On female characters in fanfic

[elfinblaze]

This post by bookshop has been on my mind for days.

Our awareness that slash is a progressive act in terms of raising awareness of queer identity *has* to be balanced out by the knowledge of how problematic that is when most of our fictions are still telling boy's stories at the expense of our own.

This is difficult for me to admit, but I think she's right.

Like her, before I discovered fandom I only wrote female characters, and while I can thank fandom for teaching me how to write decent male characters, I think it's time to stop writing all these stories featuring men and focus on the female characters I love. Because there are so many, and I don't write about them nearly enough.

So often I want to write about how much I love Gwen Cooper, and Cho Chang, and Angela Montenegro, and the many other characters that I love, but I always stop myself because a) I think people wouldn't be interested, and b) I'm scared of people piling on me saying how they really don't like those characters, making me feel even worse for holding unpopular opinions. Yes, I'm a coward.

Alternatively, I stop myself from posting much of the f/f fic I've written because it feels too personal. Have I mentioned that I'm a coward?

So I get what she's saying. That's why that post rings so true for me. It's something I've been thinking about for a few months and she's articulated it so well.

And from the comments:

Seriously, after having listened to so many people on this post hand-waving and justifying themselves and jumping from blame-shifting to blame-shifting going it's not OUR fault, it's the writers of X canon/media/society at large... I just feel like honest-to-god screaming SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS at the entire fandom.

As much as I would like to weasel out of this and justify myself and say I have my reasons for focussing primarily on male characters, that would be the easy way out. I don't want to make excuses for myself, no matter how justified. I want to face the problem I see here and do something about it. I am going to have to suck it up and deal with this.

I want to write Gwen rebuilding Torchwood (preferably along with Martha Jones, Lois Habiba, and Agent Johnson), and I want to write Cho and Hermione hooking up over books, and Ginny as an Auror, solving cases on her own and saving Harry's life, and Emily Prentiss and Angela Montenegro working together on a case and falling in love. These are all on my to-write list (among a whole heap of other ideas), but having written so many male-focussed stories I think I need to consciously preference these, even if nobody else will ever read them apart from me, just because female characters don't get enough love and attention, and someone has to do something about that. I have to do something about that.

That's not to say I'll never write a male-focussed story ever again; I'm just saying I need to consciously start focussing on the female characters. Because they have stories to tell too, and too few other people are telling them.

[ETA: And another post here, which I just found, in case anyone else is interested.

I've reached a point where I feel that women writing about male characters, even nominally straight male characters in a homosexual relationship, is a way we are participating in our own erasure. When there are female characters available, and female fans ignore them in favor of writing about the male characters instead, that makes me uncomfortable.]

Comments

[undomielregina]

I got here from Metafandom's Delicious, and I just want you to know that I would so read this:

I want to write Gwen rebuilding Torchwood (preferably along with Martha Jones, Lois Habiba, and Agent Johnson)

I love Gwen, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why Torchwood fandom seems to have a problem with her (maybe this is why I never joined it). I could go on for hours just about the gap in her teeth and how I find it makes her look fascinating, much less about how much I love her character and her relationship with Rhys.

[elfinblaze.livejournal.com]

Excellent. Glad I'm not alone in liking the women of Torchwood, especially Gwen. Like you, I've never joined in the fandom because I've found it disappointing, but I still want to write fic. I'll see what I can do!

From metafandom

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

Just before Yuletide 2008, I made a pledge to myself to try everything I wrote from a female PoC perspective first, if such a character was in the fandom, then a female perspective, and then a male perspective only if the other possibilities weren't working, and even then to try a PoC male perspective first. If I enjoy media more with more women and more PoC, surely I can at least make an effort?

Not every story worked out this way, but I've just done the numbers now for the last year-and-a-bit.

POV character is
female, PoC: 4
female, white (including white and Jewish): 4
male, PoC: 1
male, white: 3
non-human female-identified: 0
non-human male-identified: 0

Secondary lead is
female, PoC: 0
female, white (including white and Jewish): 6
male, PoC: 1
male, white: 3
non-human female-identified: 1
non-human male-identified: 1

That's a good start, I think, but I need to work on more PoC in the background. And that one Supernatural fic really didn't help. Go for it. Write the women. They're fascinating characters, often underused in canon, and - while I've never got a vast amount of feedback on anything - my feedback certainly hasn't decreased this year.

Re: From metafandom

[elfinblaze.livejournal.com]

I may have to borrow your idea, because that is a wonderful approach to writing in general. Why not tell the story from the perspective of a non-white woman, especially if she's already in the canon? I've asked similar questions of pro-writers: why not include more women/gay people/people of colour, especially if those things have no wider bearing on the story's overall plot? So I can also always ask myself: can I tell this same story from a perspective that's not that of a white/heterosexual/able-bodied/male character?

I think it's great what you've managed so far and I will be pleased if I manage even a fraction of that, but I'm certainly going to try. Thanks for the encouragement.

