Recently I read a pretty good book. Not getting in to names, it isn’t relevant to my point, but if you must know you can ask me privately. Anywho, the story was pretty hopping, it had some new flashy ideas, but at its heart it was a story about a couple of guy friends. The author was a little free with the adult language, but it worked with the story, so I blushed along with it. The characters weren’t always on the up-and-up, but it was a story about thieves after all, so I went along with that, too.
Do you see a pattern, there? If it fits into the story, the reader will go along. Even if it is not something the reader would normally be into. Think of it as a sort of story-related peer pressure; the story is a group of popular kids, and if they make something look like a lot of fun, the reader will be swept along in the moment.
When I went back and read the reviews, I found that quite a few reviews were critical of the book for not having enough strong female characters. Now, don’t revoke my female membership, here. I am just as much a proponent of moving away from the shrieking, running through the forest in high heels character as the next girl. But I disagreed with the reviews. I didn’t think that the story called for a female, strong or otherwise. The basic story was about two guys being friends and being there for each other, a story of fraternity.
So I thought I would compare it for a moment to another book(s) that is an obvious choice when looking for a dearth of strong female characters, The Lord of the Rings. Nothing against Tolkien, strong female characters were not with the times when he wrote them, and he does have a few sideline characters with both wisdom and breasts. But the basic root of the story, beyond the fellowship and saving the world and all that, it is a story of two men. Would the story have been better if Samwise or Frodo had been female? I really don’t think so. And, if it wouldn’t have improved the story, why do it?
Are we so caught up in political correctness that every story must be populated with at least one of every diverse “type?” Doesn’t that then make us guilty of tokenism? Can’t someone tell a story about guy friends? When Steel Magnolias came out, were there cries about a lack of strong male characters? Go ahead, imagine Bruce Willis storming through the living room window in Steel Magnolias.
My point here is, of course, that you should try to keep your characters as diverse as the world around you, as long as it is supported by your story. Everything should be relevant to your story.
