How To Write Strong Female Characters | For Manga, Comics & Light Novels

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  • Опубликовано: 15 дек 2024

Комментарии • 101

  • @Darkblitzie
    @Darkblitzie 3 года назад +33

    I'm a writer and I find your tips to write strong female characters inspiring.

    • @cedricburkhart3738
      @cedricburkhart3738 3 года назад +2

      The way people generally right strong female characters often comes of as a woman with a personality of an obnoxious man. 🤦 I hate it wimen really don't tend to be like that not even the ones that lead people.

  • @eihan22194
    @eihan22194 3 года назад +32

    You have no idea how beautiful your channel is! For a person like me who creates stories by myself and have no connections to ask for help, your channel just gives me a guide and agsjsbdjahs thank you so so much 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +4

      Aw thank you so much!! I'm so happy that my videos help you! Keep up the great work 😊😊

  • @nullmovedtonewemail7454
    @nullmovedtonewemail7454 3 года назад +5

    I recently found your channel and as someone who plans out her own comics and stories. This is very helpful and comforting, I have issues with offending people and being an issue, so I try to accommodate and not be offensive to as many people as possible.
    I really enjoy your videos and they are a great comfort when it comes to writing, planning, and drawing my own manga and comics (I have imposter syndrome, so sometimes I struggle with media and being acceptable to people who would and do view my content. I am also very aware of how people's content and works affect the people who view them, as well as past media that have affected society. in short, I sometimes struggle a little with all of the above.)

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +2

      Thank you so much! I am really happy that you are enjoying my videos! 😊
      I used to also struggle with imposter syndrome, so I can relate to your feelings well. It is really hard to create something that not only you as the author can accept, but also create something that you feel others will accept too. As a perfectionist, it also takes me a lot of thought to create something I feel confident enough with.

  • @dogukanbalta6021
    @dogukanbalta6021 3 года назад +2

    I saw Yona in the thumbnail and immediately clicked

  • @Eugenman48
    @Eugenman48 5 месяцев назад +2

    Writers of modern Marvel: *shakes*

  • @allyb1772
    @allyb1772 3 года назад +6

    some shonen creators need to watch this video :'D

  • @chariots8x230
    @chariots8x230 3 года назад +10

    Thank you for the video! I was actually hoping to see a video on this topic. Two strong female characters that I really like are the heroines in 'Psychic Princess' and in 'Legend of Basara'.
    They're very different from each other but great in their own way.

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +2

      Thank you for watching! 😊 I think those character's are great too!

  • @littlesquishy3195
    @littlesquishy3195 3 года назад +12

    These videos help a lot! Thank you for the tips :)) you’re amazing!! :D

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +3

      Thank you so much!! 💜💜💜 I'm so happy my videos help you!

  • @ETHANFELIXREIGNS-OFFICAL
    @ETHANFELIXREIGNS-OFFICAL 8 месяцев назад +2

    I used to watch your videos long time ago now I'm 27 YEARS old,I forgot about your videos and channel.
    Now I found them randomly as I scrolled on RUclips.
    My question is:
    Question 1) How can I create a mascular buffed female character with big biceps muscles, Muscular carved female in every genre(including subgenres)?
    Q2) How can I get inspiration from famous stories to shape up my fictional world?
    My favourite genre is Manga or anime.
    My favourite characters Goku,Vegeta,Saitama and Biblical Samson, Wonderwoman and Athena Goddess of war.
    Can you speak about worst type of female characters?Like from modern currently films where they toxic.

  • @beepbotic
    @beepbotic 3 года назад +4

    I really like Ripley from aliens simply because her role was written for either female or male so It came off as character first gender second which I thought was awesome by the director.
    That point you made about the female lead having a conversation with another girl without talking about a guy is called the bechdel test and it was actually started as a joke, the thing is this can lead the conversations feeling unnatural if you have it just for the sake of it as many movies are basically required to have. Just make sure conversation flows nicely and natural, it shouldn't matter what or who they talk about as long as it fits the story and characters you are trying to tell.
    Just my two cents, still love the tips

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +2

      Ripley is so cool!! I definitely agree, it's very awesome what the director decided to focus on for that movie. 😊
      Also, that does make a lot of sense. I think any conversation, regardless of the topic, should be well written and interesting for the book. Thank you for your comment, and for watching my video today!

