Great rubric. "Autonomous" is so important. I cannot stand it when female characters stand around with worried looks on their faces asking the male characters, "What do we do now?" Women are fully capable of making choices. Maybe the character will make a good choice. Maybe she will make a bad one. But let her decide things for herself, not just wait to be told what to do by a man.
This was an excellent story! It clearly passed 6 of 7 criteria - Julie was a forceful, autonomous, integrated, yielding character who was clearly located in her own reality as well as beyond her gendered function (mom/daughter). The one that it was potentially slightly wobbly on was nuance - but that could be a function of it being a short story. Really nice to read this + can't wait to read more of your work Wendy!
Thank you very much! I write all kinds of stuff from horror to sci-fi and fantasy and comedy. I always try to make my characters feel like real people—someone you might know in real life.
This is very well-thought out, and I hope people will refer to this as they work on their stories. Creating stories whose characters feel full and uniquely their own, and not existing simply to please male characters, readers, and writers are so important.
This is an interesting rubric. I like that it expands on the premise of the Bechdel-Wallace test to more specifically focus on the agency (not just the existence) of female characters in stories.
I know that your preference is for shorts, so no worries if this doesn't fit. But I wrote Signe, the woman who tells this story, as a full person, and she is one of my favorite characters I've ever written.
Thank you so much for sharing. Yes, I'm looking for stories for this particular edition of the awards, but I hope to cover novels as well over time. That said - the rubric is yours to use as you see fit! Please consider writing us a note/post talking about how Signe knocks the FINALLY rubric out of the park, and I'll ensure to amplify it
I really enjoyed this article. I think this is a great way to keep focused on developing strong female characters. I write historical western romance, and I try to bring out the strength of these women dealing with nineteenth-century beliefs and social customs. I did not have these specific words in mind when I developed the female main character of my new release, but they perfectly describe how I developed her. Nice to see someone put it in a framework.
Thank you! Would you like to test 1-2 of your stories against it? I am testing mine and the findings are surprising, most pass 5-6 of the criteria but many don't get all 7! It's been a humbling learning experience and I am a better writer as a result of the tests
This really resonates -- it’s pretty much how I instinctively think about female characters when I’m writing, but I love seeing it laid out so clearly like this. I write the kind of characters that I needed and yearn for! “Forceful” and “located beyond her gendered function” especially hit for me. Feels like such a useful tool for writers, and I’m really excited to see how this evolves.
Are you wanting people to drop links to short stories or are serials ok too?
Short stories if possible! Eager to read them/. I'm also going to assess my own work against this criteria soon, and honestly am a little nervous to see what it'll yield ;)
Here is a story staring Agnes Blythe-Harrow. She’s an interesting old girl. She stepped forward in response to a writing prompt by @Kelly Xan and she has never left!
OK I'm in love with this character. Where has she been my whole life. The use of the cane, the subversion of power dynamics... I love it so much!! Looking at it against the FINALLY rubric it sails through forceful, integrated, nuanced, located in her reality, and located outside gendered function. Jury's still out on yielding until I read more in the series (or maybe I'm looking for excuses to keep reading the series...)
Awww, thank you! Agnes is one of those magic characters who turned up, fully formed, cane in hand and just took over my life! I am looking forward to seeing how she does battle… which we will find out in the next story…
This is a great tool. Thanks. My current WIPs are very masculine, but I have a few female characters and I always worry I'm not getting them right--especially now that I no longer have a female-led critique group. Everything on your list is just good for any character, but prejudice seeps in if you're not attentive so this checklist is going into my character templates.
Here's the one I enjoy writing the most, Magaritte. This is an opening chapter, but a solid little arc for her and her friend. I believe this passes the Bechdel test at least; and if not in this sketch, I think she'll definitely be 7/7 for you when her story is complete.
Don't be afraid to give female characters opinions, both of other characters and the world around them. That's what makes classics like Jane Eyre stand out. Jane has her opinions and she voices them, which would have been out of place for her station in life both as a woman and as a governess.
Great rubric. "Autonomous" is so important. I cannot stand it when female characters stand around with worried looks on their faces asking the male characters, "What do we do now?" Women are fully capable of making choices. Maybe the character will make a good choice. Maybe she will make a bad one. But let her decide things for herself, not just wait to be told what to do by a man.
This is a great rubric. I mostly write about women. In this story, Julie's childish moment gets her into a lot of trouble. https://wendycockcroft.substack.com/p/a-walk-in-the-park
Sometimes we're silly. Or curious, or fearful. Or all of them.
