What even is a 'strong female character' anyways? by Ashley Holloway
A craft article
Female character archetypes are common in many forms of media, and fiction is no different. From the femme fatale, spinster, girl-next-door, damsel in distress, the madwoman, or more recently, “The Karen,” these stereotypes grace many a page in contemporary fiction. Corresponding with the rise of feminism over the past century, recent decades have also seen the rise of the “strong female character.” A quick Google search using the prompt, “What is a strong female character” yields many millions of resources, one of which instructs the reader that character traits such as, “she has her own opinions,” “she is her own person,” “she has flaws,” and “she’s tough in her own right” are what constitute a strong female character. So,… basically a normal woman?