  • @lordagentm3211
    @lordagentm3211 2 года назад +2

    I enjoy watching your video and I understand most of it. For me whenever I think a better written female protagonist Noelle Silva comes in my mind. Her main trait is character growth which demonstrates nicely in a Shonen series. Even though Black Clover sales are not higher like Naruto or MHA it’s female writing still exceeds more than both of those series.

  • @BlitzedNostradamus
    @BlitzedNostradamus Год назад +1

    These tips are brilliant! Thank you!

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  Год назад +1

      Thank you so much! I'm happy to hear that 😊

  • @magatsuverison3835
    @magatsuverison3835 3 года назад +1

    Thank you.
    What you were saying already convinced me of your passion for writing and genuinely good characterization but (shameless as it seems) you referencing berserk was what sold me on everything.
    There were things I'd already done, but some that you brought to my attention and I'm now going to actively keep those missing pieces in mind to better characterize her. Thank you very much

  • @supreme_king_ultima5370
    @supreme_king_ultima5370 3 года назад +9

    I loved this ❤.. it was exactly what I needed, I'm writing a series write now and I didn't know what to do with the female lead This helped me Big Time!.. thanks as always you helping me towards my dream of being a Great writter!.

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +2

      I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for watching 😊

  • @Lilas.Duveteux
    @Lilas.Duveteux 3 года назад +3

    I am not really got at creating characters with friends, because...I'm not very social. These are characters I had planed as "strong female characters":
    -Bella, the magical girl. Mostly the sporty type. I don't plan to give her friends, but she'll have plenty of "friendly acquaintances".
    -Madeleine Transon...I plan to write her as "strong" but not in a typical way. She's not that physically strong, she's the love interest, she's very feminine, quite meek and she's quite prudish. Not to mention easily scared (with a strong aversion towards heights) and is quite bashful. She's very empathetic and has a tendency towards feeling guilty about things, even when they are not her fault, on top of a tendency towards masochism. Her strength come from the idea she willingly became an outcast in the name of love, and is able to withstand incredible amonts of pain, deception and adversity and stay sane. She even learns to enjoy living as a pariah and find happiness. Her fortes are more towards domestic things such as cooking and sewing. Her best talent is the treatment of medicinal herbs. But she can still hold her own in other situation. Such as standing up against people she is scared of. Her main goal is to lead the people around her to be as les violent as possible. After all, she's the cuter type of person, who wants lots of love and affection. Which is tough with her father befriending an executioner family, and being the curator of their eldest son, Charles-Jean-Baptiste Sanson, who would later be her husband. Her goal and name were pre-determined, as Madeleine was a real person, but we know nothing exept the name of her father, husband and two children, her approximate year of birth and year of death.
    I think I'll make her grow from a scared, meek little girl to a masochistic teenager, to a mature young woman willing to insure her children would be able to grow in a less violent environment.

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +4

      I really love these ideas for your characters! I also like the fact that you have a lot of good character growth for Madeleine. That's very important in creating characters for books. Thank you for sharing, and for watching my video! 😊

    • @nofacestarkiller6822
      @nofacestarkiller6822 3 года назад +1

      I don't think it's a terrible character. The journey for this type of person is very important because it provides an opportunity for readers to learn some kind of life lesson. I also would advise against posting your ideas here like this.
      The masochism isn't so bad but you don't want to have the character entirely living as the a personification if their traits.
      In a journey like the one you may write for her, survival of such experiences and feelings in combination with the natural masochistic inclinations given her it's highly likely she will also be like that as an adult as well...maybe just more private.
      I won't tell you how to write your story but I will tell you that you don't raise strong children by protecting them from the pain of the world.
      A parents job is to guide to protect the children from physical harm, teach them to have some sense of morality, pass on traits like empathy and conscientiousness, and teach them the effective coping mechanisms for whatever kind if person they are (as we all experience the same things from different perspectives) as they encounter life's Ills....
      Of course you can also create a parent of the opposite type as an antagonist character...
      a perfect example of this would be Satoru's mom VS Hinazki's mom
      from Boku Dake ga inai Machi.

