Lets Talk Bookish

Let’s Talk Bookish: Underrepresented Female Characters

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

✨ Welcome back to another week of LTB! ✨

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and myself! In this discussion meme, participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! Learn more about LTB, past topics and future topics HERE.

This week’s topic is:

Underrepresented Types of Female Characters

Prompts: For the final week of March, here is another Women’s History Month topic! Do you notice certain female character archetypes that you think are used too often? What types of female characters do you want to see more of in fiction? Who are some female characters that inspire you?

Do you notice certain female character archetypes that you think are used too often?

I like today’s topic but I don’t know why I’m finding it surprisingly difficult to answer! I have to admit that I don’t pay that much attention to character types. I think if I really sat down and thought about it, in the genres I read, there is a tendency to lean on the “not like other girls” archetype—whether it’s in romance and/or fantasy. It’s an archetype that has been around for years and I think it will continue to be employed in years to come. I’m not particularly picky when it comes down to it because I think any archetype/trope can be enjoyable if the author writes it well. And by that I mean that it doesn’t end up being the female main character’s (FMCs) one-and-only defining trait and that this fact is also not constantly shoved into readers’ faces.

In fantasy, I feel like this ‘not like the others’ archetype can also lean into the chosen one or fierce woman warrior character. Lately, I’ve been feeling like this type of “strong” FMC is done so often, in romantasy especially, that it feels a bit one-note.

Something I have been noticing in romances lately is that there’s so much focus on women being “strong”—and it is fantastic—but I feel like it also gives the impression that these characters with their strong personalities aren’t allowed to show vulnerability or be weak in any way. I don’t know if that’s an archetype really but it’s something I’ve noticed more. It’s OK to not be strong all the time and I wish that side was shown as well, and not just as part of a character arc.

What types of female characters do you want to see more of in fiction?

  • Southeast Asian women in romance and fantasy. I feel like I see a lot more diversity in YA books but I would love to see more of it in adult romance and fantasy genres as well. But honestly, BIPOC characters in general is always going to be a big plus for me!

  • Body positive FMCs. There are certainly a lot more of this in romance in recent years but (again) I would love to see more of this in fantasy but also in BIPOC characters specifically.

  • Complex FMCs. We are multi-faceted individuals and when characters are written to fit so specifically into an archetype, it takes away their authenticity. I would love to see more of the nuanced experiences, thoughts, and emotions that make up being a woman depicted in fiction, especially in fantasy and romance.

  • Older FMCs. So many of the characters in fiction are still in their early or mid-20s and I’m seeing more in their late 20s as well, but I would love to see more older FMCs in all genres but especially romance and fantasy! As someone who’s already in her mid-30s, it would be amazing to see more characters in my age range represented more often, too.

Who are some female characters that inspire you?

I wouldn’t necessarily say that these characters inspired me but I did love the complexity of their characters a lot. I’m likely forgetting a lot more favourites but these are the ones that my vacation brain can recall at the moment! 😅

Misaki from The Sword of Kaigen, Rin from The Poppy War, Addie from The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, Shae from The Green Bone Saga, Ashilde from Blood Price, Pamela from Bright Young Women, Jess from Black Water Sister, Maggie from Role Playing, Dani from Take A Hint, Dani Brown, Sesily from Bombshell…

Don’t forget to check out the other bloggers who joined the discussion this week! 👇🏽

Raji @ Worlds Unlike Our Own
Abyssal Librarian
Lin @ Lin’s Perspective
Emma @ Pages of Emma
Leyre @ Read You Leyre
Yolanda @ Past Midnight
Elle @ Unwrapping Words
Julie @ Bookflowerpath
Kim @ In My Words

If I’ve missed your post this week, don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments and I’ll add you to this week’s list of community posts ASAP!

What female archetypes do you think are used often? Do you think it’s overused? What types of female characters would you love to see represented more often in the books you read?

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