I read somewhere recently that there are not enough books that portray female characters realistically, books are not doing them justice. This might be down to a lack of female writers being published, and sadly it may be a while until this position changes. So if this is the case, it means that the novels being written today are mainly by men. So if you are a male writer, how can you give your female characters a fairer portrayal?
 
I am not professing to be an expert on this subject. I am just interested in seeing the depiction of female protagonists by male authors improve to show women as deep and complex as they are in real life. I have spoken to many male writers who really struggle in this area so what follows are some of my thoughts in a bid to improve the current situation. 

Women can be eccentric, dynamic, and bright; they can be presumptuous, self-important, subdued and careless. They are not any more tearful than men, nor do they all express feelings any more frequently. Beauty queens are sometimes without a date and merciless women entrepreneurs can sometimes yearn for family life. There is no ordinary, no run of the mill, no standard profile for being a woman.

However, men seem to group women into categories and neat little boxes.The ideal mother, pestering spouse, saucy enchantress, or broody old maid. They begin with the plot first and then proceed to pick the best characteristics and attributes to fit that story. Women are never one-dimensional in real life. They can be strong-willed and successful, but that doesn’t infer they do not also possess the qualities of loyalty, morality and perseverance. Do not forget that every person has their weaknesses, no matter how strong they are on the surface. If you dig a little deeper into your character's background, you will find a softness there. On the flip side, a meek and mild stay at home mother can sometimes have a rant and have an explosive row with another character if her buttons are pushed.

Women are being constantly judged in every area of their life. Many women can rise above the criticism and some will struggle internally and cry alone later that day. Once you have created a realistic female character, you will know how she will react to any given situation. Women can also enjoy the same things as men, but that does not make her a tomboy and shouldn’t be her only defining trait. It could just mean she loves the outdoors or she is a risk taker or she lives life fully. Think outside the box before you throw her into denim dungarees and stick a baseball cap on her head. They can enjoy a sport and still be quite feminine too. Women can be action heroes, but still be ladylike.

A good tip for male writers is to read what female authors are talking about on forums when the subject of  writing female characters is mentioned.