    • @nofacestarkiller6822
      @nofacestarkiller6822 3 года назад +1

      Also you don't have to have friends to Know how functional social structures work between people.
      Not only will it make you a better writer but it will give you an opportunity to make friends in ways you may not have once had the confidence or tolerance to do.....
      While it is a process and may cause you to have to not only reevaluate one's self but also the previous perspectives we've held of others and truly understanding the inner workings and motivations essentially requiring one to internally become a whole other person from a neutral perspective untainted by the self (idk if that makes any sense to you)...
      Basically what I'm trying to say is perspective and objectivity is useful af

    • @Lilas.Duveteux
      @Lilas.Duveteux 3 года назад +1

      @@nofacestarkiller6822 Thanks for the tips.

    • @nofacestarkiller6822
      @nofacestarkiller6822 3 года назад

      @@Lilas.Duveteux no problem at all you're on the right track.

  • @vladdanciu6529
    @vladdanciu6529 3 года назад +3

    I've been working on my first book for a while and I'm gathering information from all over how to make it more interesting for everyone. In terms of reading, I really like SF books and fantasy literature, so the book I'm working on is based on them, its action takes place on a distant alien planet (10 megaparsecs to be exact, aka more than 32 million light-years away from Earth). The main character of the story is a man, but some of the most important moments of the story are determined by a woman. Long story short: it is a prophecy that predicts the end of life in the universe, and the main character is the only one who can host the demon that fulfills it (he or his descendants), everyone sees the omens and reports them to the royal family. In that world if you are strong it means that you worked hard for what you have, it also means enormous responsibilities and leadership positions or noble titles, therefore loyalty is the most precious trait for that people, even to the point where parents kill their children for the good of all. I think you already know where I want to go with this: the main character's parents are trying to kill him, but they can't because the demon has already altered his physiology and now he can heal from any wound, and we finally get to the part related to this video :
    A woman tries to kill him (his mother) (my story, my rules), if it helps with something she doesn't do it for pleasure, but because she thinks it's best for the future.
    A woman raises, educates and cares for him (the maid of a usurper who adopts him) (it's important even if I mentioned this only once in the whole story)
    A woman tries for the first time to attract him to the side of the law (leader of a rebel group)
    A woman sees for the first time after a long period the emotional suffering he is going through, shows him a little compassion and tells him where is the information he is looking for (an old librarian tells him where is the information about how to fight the demon)
    A woman defeated the demon for the first time, after she also inadvertently guided him to her world 10,000 years ago (the main character is her descendant (this is also the reason why only he can host the demon))
    A woman believes in the good that MC (main character) can do, and tries again to attract him to their side (the daughter of the king and queen he imprisoned for the usurper who adopted him), she is also the one who realizes that MC doesn't have much to say about his condition, he doesn't do what he does because that's what he wants, but he has no choice (the usurper is the only family he has after his family disappointed him), and even more she is also the one who defeats him in the end (more precisely she temporarily incapacitates him, as the host of the demon he is immortal), even more, using a skill learned from him, she defeats the usurper and frees him from the burden of serving him unintentionally (even if at first she doesn't realize it)
    The princess was sent to Earth to be safe, so a woman on Earth raised her until she was found by other rebels. That woman was a skilled scientist who provided her with the necessary equipment to fight MC after learning the story.
    A woman separates MC from the demon (not very hard I could say) and gives him the opportunity to defeat him (that woman is the supreme authority of that planet, her word is law over the law of kings, but also if she fails, all are doomed). She also gives MC the opportunity to have a family to love and support him, being an extremely powerful witch (like everyone on that planet actually, but at the highest level) she turns his age back at 2 years old to be raised differently, and when he reaches 16 years old the spell will break and he will be the same as at the beginning, but with a balanced personality instead of one full of hate and suffering.
    This opportunity is also offered to him by the woman who raised the princess.
    This is where the first part ends, these are the most important women in the story, some more than others. Some are physically strong, some are intellectually strong, some are emotionally strong, and some are strong witches. It is true that they are not at the level of the men in the story, because of history and biology (you know, evolution, roles in society, etc.), but fighting them could be the last mistake someone can make.

