Cat Fight In The Kitchen-Wattpad Rant

What is a Strong Female Character?

I had to go to a wedding the other day (I hate weddings) and the bride wasn't even old enough to drink (which I think is too young, but what do I know) and me, being the awkward person I am, bought her a bottle of wine for her shower the week before. Then I realized I can't give it to her, because it's illegal to serve to minors. So she ended up with a nice card and some money. And I have free wine.

This will be interesting.

Anyway, let's talk about something I always get asked about: What is a 'Strong' Female Character?

I have a list of what I typically see as criteria for "strong" female characters. And of course I have commentary on what I think about that...shall we begin.

1. She's always the best at everything

She's beautiful. She's smart. She can kick a guy's ass and not chip a nail.

Never been in a fight before? Watch her run up this wall, do a back flip, then land an uppercut before choke holding the guy and putting him in an arm bar.

She lives in a magical world? She's the chosen one! No one's powers are stronger than hers. She doesn't even need a team to help her beat the villain. There just there because why not.

She lives in a dystopian society. Don't worry. She'll single handedly overthrow the government even though she's never done anything in her life.

Give me a break. I'm so tired of these things, because I've seen them. I'm no longer impressed by any of them. They don't make you strong, they make you pointless. What's the point of reading a story if there is no urgency? If the MC is so strong and badass that she can literally do anything then I'm never going to wonder how the conflict turns out. I already know she wins so I'm not going to waste my time reading. Trust me, I have better things to do.

Instead, I'd like to see her have flaws. Okay, so she's not strong enough to punch a guy and knock him out ("The heart punch. It's a strong man's punch." 10,000 points if you can name the movie that quote comes from) but what if she's really smart and can set up traps? What if she isn't the chosen one? Maybe she's smart enough to use her group's strengths to their advantages. Maybe she has a kickass work ethic that makes her push herself past her limits just to accomplish her goals.

I just want to see someone struggle. It's the most amazing thing in the world to see someone struggle and pull through. Everyone loves that.

Work smarter, not harder. They don't have to be the best. They just have to be smart. They have to be on their game.

Which leads me to my next point:

2. She never needs help

Honestly, it's a hell of a lot harder to ask for help than it is to suffer in silence. It is for me, at least. Because I don't like people to know I have weaknesses. I don't want people to see me as a liability. I don't like relying on other people. And I know a lot of people do the same with their "strong" female characters.

But that's not good. Not at all. If you need help on something, but you don't get help, do you know what happens? You don't learn. You don't get better. You don't accomplish things to the best of your ability.

More than I want to see someone be independent, I want to see them grow. I want to see them learn and challenge themselves. I want to see them step back, assess the situation, and realize that in order for them to be their best and do their best, they need help. They need to better themselves. That's what I want.

And let me let you in on a secret: no one gives a shit that you need help. They're not going to think less of you. If anything, they'll think more of you for trying your heart out to accomplish your goals.