[amaresu]

I want to write Gwen rebuilding Torchwood (preferably along with Martha Jones, Lois Habiba, and Agent Johnson), and I want to write Cho and Hermione hooking up over books, and Ginny as an Auror, solving cases on her own and saving Harry's life, and Emily Prentiss and Angela Montenegro working together on a case and falling in love.

There is a market for this. netgirl_y2k actually has written the Gwen rebuilding Torchwood fic. It was a humor fic, but it was awesome and I would read more fics along that same line.

I think what needs to happen is for people to stop saying "No one wants to read that" and start saying "I bet I'm not the only one who wants this" because the second one is quite often true. Someone has to be the first to write anything.

[elfinblaze.livejournal.com]

I think what needs to happen is for people to stop saying "No one wants to read that" and start saying "I bet I'm not the only one who wants this" because the second one is quite often true. Someone has to be the first to write anything.

That's a very good point, changing our perspective on writing the less common stories in fandom. The second one is a much more positive attitude.

You've just reminded me of some of the small fandoms I've been in where people just started writing fics on their own, and readers started arriving, and the fandoms grew from there. I think there's a lot of people out there just looking for good stories to read, stories that no one has written yet, and if someone does write them, those people will find them.

[originalpuck.livejournal.com]

I think what needs to happen is for people to stop saying "No one wants to read that" and start saying "I bet I'm not the only one who wants this" because the second one is quite often true. Someone has to be the first to write anything.

I like that idea. It puts a positive and more encouraging spin on things, and is also most likely true. ^^

[rosiew.livejournal.com]

(here from metafandom)

I would inhale a Gwen rebuilding Torchwood story and would love to see an Emily/Angela. The women we see in our fandoms are awesome and I would love reading more stories about them. I can't wait to see what you write! *cheerleads*

[elfinblaze.livejournal.com]

Thank you, that's very encouraging. There really are some awesome women in our fandoms.

[rhea-carlysse.livejournal.com]

got here from Metafandom, and though I usually just lurk with these things...

Emily Prentiss and Angela Montenegro working together on a case and falling in love

I never had thought of that *___* Although I must admit I just want Emily Prentiss/Veronica Mars because somehow I'm convinced they are the ultimate crossover OTP xD

And I'm all for Gwen and Martha and Lois rebuilding Torchwood (and I bet it would actually be a competent Torchwood, Y/Y?). Some fandoms have some great female characters, I hate it when people just overlook them. I need to write more about them when I'm through with my exams, mwahahaha.

[elfinblaze.livejournal.com]

You're not alone. I usually lurk too, and I'm boggled as to how I ended up on metafandom.

Oh yes, I think a female dominated Torchwood like that would be so competent and amazing. They are all awesome characters.

Some fandoms have some great female characters, I hate it when people just overlook them. I need to write more about them when I'm through with my exams, mwahahaha.

I hear you. There are so many stories I want to write and not enough time. I'm going to attempt to write more at work. And please do, join in the fun; we will give these characters the love they deserve. *nod*

[rhea-carlysse.livejournal.com]

I think I want to write about this topic too (well, actually, three different topics. Humans being stupid, female representations in the media and The Slash Thing -which is how I'm calling it from now on xD-), but I'm not deep enough or have enough time. Meh. Maybe after my exams.

Female dominated Torchwood worked in the past (as proved by the two lovely crazy ladies who recruited Jack xD), now it would be just more awesome, because they would not be crazy. It's a win-win, really. And PC Andy and Mickey could be around too, but Gwen and Martha need to be running Torchwood ASAP.

[summerstorm.livejournal.com]

[here from metafandom with nothing of real value to add]

I would absolutely love to read an Emily/Angela story. *g*

[elfinblaze.livejournal.com]

Nah, your comment is of value too. All these comments are so encouraging. It proves what another commenter said above: "I bet I'm not the only one who wants this."

[rhea-carlysse.livejournal.com]

I would absolutely love to read an Emily/Angela story. *g*

lol, I had the feeling you would xD

[linkspam-mod.livejournal.com]

Your post has been included in a Linkspam roundup. (http://linkspam.dreamwidth.org/19412.html?format=light)

[originalpuck.livejournal.com]

(Here from Linkspam.)

and I want to write Cho and Hermione hooking up over books, and Ginny as an Auror, solving cases on her own and saving Harry's life,

I would love to read a Cho/Hermione story with them hooking up over books, they seem like they would mesh together well and they both are definitely awesome.

And Ginny being an Auror has just made my day. Ginny is my favorite character from HP, and I would love to see her going out there and kicking ass like only she can. I would give you the Internet for that story. ^^

[elfinblaze.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there need to be more stories about Ginny as an action hero. She would definitely be awesome. And there aren't enough Cho/Hermione stories out there at all, so that needs to change.

It's so good to know I'm not the only one who wants these stories, so thanks for the comment. It's very encouraging.