This was an excellent story! It clearly passed 6 of 7 criteria - Julie was a forceful, autonomous, integrated, yielding character who was clearly located in her own reality as well as beyond her gendered function (mom/daughter). The one that it was potentially slightly wobbly on was nuance - but that could be a function of it being a short story. Really nice to read this + can't wait to read more of your work Wendy!
Thank you very much! I write all kinds of stuff from horror to sci-fi and fantasy and comedy. I always try to make my characters feel like real people—someone you might know in real life.
This is very well-thought out, and I hope people will refer to this as they work on their stories. Creating stories whose characters feel full and uniquely their own, and not existing simply to please male characters, readers, and writers are so important.
This is an interesting rubric. I like that it expands on the premise of the Bechdel-Wallace test to more specifically focus on the agency (not just the existence) of female characters in stories.
Exactly. Representation matters, but too often stories stop there. I want to see female characters do more than exist.
I humbly submit for consideration my novel.
https://bardswordpress.com/product/oathbound-an-age-of-shadows-story-2nd-edition/
I know that your preference is for shorts, so no worries if this doesn't fit. But I wrote Signe, the woman who tells this story, as a full person, and she is one of my favorite characters I've ever written.
Thank you so much for sharing. Yes, I'm looking for stories for this particular edition of the awards, but I hope to cover novels as well over time. That said - the rubric is yours to use as you see fit! Please consider writing us a note/post talking about how Signe knocks the FINALLY rubric out of the park, and I'll ensure to amplify it
I really enjoyed this article. I think this is a great way to keep focused on developing strong female characters. I write historical western romance, and I try to bring out the strength of these women dealing with nineteenth-century beliefs and social customs. I did not have these specific words in mind when I developed the female main character of my new release, but they perfectly describe how I developed her. Nice to see someone put it in a framework.
Thank you! Would you like to test 1-2 of your stories against it? I am testing mine and the findings are surprising, most pass 5-6 of the criteria but many don't get all 7! It's been a humbling learning experience and I am a better writer as a result of the tests
This really resonates -- it’s pretty much how I instinctively think about female characters when I’m writing, but I love seeing it laid out so clearly like this. I write the kind of characters that I needed and yearn for! “Forceful” and “located beyond her gendered function” especially hit for me. Feels like such a useful tool for writers, and I’m really excited to see how this evolves.
Are you wanting people to drop links to short stories or are serials ok too?
Short stories if possible! Eager to read them/. I'm also going to assess my own work against this criteria soon, and honestly am a little nervous to see what it'll yield ;)
Here is a story staring Agnes Blythe-Harrow. She’s an interesting old girl. She stepped forward in response to a writing prompt by @Kelly Xan and she has never left!
https://sassandsage.substack.com/p/the-red-iris-key
OK I'm in love with this character. Where has she been my whole life. The use of the cane, the subversion of power dynamics... I love it so much!! Looking at it against the FINALLY rubric it sails through forceful, integrated, nuanced, located in her reality, and located outside gendered function. Jury's still out on yielding until I read more in the series (or maybe I'm looking for excuses to keep reading the series...)
Awww, thank you! Agnes is one of those magic characters who turned up, fully formed, cane in hand and just took over my life! I am looking forward to seeing how she does battle… which we will find out in the next story…
I like the idea of Agnes being the one character who subverts the Yielding criteria already. I can hear her snort dismissively already.
I love this take -- and I suspect Agnes would absolutely reject the idea of “yielding” on principle 😄
Oh, Agnes is the best!!!!!
She would agree with you! 😂
This is a great tool. Thanks. My current WIPs are very masculine, but I have a few female characters and I always worry I'm not getting them right--especially now that I no longer have a female-led critique group. Everything on your list is just good for any character, but prejudice seeps in if you're not attentive so this checklist is going into my character templates.
Here's the one I enjoy writing the most, Magaritte. This is an opening chapter, but a solid little arc for her and her friend. I believe this passes the Bechdel test at least; and if not in this sketch, I think she'll definitely be 7/7 for you when her story is complete.
https://bdallen.substack.com/p/sketch-magaritte
Don't be afraid to give female characters opinions, both of other characters and the world around them. That's what makes classics like Jane Eyre stand out. Jane has her opinions and she voices them, which would have been out of place for her station in life both as a woman and as a governess.