  • @midorishiro1671
    @midorishiro1671 3 года назад +3

    For someone who has a female main character, this is very helpful!Thank you for making amazing videos💕

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +1

      That's awesome! Thank you so much for watching and supporting my videos 😊

  • @VworksArt
    @VworksArt 2 года назад +2

    This advice seems like more "How to write a good character". I think this advice works for all characters.

  • @YamiJai
    @YamiJai 3 года назад +1

    This is really helpful for a character in my manga there’s 3 major arcs that she’s the main character in

  • @lilpickle3616
    @lilpickle3616 3 года назад +1

    Wow this rlly helped a lot...usually in Shonen manga, female characters are know as "not ur typical girl" so this teaches many a lot, and how to create a strong female character thx👏🙏

  • @mystica3671
    @mystica3671 3 года назад +2

    Thanks for the vid and creating strong female characters is what I'm planning to do

  • @ElishaNgundu
    @ElishaNgundu 3 года назад +1

    Really love your channel and thanks for the tips

  • @ssjgarfield
    @ssjgarfield 3 года назад +2

    Another great video =D
    This has been something I have been struggling with when creating strong female characters in fear that she ends up like a Mary Sue, even if her strengths and abilities fit within the world she lives. It's mostly notable with my Dragon Ball OC Jagaimo, a female Saiyan who's Goku's older sister who's strength and abilities are close to even equal to her younger brother's.

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +2

      Thank you very much! Your Dragon Ball OC Jagaimo does not sound mary sue to me. As long as her abilities are equal to her younger brother's, and she has a lot of other weaknesses that show that she is not perfect, you can avoid turning her into a mary sue 😊

  • @arvianworkshop7118
    @arvianworkshop7118 3 года назад +3

    Fantastic tips as always ^^

  • @retrogamer3775
    @retrogamer3775 3 года назад +1

    What a perfect timing🤩
    I wanted to write a female character.

  • @strawberrik
    @strawberrik 3 года назад +3

    You're videos are always much appreciated! ♥ I'm still in the beginning of my webcomic, so this is helps keep me on track as I have a female protagonist.

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +2

      Thank you so much! I'm really happy to hear that 😊

  • @toysareawesome8689
    @toysareawesome8689 3 года назад +2

    What anime/manga is the girl from the thumbnail from?

  • @mariam-eq2fy
    @mariam-eq2fy 3 года назад +1

    All of youre videos are very helpful

  • @antoniosoto5768
    @antoniosoto5768 3 года назад +3

    Ohhhh thank you for this I wanted to make a strong female character but not a Mary sue type thank you thank you

