If you think about all the fantasy books out there, in most of the ones that I've read at least, the males greatly outnumber the females. In fact, I can't think of any fantasy book I've read where females outnumbered the males. Although I'm sure there are some exceptions, I think in fantasy specifically, but even in literature as a whole, I think that males outnumber the females in the written works.

If you think about all the fantasy books out there, in most of the ones that I've read at least, the males greatly outnumber the females. In fact, I can't think of any fantasy book I've read where females outnumbered the males. Although I'm sure there are some exceptions, I think in fantasy specifically, but even in literature as a whole, I think that males outnumber the females in the written works.

Well, if it's a war/questing type story, there's more room for male characters than female characters.

My male and females are about the same, but that's because I don't have a lot of going out to war, it's a very small group of people.

And honestly, don't force girls into a story if it's more prone toward male roles, unless they're really developed as girls and aren't just a girl in a man's role.

I think I do tend to create more male than female characters. I've always attributed it to the fact that I have four brothers and am used to being outnumbered. There is the odd occasion when it seems like the cast needs to be balanced out, but it doesn't usually seem to be a problem.

As far as advice on writing female characters, I don't think I can help (oddly enough, since I am a girl and should therefore be an expert). When I sit down and try to write a character as male or female, I completely break down, because I don't know where to start. For me, it's easier to start with a more focused idea. For instance, a nurse rather than simply "a woman," or an older brother rather than simply "a boy". I also try to observe people around me, such as my brothers.

Out of interest, Elestar, what roles do your women take on in your books? Do you make your warriors female, or do they take a more 'womanly' role in your books. I'm curious because you said you were trying to change the norm, so I was interested in what kind of roles your female characters take on in your books.

Heh. I have the opposite problem. I'm awful at writing male characters.

LOL, then you need to teach us your secrets!

Thanks for the interest! My female characters tend to take on all kinds of roles--I've had warriors (one even led a civil war, of course, she was an elf) assassins, entertainers, herbalists, pirates, mothers...one of my favorites was a farm girl who was forced out of her home and ended up on a quest; she wasn't a warrior by nature, but she was pushed into a survivalist scenario. I don't like to limit roles by gender. But, more often than not, my female protagonists are in a more aggressive role (warrior, pirate, Chosen One-Quester type). Hopefully that answers your question--let me know if it doesn't, I'll try to elaborate some more.

I am so unbelievably happy that you are all struggling with this conundrum. Okay, well, I'm not happy that you are struggling, per-say, but that I am not alone in this struggle. I, like most of us, it would appear, thought I was alone in this. So a big thank you to Elanor! We could have our own support group.

Anyway, time for something constructive, ay?

I don't write primarily male characters in lead roles because of what I read, though I suppose that on a subconscious level it could be affecting me. I write male characters more often than female because you can do so much more with a male character.

I agree with what Kitra said. Girls can be strong and athletic, but it's often not where their true strength lies, and writing a female lead (or a lot of females in the cast) of a story, especially a fantasy story, is a difficult thing to do. After all, you don't want to come out with a host of females who (to borrow from my sister's analogy) might say 'I AM WOMAN. HEAR ME ROAR.' That is often what you seem to get in stories with a lead girl, especially fantasy and sci-fi where the character must often be strong physically. It is much more natural for a male to fit that role.

Also, I think for girl writers, if we split the people we know and love into two categories of 'friends' and 'role-models' I think a lot of us might find there are more females in the first category, and more males in the second. (That's just a thought, of course, not a rule.) To me, this comes from the God-given way we look up to our fathers and in seeking out husbands. (Which verges on a completely different subject, so I'll back away from it now. Again, that's just an opinion and everyone will find it to be different.)

I struggled with this, not for the single books I write which may incidentally have a male lead or hero, because I think it is perfectly natural for a guy writer to sometimes have a female lead, or heavily female cast, and for a girl writer to have it vice-versa. It was when I came up with an idea for a series of four books each with a different main character, and ALL OF THEM GUYS, that I started to worry. (Since then, I've managed to change three of the major characters of the story, including one of the POV characters to female and it is working ever so much better for the story, but again I digress.)

I am personally looking around for books/blog entries/articles/etc. on writing strong female characters (not necessarily on a physical level) because I know it to be an area where I am weak in my writing and need to improve.

Sorry, that was a bit long-winded...