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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6981642" data-attributes="member: 4937">I wish it was that simple.  I basically agree with GRR Martin here, in that I create female characters in exactly the same way I create male characters.  I have a thread nearby where I'm creating NPCs for a Jann/Arabian setting, and for every purpose but physical description I could switch the gender of any character and feel I had basically the same character with the same utility to the setting.But I have a female friend who would not be satisfied by that, and who I know would reject that as good characterization on those very grounds.  She believes that if a character's gender could be altered without altering the character, that it's poor characterization.  She would consider virtually all of my characters inherently masculine.  It wouldn't offend her per se, that my female characters aren't to her believably feminine, but it would mean that she considers them rather poor characters.For example, I felt that Jyn from Rogue One was a vastly better character than Rey from The Force Awakens in every manner.  She was more believable; she was more complex; she had an actual narrative and emotional arc; she was competent but not ludicrously so; she was allowed to fail at times, and she had believable and sympathetic motivations.  She was also IMO much wiser than Rey and had much better and more quotable lines. However, my female friend felt that Jyn was a poor character because in no fashion did she feel feminine to her.  If Jyn were male, basically nothing Jyn did would be different.  On the other hand, characters like Ripley, are generally universally received as both admirable and memorable 'kick butt' heroines, because you can't change Ripley's gender without changing the character and the meaning of the story.  This sets two standards, and meeting both is very hard.  Some people demand characters have qualities that make them uniquely gendered or have a uniquely gendered perspective.  Others will feel that if you do this, it's sexist precisely because of that.  While, at the same time, the first group will feel its demeaning or sexist if you don't.Note that these two standards can be seriously at odds even if the author is of the same gender as the critic.  My friend would probably find Isabella Swan a gendered and thus respectful character.  While others would feel that her gender issues are too overt and stereotypical.I try to set the bar much lower in terms of what is 'good enough'.</blockquote>

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