  • @loogiedude6743
    @loogiedude6743 3 года назад +2

    Swear to Yeezy you aint fuckin around on my iPhone 5 BATTERY

  • @cookingonwheels2695
    @cookingonwheels2695 3 года назад +2

    Who else here for dnd

  • @goldlionmax
    @goldlionmax 3 года назад +1

    Love your insights as always, thx for the tips on writing

  • @landondossmaynor2751
    @landondossmaynor2751 3 года назад +1

    These really are helpful thank you sm for great advice

  • @cheeryrozetea
    @cheeryrozetea 2 года назад +1

    MORE other tips for writing female characters:
    1) She can fall in love but don’t let falling in love with a man be her her ONLY goal. At least give her 4-5 goals.
    2) Find something that motivates her instead of her love interest.
    3) Make her fall in love with training or her hobby FIRST before falling in love with the MC or anyone else.
    4) Make story arcs where she saves a male character or anyone else by herself.
    5) Give her a great IQ!
    6) Make her prove herself that’s she’s useful and independent.
    7) Don’t make her the type of girl who expects a guy to be good looking. Not every girl cares about a man’s appearance. She can fall in love with a guy because of intelligence and make her see something great in him.
    8) Give her good character development.
    9) Don’t make her agree with everything that her love interest says or does.
    10) Don’t shove the “love at first sight” trope into your story. Let her get to know the guy before she gets real affectionate feelings for him.
    Hope my tips help you :)

  • @officialanimeboardgames
    @officialanimeboardgames 3 года назад +1

    Such great tips💬to adapt to any manga writer/artist👤👥🎨📑

  • @talimediaart
    @talimediaart 3 года назад +2

    These tips were awesome! Especially since I have most female characters being cliche. Do you think you could make a video on using animals as antagonists?

    • @loogiedude6743
      @loogiedude6743 3 года назад +1

      Dawg

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +3

      Thank you very much! I do intend on making a video on how to write animal characters, though not specifically as antagonists. By this, do you mean character's like the ones in Beastars, who are humanoid animals, or fully animals? 🙂

    • @loogiedude6743
      @loogiedude6743 3 года назад

      @@midnightXcross BUT WHAT ABOUT YEEZY

    • @talimediaart
      @talimediaart 3 года назад +1

      @@midnightXcross Yes like Beaststars. But also like in Inuyasha where the character is half animal and half human.

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +1

      @@talimediaart Sure, I can do that!

  • @starwing2814
    @starwing2814 3 года назад +2

    I needed this so much! I'll keep coming back to this video! I'm honestly having trouble. Thank you so much! I have a question, not sure if I've asked this before. How do you know which personality is the protagonist for your story? And how do you know it's the right one? I'm revaluating the female protagonist's personality for the isekai story I'm thinking about.

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +3

      Thank you so much for watching! I'm really happy that this video helped you 😊
      I don't think there is any such thing as a right or a wrong personality. I mean, everyone's personality is different. I think the most important thing in a character type is that they take action and keep the story moving forward. As long as your protagonist is 'active' (meaning they make decisions and keep doing things to move the story along), then they are a good protagonist. Regardless of their personality!

    • @starwing2814
      @starwing2814 3 года назад +1

      @@midnightXcross You're right! I keep forgetting about the active protagonist. Thank you! Another question, has it happened to you, that in working 2 or multiple stories, they start to become similar to each other. Like in terms of concept, theme, or plot. For me, I'm working on the main fantasy story while working on the isekai story. Somehow both of them became about performance but in different ways. The fantasy story is about performance in the sense of having a stage presence. This protagonist believes that her presence doesn't matter so takes the role as a ghost. The isekai story became about performance in the sense that not getting involved in feelings of a character because of what the protagonist does as a stunt performer isn't real. So in a sense, this protagonist ignores negative feelings through new experiences that are often times thrill-seeking. She does become someone else but that's because of her job. So she performs so that she can avoid her negative emotions. I'm honestly a little lost 😅. Should I sacrifice one idea for the other? Sorry this became a paragraph 😅.

  • @TheBluenyt09
    @TheBluenyt09 3 года назад +2

    Thanks for the tips. 😎👍

  • @vn3547
    @vn3547 3 года назад +3

    I have a question. Would such advice to go by making a a strong female character, would it be possible to do the same for more than one character to develope in the same way as the protagonist? And could it work if there were maybe 2 or more than one protagonist to get stronger in their own way...?
    I hope this question made sense.
    ~;~

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +1

      Of course! While this video was specifically made for writing strong female protagonists, these tips can apply to writing any type of character! 😊

  • @sangeetakolase2139
    @sangeetakolase2139 3 года назад +2

    I missed you so much 😭😭😭

  • @TheoVad
    @TheoVad 3 года назад +1

    Majority of Japanese author needs to see this. It's super rare to see a well written female protagonist.

