Writing Characters of the Opposite Gender

[Koshka]

@keilah-h

She sounds fun. XD

I totally recommend looking into girl’s/guy’s different physiological in fighting. It’s pretty interesting if you find a decent source, and I know it’s helped with my characters.

First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)

[freedom]

*eats some yogurt and watches from the sidelines*

What is strength?
Strength, my son, is being who God has called you to be.

[Esther]

Yogurt?? 😖

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[freedom]

@esther-c My mouth hurts from braces. I gotta eat something😂 Popcorn isn’t an option XD

What is strength?
Strength, my son, is being who God has called you to be.

[freedom]

but I will jump in here and say one thing: some things are left to personal conviction.

If you don’t want to write what one would call a “strong female character” then don’t.

But if you do, go on ahead and do so.

 

Biblical roles do exist and are important to remember, but I can’t think of anywhere in the Bible where it says a woman can’t or shouldn’t fight, enter the military, go off to war, etc. Some things can be left to personal preferences and convictions.

In fact, in Romans 14 (been studying Romans lately and it’s been amazing), the Bible says:

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin

Personal convictions, when not related to things that the Bible clearly says are sin, exist and they are ok.

 

But having a female character go off to war or a male character who has to learn how to be strong isn’t a sin, and should be left to one’s own personal conviction, period.

 

And please remember that there are different types of strength.

Every individual is different.

 

Some men are loudly strong, some men are quietly strong.

Some men have more physical strength, some men have more emotional strength.

But they’re all still men.

 

There are different types of strengths, and God made each person different for different purposes.

 

Some girls are more feminine, some are less feminine.

Does that make them any more or less of a woman? Not one bit.

Some girls are physically strong, while others are emotionally strong.

Does that make them any less or more of a woman? Nope.

 

Leave it to personal convictions and ask God what to do with your writing. Write what you feel called to write and write it in faith without doubt. No matter what anyone else says, what you write is between you and God and that’s it.

 

I should’ve stayed on the sidelines, but this is something I’m passionate about being a young woman who writes male characters, so😅😂

What is strength?
Strength, my son, is being who God has called you to be.

[Esther]

@freed_and_redeemed

Fair 😂😂 I just don’t like yogurt 🤪

Also, I know braces hurt, but in the end it will be worth it!! I had braces for two years, but when I got them off,  my smile looked so much better!

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[freedom]

@esther-c I know they’ll be worth it. Just gotta hang in there XD

What is strength?
Strength, my son, is being who God has called you to be.

[freedom]

I hate to use my own book as an example, but I’m thinking on this too much and realizing how much I’ve learned writing the characters I write🫣XD

 

(BUT THIS IS FAR FROM PERFECT: I’M STILL LEARNING TOO!!)

 

Every person has different strengths, and often different kinds of strengths and weaknesses. Some things I’ve noticed while writing my characters, especially the male ones, are things like this:

 

Leon- Leon has a type of strength that is more a strength that comes from his stubbornness. Despite his faltering faith, he refuses to give up and holds onto the belief that he’ll be reunited with his kids despite all the odds. He swears he will beat the Nazis at their own game and, in the end, comes out on top in that aspect when he survives the war. But he comes out on bottom in that he’s lost his hope, his belief, and his faith, and is truthfully drowning in his pain. He remains physically strong on the outside, providing for his kids, keeping them safe, keeping them fed and healthy, but he’s crumbling within. He’s weak in his faith and truly never had a deep faith, and he’s so “strong” that he almost never allows his emotions to show, instead burying them deep within until they rip him apart.

Riker- Riker starts off as a bit of a pushover. (Let’s just be honest here😂). He’s very naive and quiet and almost just steps aside when conflicts arise. He’s unsure of who he is and doesn’t know what he’s fighting for, merely just trying to survive. But as the story progresses, Riker finds the strength and courage within himself to stand for the innocent, and though such actions are also fueled by his guilt, he becomes stronger as Freedom’s Fire progresses and gets to the point where he refuses to surrender, enduring torture and torment to save those who can’t save themselves. He finds courage within himself and pushes himself forward even when the entire world tries to force him to stay down. But his faith, self-esteem, and beliefs falter in many ways, and Riker is unsure of who he is. Like Leon, he’s so “strong” that he forces down the things he feels within, subsequently harming himself, and his weaknesses come to a head in the 2nd novel as he once again finds himself in a place of fear and survival and crushing guilt.

Isaiah- Isaiah is a man with a quiet strength. He’s not the most physically strong man, nor will he ever regain all of his physical strength that he lost within the camp. Rather, Isaiah has strengths in his faith and emotion. He knows how to healthily express his emotions, be vulnerable, and be honest about how he feels. And his faith?? Nothing can shake this man’s faith by this point. His complete trust in God is his greatest strength, and it gives him the courage, hope, strength, and perseverance to push forward, survive, and endure everything he has to endure. He uses his strengths to strengthen those he loves and remains by their side no matter what.

Fin- Fin is an overall strong man. He’s a natural born leader, courageous, honest, vulnerable, and full of faith. He remains strong despite the odds and cares for the ones he has charge over as if they were family. His greatest wish is to help others avoid the painful path he took in his life, and to stand for the innocent and for truth no matter what. But he’s far from prideful, and knows that without God, he’d be nothing. He has a balance between loud strength and quiet strength and relies on God to lead him where he needs to go. His unwillingness to back down from what he knows is right leads to helping Riker find the courage within himself, but eventually also leads to Fin’s tragic death.

 

Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and we should honor and respect that <3

What is strength?
Strength, my son, is being who God has called you to be.

[Koshka]

@freed_and_redeemed

Oh gracious. I remember braces. I drank a lot of soup/broth, and yogurt. Anything that didn’t require teeth.

 

I don’t have anything to add to that so- *nods* Well put.

Also, Leon you poor baby. I’ll always care for you even if you are as mixed up as a crushed bag of tortilla chips. *Offers a mug of tea and cookies*

First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)

[Keilah H.]

@freed_and_redeemed very good points!

also yeah braces stink from what I’ve heard. I’m glad I got the plastic things instead of the metal wires, but I know a lot of people who need braces can’t get those cause they only work for certain conditions. And I still had to get a few little metal anchors in my mouth for rubber bands to attach to, and one of those is always scraping my cheek….ugh.

Oh, well, at least my teeth are looking much better than they did last year.

Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.

[Keilah H.]

@koshka yeah she’s crazy lol

 

and yeah I don’t like crossdressing either, if by crossdressing you mean guys in skirts or girls in tuxes or something like that. Eeeyagh, just thinking about what that’d look like is making me cringe.

I mean, I hate wearing dresses or skirts and would rather have a (modest) pair of pants, but I’m sure that’s not what you guys are all thinking.

Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.

[Koshka]

@keilah-h

Yep sort of. I meant guys dressing as girls, or vise versa. So yeah. It’s gross and called some pretty strong names in the Bible.

XD and I love wearing only dresses and skirts.

First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)

[Keilah H.]

@koshka

XD and I love wearing only dresses and skirts.

To each their own then! I have no problem with that lol

Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.

[Author]

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