I'd like to read a book with the correct use of punctuation, grammar and syntax, all which you seem to lack severly.

books are for virgin losers

Everyone knows female protagonists are always whiny bitches you want to stab, it doesn't matter what kind of person they are.

And if they're not, they're always the cliche "badass hot chick" Mary Sue type.

That being said, stick to male protagonists. Stories with female protagonists are never as popular.

Give me a female protagonist that doesn't have a love interest, and doesn't want one.

I've yet to read a book with a female protagonist I enjoy. Don't know if that's because I've not yet found one to my taste or because I prefer following the adventure of a man rather than feeling obliged to try and identify to heroines who are nothing like me.

I don't understand what you mean by your use of "former" and "latter" in the last two options and which other alternatives they're meant to apply to(probably too tired), but none of the things you've presented apply to me.

I think again it's because I feel you've come to a female board to try and write a bespoke female character that will be most appreciated/successful rather than writing a character to be believable in her own right. I hate it when gender/sexuality are made into an important point of focus in a character.

If the message a writer is trying to convey calls for a female protagonist, if the perspective would be more interesting through a female's eyes, or if that's simply how you wish to tell the story then do so.

Just... Don't try to manufacture something like you are now. Unless that's how writing works and I have absolutely no clue.

>>5755422
This.

So you want to talk about Hunger Games?

In all honesty, I've become so cynical about HURR DURR STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER that it's an unconscious mark against the story all together. Too much focus is on making a good *~*female*~* character that they often muss it up all together. The vast majority of writers focus all too much on such things and it ends up being a mixed sack of fetishes and their dreamgirl.

As an analogy, take edward cullen from the twilight series. This is obviously written to the author's own taste so that she can fulfill a fantasy of an ideal man, even if she tried to deny it by having a few flaws like being an antisocial obsessive stalker. Girls fall over themselves over him, but guys looks and think 'wtf, he's so boring.' Now reverse that and that's what you get with nearly every female character ever with endearing 'flaws' like being headstrong or clumsy.

Now, you're probably going to defend how your female character isn't like that. But when you suggest that a love interest is automatic with her, that's a dealbreaker and you've fallen into the trap.

I don't believe a good female character should be regarding herself as a neutral gender either. If she's a girl in a boy's world, it's definitely going to effect how different her struggles will be. But overdoing it to the point of emasculating everyone around her ends up pushing her further into mary-sueism.

They all have their merits, though personally I prefer the scenario where they're equally awesome. Dubs anon has a good point too, it'd be refreshing to see more male/ female duos that didn't eventually dissolve into love interests.

>Inb4 some massive bullshit argument about how men and women can't "just be friends"

Male protagonist with a female character as a sidekick.

But don't make them fall in love. That always ruins it for me, since authors never seem to understand that a man and a woman can be friends without falling in love.

>>5755422

This.

>>5755414
hunger game was kinda good, the golden compass trilogy too. It's just that it's easy to consider a female character mary sue when girls are always stupid and weak in nearly all the books.

>>5755406
> severly

>>5755414
>That being said, stick to male protagonists. Stories with female protagonists are never as popular.

Good lord, this.

Unless you're writing porn or something strictly aimed so that the character will be the new waifu of the reader, than stick with male characters. Unfortunate to say, but it's been deeply instilled that guys are more active go-getters, which is required for a strong storyline. Girls taking more physical action, especially in very tense situations, cause a suspension of doubt with both male and female readers.

Out of the top of my head, the best stories with female protagonists are usually those that suggest internal struggles. Rose for Emily, Flannery o' connor's short stories, etc.

Huh, they also always end up being mentally ill as well.

>>5755448
i approve this

>>5755458
See the problem I had with Katniss wasn't that she was a mary-sue. The problem I had with her was that she was incredibly weak. The author wanted to make a strong female character who carries her district. Instead we get a protagonist who is unable to make any of her own choices except for volunteering. I have a lot of problems with her character but the plot was entertaining.

So...no one here likes Buffy?

But sometimes female characters are better off being more on the side. I love Hermione from Harry Potter but if she was the main character I'd want to stab her.

>>5755472
i actually found it kinda interesting, she was maybe a bit weak with the body side, but i found her pretty awesome on the mental side, being able to cope with all the things that happen to her. I still need to get the 3rd book, so i maybe don't know everything, i must admit.

