How to Avoid Writing One-Dimensional Female Characters

We tend to see one-dimensional female characters over and over again in popular literature. While we know that these characters are boring and frustrating to read about, it can be difficult for authors to break out of these reductive stereotypes and offer readers good examples of strong and varied female characters.  
 
A prevalent form of one-dimensional characters tend to be those who lack depth of personality and fail to show a progression or development throughout the narrative of the story. Female versions of these one-dimensional characters are a lot more common than their male counterparts, and they typically fall into a series of recognisable tropes. From the teenage dystopian heroines whose only character trait is stubbornness (I’m looking at you, Katniss Everdeen) to the damsel in distress featured in all heroic journeys and the ‘nerd’ who takes off her glasses to become beautiful. All of these tropes are seen far too often, and when you are writing your characters it is all too easy to fall into one of these pre-set characterisations. Below are some ways to avoid this: 
 

• Include Multiple Female Characters 

Creating a multi-faceted female character begins with including lots of female characters in your book. The point of avoiding one-dimensional characters is to show variation. Including multiple diverse female characters in your book enriches your narrative with the variety of roles, personalities and skills they demonstrate. Multiple characters offer the reader a new and exciting reading experience by contrasting the pre-existing stereotypes found in so many books. Samantha Shannon demonstrates this beautifully in her 2019 fantasy book, The Priory of the Orange Tree. This book presents a variety of female characters who all have widely different skillsets, strengths, religions, nationalities and viewpoints. Shannon skilfully weaves these characters’ journeys together to demonstrate strength in differences.  

• Give Them Agency 

Giving your female characters the ability to solve their own problems will really help them break away from the very one-dimensional ‘damsel in distress’ trope. These characters’ only role is to wait for the protagonist to come and rescue them (usually with some screaming and crying). Madeline Miller highlights the dangers of this trope through her Greek Mythology retelling Circe. In the novel, Miller gradually gives her female protagonist more agency as she takes control of her own destiny in a world shaped by and for men. 

• Diverse Motivations  

Often, one-dimensional female characters’ only motivations revolve around the male protagonist. Giving your character a driving factor other than a man can add new and exciting layers of depth and intrigue--Like Stacy Hall’s Mrs England, which cleverly hides the motivation of the female protagonist until the very end for maximum suspense! Anything goes really: your character could be trying to win a competition, negotiating peace for the country she has grown up in or finding a cure for her best friend’s mysterious illness. 
 

• Meaningful Development 

When trying to create a developed and well-rounded female character, it can sometimes be tempting to make them flawless in order to avoid falling into the female tropes of helplessness and weakness. However, it is important to ensure that your character has some noticeable flaws. This will make your character more relatable to the reader and allows for a more interesting story with real character development and growth. 
 
These are just a few ways to avoid creating a one-dimensional female character. If you would like more advice concerning your female characters why don’t you check out our Writing Advisor Service, which provides professional advice personalised to you no matter which stage you are at, from beginning drafts to final touches! For more information, head over to our website or get in contact. We’d love to chat with you about your next steps to publishing your book!