as a weakness!!!

Real women are incredibly diverse, not just in terms of minority status, but in our personalities, attitudes, and approaches to problem solving. There are so, so many things you can do beyond the flat "strong female character."

So yeah, if you're coming out with a new show or movie and your only selling point is "It's this thing you've seen a million times before, but with a WOMAN!" ... I really don't care.

Feminism has gone mainstream. It's time to push our stories further than just "haz wahman who FIGHTS!"

Or, those are my personal feelings on the matter. You'll probably find an audience regardless. I just had to get this complaint off my chest.

Post script: I had an extended conversation about the limitations of the "strong female character" with Samantha Shannon ( @say_shannon) a year ago, for those who want to dive deeper into the topic: https://soundcloud.com/femalesinfantasy/strong-female-characters-with-samantha-shannon