Hold up. I mean, I love action movies just like anyone else, but can't we be a little more creative? Don't the characters deserve more than just cliché personalities? I think we could do better.
First, I'm going to outline ten six types of female characters commonly used in movies and TV shows, and then give you a few parallel examples of what you could do to twist that in writing the female makeup and mindset. (And no, I don't mean the makeup that goes on your face.)
Cliche:
1. The Flawless Babe
Despite the fact that she is living in an apocalypse, complete with a dictatorial government and some kind of widespread epidemic, she somehow manages to never grow armpit or leg hair or have periods. Like ever.
Solution:
Have her be real. She's human; humans have body hair and body odor and a lot of other disgusting things. Make her be weirded out about her hairy man's legs because she hasn't shaved in like, two months. Go ahead and have her go on a rant because her period came at a totally inconvenient time. Just make sure not to have her be too fickle or inconsistent; that's no fun watching or reading.
Cliche:
2. The Healing Female
The magical, soothing woman who can cure any of the male protagonist's ailments by gently putting a wet cloth on his forehead, even if he has a broken leg.
Solution:
Just... no. It's perfectly alright to have your female character be nurturing and caring, but... give it a little more substance. (Helpful hint: the injured guy she's tending to does NOT need to be her love interest. How about if they're just good friends? I know, I can hear your gasps of disbelief.) It would also be cool if she wasn't afraid of inflicting pain in the name of doctoring and keeps a calm, level head in the midst of all the stress. (Or, you can have her stress out just a little. She's human, remember?)
Cliche:
3. The Boss Lady
She's the only female in her FBI or CIA unit, and is consequently the best at everything, squelching her male counterparts in the process. Her closet consists entirely of all-business blazers and high heels sharp enough to stab somebody. (This may or may not reference Peggy Carter, but she obviously doesn't apply to this cliche because she's awesome.)
Solution:
I just feel like this one is really overused, especially by Marvel (although they did a heck of a good job with Peggy). I am certainly not against having a dominant female character, but use in moderation. You can make this cliché really cool if you can rework it into something more believable.
Cliche:
4. The Invincible Maiden
She's in a galactic war, fighting side by side with a bunch of her alien friends while explosions rain around her, and she only manages to get that attractive little cut across her cheek. Meanwhile, her comrades are blown to pieces, but she presses on, completely unhindered and invincible.
Solution:
Obviously, make her get more injuries and let her suffer. (JK, that's not required. But highly encouraged if you want to.) But honestly, there are more cool wounds than just that little cheek slash. Again, she's human. Wouldn't it be super neat if she maybe got a limb blown off and had to get a bionic leg? Now THAT would be cool.
Cliche:
5. The Tireless Dame
Her stamina is unparalleled. She can sprint through steaming jungles and across scorching deserts and never break a sweat. And if she does sweat, heaven forbid her sweat look unattractive and run down her face and arms like it's supposed to.
Solution:
Make her get a stitch in her side while she's running, and kick her while she's down. Anything to break her; if she gets back up, it will show how resilient she is.
Cliche:
6. The Mysterious European Lass
She's the foreign woman, preferably an undercover agent, whose sexy accent can never really be identified. French? Romanian? Russian? No one knows. Also, she can kick butt like nobody's business. Looking at you again, Marvel.
Solution:
Make her American. She could be from the Midwest, or the Southern States, or the West Coast. If you don't like America (we got baseball, eagles, and deep fried freedom, ya'll), she could be from Puerto Rico, Belize, the Dominican Republic. To name a few more, Norwegian, Icelandic, Scottish.
If you wanna really branch out, make her Canadian. I'm positive that she would be the nicest secret agent ever.
Now, there are actually a lot more than what I have listed here, but since it's pretty long, this will be a two-part post. So look for the next part two weeks from now!
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