Let's be real. A lot of authors (especially men like me) tend to fall short when writing female characters, let alone protagonists. There are all kinds of stereotypes, cliches, and blindspots that we're told to avoid. But at a certain point, it can all start to feel like we're fulfilling a checklist. When really, our goal should be to write complex characters that resonate with readers across the gender spectrum.

So today on a special extended episode of Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, I don't just give my own advice on writing female protagonists. I bring in some other perspectives too, including an extra prompt and of course some notes from one of our very own producers.

Email your show feedback and/or advice prompts to fantasywritingforbarbarians@gmail.com or join our Discord. You can find the first discussion prompt we referenced on the show right here, as well as the second prompt here.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.