>>5755450
>>5755448
>denying reality
The suspension of disbelief required would be too great.

Make her ugly, OP. Make her look average on a good day and make her ugly on the inside to match. Not despicable to the level of a child rapist, but someone who occasionally lies, is delusional about her own looks, talks behind other's back, etc. She'll try to act humble and fake politeness in others, but her mind is racing with judgements and bitterness.

>>5755473
Buffy is a female protagonist done right. Joss Wheadon's a feminist, so that might have something to do with it.

First, fuck yeah.

Especially if she isn't a stereotypical beauty like Buffy, no offense.

>>5755483
Ugly is good, as long as she's not the type that goes on for hours about how she wishes she was pretty, or wishes she looked like some other girl she knows, and describes in detail how fat or greasy she is.

I see it all the time. Usually she ends up losing 100 pounds, getting a makeover and suddenly guys begin falling at her feet.

>>5755478
I can agree that she is mentally a strong character. But I meant weak in the sense that the plot made it impossible for her to take care of herself or make her own choices. From a feminist point of view the plot denied her of her own self-determination.

Strong female protagonist, variety of weebly love itnerests. Yes, I LOVE Anita Blake.

I wish there were more female protagonists like Ellen Ripley. She's badass but at the same time definitely not a Mary Sue.

Buffy was kind of a Sue but there were so many other awesome characters in the show that it was drowned out. Kind of like Harry Potter's Gary Stu-ness was drowned out by other well developed characters.

>>5755498
yeah, that's true, specially with what i saw in the second book. Damn everybody use her, that horrifiying *i don't know i i wrote that ok, still learning english*
But the fact is, yes it's possible to make good female protagonist, you just need to find a good balance

>>5755509
This. Her and Sarah Connor and other badass women who have other shit on their minds then omgboyses and aren't marysues.

Everyone please. Shut up about the Hunger Games.

My personal preference for a female protagonist is to have one who is awesome in her own right, and if she has to have a love interest, I'd prefer that it be an equal partnership kind of relationship rather than having one go hopelessly dewy-eyed over the other. Like, I don't need you and you don't need me, but there's just something that draws us together and makes it work. That said, it can all be killed very easily if I end up feeling like someone's just trying to tick some boxes.

My favourite female protagonist ever is probably Gally from Gunnm. She isn't perfect by any means, but her journey has been very much one of self-discovery. She was very childlike and idealistic in the earlier volumes - her short relationship with Hugo was very teenage in its "I will do stupid things cos I TOTES HEART YOU" manner, but she grows up a lot as a result of all her life experiences, and her much later relationship with Figure Four felt more adult. She kicked ass, he kicked ass, they plainly did just fine without each other but when you brought them together you had this really strong partnership where they bounced off each other brilliantly (and I loved Kishiro's original ending - it was a sweet payoff without being overly sappy). As Last Order goes on, she's still learning a lot about herself and her own ideologies, and growing as a person. She's got a great supporting cast with her, yes, but she's still awesome (despite her flaws) in her own right.

Just write a good character who happens to be female. I like female protagonists the best when love and romance aren't even things that they're interested in.

Also, a strong female character isn't a girl who doesn't have any flaws, it's a girl who is multi-dimensional and has both strengths and weaknesses because that makes her seem like a believable human being.

Women are boring as fuck

She needs to have some cool-ass characters near her that bring the best out of her character in some situations

A woman who is older, in her 30's or 40's. One who has already been married and has children, so love isn't an obstacle on her journey. One who doesn't give a fuck about anything and just wants to get shit done.

A girl who shares her protaganist role with a male lead and they are both equally important in terms of the story and maybe even cohesive awesomeness or just awesome in her own right.

Bump from the dead.


one more question.

Do you think girls would want to read stories where the main characters are in a female dominated relationship?

>>5756276
wat

Like as in it's a story about a guy who has a BDSM mistress? Hell yeah I'd read that.

However if you mean would I read a story about some average dude whose girlfriend is just a domineering bitch and doesn't let him play video games with his bros wah wah wah you should just save yourself the time and effort and use your pen and paper to slit your wrists and stab yourself.