The Other Half

In the midst of writing a scene, it's only inevitable that I create a female character. Meaning, I have to give her words, thoughts, feelings, etc. Of course, I could always make my stories have all male characters. That might be fun for some, but not for all.

So I did create a female character for my little project, and she's awesome. She's also infuriating. She's impulsive. She's moody. She confuses my protagonist. But underneath it all, she has resolve. She's tough. She has to be, given her past. And of course, the protagonist has feelings for her, but they've been building up for years. Yes, writing can be so much fun...

It's been tough writing a woman's part. It's not impossible. It's just tough. But then again, there are thousands of male writers the world over, and they too must write female characters. And there are female writers who must write male roles, and the best writers of each gender give their characters enough depth that you forget who's writing the story to begin with. And these writers have my highest regard.

Because writing the other half is hard.

One more thing. It's fun talking about my characters. It's like they're friends of mine and they shared all the dirt in their lives. All the junk, all the joy. And only I know about it.

Yes, writing can be much fun...