The women represented in the stories we tell, no matter how small their role, are indispensable and deserve to be well-rounded, wholesome, and genuine. How does the screenwriter approach the feat of creating a three-dimensional character that stays true to form in their story? How can she be transitioned from the background to the fore and remain relatable to audiences outside of her gender, culture, or value structure? It begins with an internal look at the feminine make-up of the writer. 

In her book "The Woman in the Story: Writing Memorable Female Characters," Helen Jacey provides a guide into the psyche of the femme protagonist. She invites writers to pull back the veil and uncover the connection between the women they write about and their approach to writing itself. At the core, the journey to creating a memorable female character rests with the writer's willingness to dig deep into the values that inspire them to create aligning or alternative values for their women to believe in, regardless of their own gender identity.

What I Liked:

This is a book for every kind of writer. Jacey emphasizes that though she's highlighting the process of creating memorable female-identifying characters, there is room for writers outside of that gender to connect with the femme ideologies presented and to implement them in their writing. She makes it clear that a feminine protagonist can still be genuinely female and carry masculine, ambiguous, and even anti-feminist traits. The goal is to go beyond the stereotypes historically highlighted in prior depictions and create unique characters that represent every kind of woman imaginable. Jacey's passion for inclusiveness shines through and makes the subject material feel like an open conversation. 

One aspect of her approach that I loved was her combination of the hero and heroine's journeys. Jacey describes the protagonist of a story embarking on both journeys simultaneously, creating an interwoven tapestry of masculine and feminine struggle throughout the narrative. For the female protagonist, the hero's journey emphasizes the external voyage where the character deals with physical deterrents and obstacles. The heroine's journey focuses on the character's internal struggle over the course of her arc, emphasizing the emotional voyage to enlightenment. 

In my favorite chapter of the book, "Feeling Good and Finding Love: Working with Union," Jacey goes beyond the traditional thought process behind developing relationships in the narrative. She describes the concept of "union" as revolving around being one with oneself, one's family, and one's community. Her seven-layered approach provides a well-rounded guide for character development that establishes the female protagonist's relationship to union from an internal emotional space that grows outward. Her exploration of the connection to the body and sexual gratification as a form of "internal union" was particularly fascinating. Jacey does a great job of demystifying the historically taboo subject while simultaneously asking the writer to be candid about how their connection to these elements can affect the comfort of their character. 

Constructive Criticism:

The number of frameworks presented in the book is a bit overwhelming. Jacey is thorough in her approach, making sure to touch every base of female character creation. This leads to a new foundational model in each chapter and an ever-growing list of new terminology that becomes hard to keep track of as the reader progresses through the book. 

However, Jacey attempts to remedy this by providing a wealth of case studies to solidify the concepts. The final chapter puts every framework from the book into practice in an extensive case study of Katniss Everdeen and her arc in the Hunger Games series. This helps provide the extra reinforcement the reader might have sought out in earlier chapters. Jacey also makes it clear throughout the book that the structure implemented is entirely customizable and that the writer should feel free to use it as a gentle guide, not a steadfast rule.

Famous Last Words: 

The Woman in the Story invites the writer to recognize the female character's distinguishable traits that make her a woman and highlight those aspects to create a unique and realistic protagonist. Jacey opens the door for writers to look internally for connections to the feminine and infuse their women with strong ideologies about what feminism is to them, how their culture affects their identities, and how their emotional journeys shape their external ones. The question for the writer shifts from cover to cover. Rather than asking how to create a memorable female character, ask instead, who the woman is in your story. 

For more from this author: Helen Jacey

For more from this publisher: Michael Wiese Productions

About the Writer

Mercedes K. Milner is a Co-Founder and Administrator of the Write or Die Chicks and the Writers Group Coordinator. She is a staff writer for the WODC Blog, heads the Reading on Writing column, and co-hosts two original WODC podcasts: Script to Screen Podcast and Conversations with The Write or Die Chicks.