  • @DY2727
    @DY2727 3 года назад +3

    I had an idea for a magical girl story that parodies dark magical girl series and the mc is also a parody of poorly written strong female characters who learns to become strong emotionally and to care about her mental health as much as her physical health and strength

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +3

      Wow, I really love that idea! It sounds very unique, especially since it is a parody of dark magical girl stories. 😊

  • @neogamest123logic2
    @neogamest123logic2 3 года назад +2

    Also before you start writing a strong female characters you should first write a good strong character that just so happens to be a female.
    Regardless of how you write them or choose to depict them in your story just remember this who's your target audience and what age demographic are you preparing to catering.
    This could possibly help you better refine your story.

  • @oldermusicgeek
    @oldermusicgeek Год назад +1

    Well, I see this is 2 years old. It's a good, useful video, but I'd like to give some constructive advice. Please slow down. I have trouble understanding your accent and keeping up. If you have already fixed this issue, just ignore me! Just saying this, because I want your advice! Keep up the good work!

  • @tawheedhossain9320
    @tawheedhossain9320 3 года назад +2

    If the friend is gay it is good for the story and I have a another question do u have plans to create your own interconnected universe of your manga

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +2

      If that friend is a well written character, then it is good for the story regardless of if they are gay or not. 😊 Also, yes, I will be making your requested video. I still have a few other requests that were on the list first though, so please be patient! I will be getting to yours soon

  • @maadtee6281
    @maadtee6281 3 года назад +1

    So basically violet evergarden, adelina ametora, queen youko and Tuesday

  • @artstrale462
    @artstrale462 3 года назад +1

    Totally agree let avoid make an cliché class président /////

  • @cedricburkhart3738
    @cedricburkhart3738 3 года назад +2

    I'm having trubol remembering any strong women that I met in real life. Unless it's a woman who won't give up no matter what her body really isn't strong physically. She is a missionary for the Haitian people. I don't find the strong female caricter very compelling if her strength comes from being able to kill other people in a one on one fight. Generally speaking the most powerful women and yes the most powerful man derive their power from having influence over others because they were a leader. I don't know how I would right a strong female caricter but I don't really admire muscles and ferocity. Physical weakness can make the will to resist all the more inspiring. I think she would be the figurehead of a movement. 🤔

    • @midnightXcross
      @midnightXcross  3 года назад +1

      This sounds very interesting!! Thank you so much for telling me about it 😊

  • @acuerdox
    @acuerdox 3 года назад +2

    this is all nice and all but it's more about how to make a good character, than a female character. it should be noted also that a lot of this stuff doesn't have to be shown, it needs to be defined because it informs the actions and feelings of the character. Like the hobby for example, in a war story most characters should have hobbies, you'd hardly see them thou.

  • @loogiedude6743
    @loogiedude6743 3 года назад +2

    Don't listen to timbs its all about YEEZY

    • @FirstKingOfKamelot
      @FirstKingOfKamelot 3 года назад +1

      How you gonna stomp a mf with a pair of YEeZy??? You need to put on some TIMBS

  • @seraph1690
    @seraph1690 3 года назад +1

    Fantasy =\= reality, we like superman cuz the bastard wears his underwear above the leotard, can fly and can shoot lasers from his eyes, not because he is an achievable human standard... Accept that in fantasy stuff like perfect people exists because is fantasy, better educate people about the true nature of manga, cinema, etc... Which is entertainment, that is its only purpose, it doesnt have to be binded by reality because its purpose is not to educate, this is why parental guidance is really important, and this is the real problem, parents not guiding because they are ignorant, and prefer to prohibit than to get educated or educate people, with this, it should be clear that "following steps" is not a creative method, it kills creativity and it will kill all the good in fantasy as we have seen from all this "inclusive" media