#morally gray females

[lovely-cherubs]

You wanna know what’s more refreshing than a strong, well written, female character? A strong, well written, MORALLY GRAY female character!

I want, no, NEED more morally gray female characters.

[lovely-cherubs]

And God forbid the character is a girl/woman. It's okay for men to be unlikeable, but when it comes to women, it's not okay all of a sudden. Glad that a lot more morally gray women are becoming more popular now.

i do hate that the frequency of boring relatable protagonists has caused many readers to become affronted when met with a protagonist with like different values and interesting flaws. like ok be mad at that literary device like it's a real person. i am eating them though

[clown-eating-pig]

I really love gertrude robinson bc how often do you get an older woman character who just really sucks? She sacrifices ppl that trust her. She is so focused on keeping the world from ending that she completely doesn’t notice one of her assistants routinely torturing the others. She dismembered a guy. She does her job badly on purpose. She’s cunning and sneaky. She dares her murderous, immortality seeking boss to kill her. She gets murdered by her murderous, immortality seeking boss. She’s not particularly friendly. She somehow had access to plastic explosives. She’s a manipulator and a liar. She’s bound to the avatar of destruction. She helped a guy get rid of a pig by telling him to put it in conk crete. She is like the opposite of a sweet little grandma and that’s beautiful.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Crafting Compelling Morally Gray Characters: A Guide for Fiction Writers

In literature, there is often a clear distinction between good and evil. Heroes are portrayed as virtuous and villains as wicked. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity of morally gray characters - those who do not fit neatly into the categories of good or evil. These characters are complex, flawed, and often make decisions that challenge the reader's moral compass. In this guide, I'll help you explore the art of crafting compelling morally gray characters and how to make them stand out in your fiction writing.

What Are Morally Gray Characters?

Morally gray characters, also known as morally ambiguous characters, are those who do not conform to traditional notions of good or evil. They may have both positive and negative traits, and their actions may be motivated by a mix of good and bad intentions. These characters often blur the lines between right and wrong, making them more relatable and intriguing to readers.

Examples of Morally Gray Characters

Some well-known examples of morally gray characters include:

Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series: Initially portrayed as a villain, Snape's true motivations and actions are revealed to be more complex and morally ambiguous.

Jaime Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series: Known for his arrogance and incestuous relationship with his sister, Jaime's character evolves throughout the series, showcasing his internal struggle between his duty and his personal desires.

Walter White from Breaking Bad: A high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine producer, Walter's character is constantly torn between his desire for power and his moral compass.

Why Are Morally Gray Characters Compelling?

Morally gray characters are compelling because they challenge the reader's perceptions of right and wrong. They are not easily categorized as heroes or villains, making them more relatable and human. These characters also add depth and complexity to a story, making it more interesting and thought-provoking.

The Power of Relatability

One of the main reasons morally gray characters are so compelling is because they are relatable. They are not perfect, and they make mistakes, just like real people. This makes them more human and allows readers to connect with them on a deeper level. When readers can see themselves in a character, it creates a stronger emotional connection to the story.

The Element of Surprise

Morally gray characters also add an element of surprise to a story. Their actions and decisions may not always align with what the reader expects, keeping them on the edge of their seat. This unpredictability makes the story more engaging and can lead to unexpected plot twists.

The Exploration of Morality

Morally gray characters also allow for a deeper exploration of morality in a story. By challenging traditional notions of good and evil, these characters force readers to question their own moral compass and consider the gray areas of morality. This can lead to thought-provoking discussions and a deeper understanding of complex moral issues.

How to Craft Morally Gray Characters

Crafting morally gray characters requires a delicate balance of positive and negative traits, as well as a deep understanding of their motivations and internal struggles. Here are some tips for creating compelling morally gray characters in your writing.

Give Them a Strong Motivation

Every character, regardless of their moral alignment, should have a strong motivation for their actions. For morally gray characters, this motivation should be complex and not easily defined as purely good or evil. It could be a desire for power, revenge, or even a sense of duty. This motivation will drive their decisions and actions throughout the story.

Show Their Flaws and Vulnerabilities

Morally gray characters are not perfect, and they should not be portrayed as such. They should have flaws and vulnerabilities that make them more relatable and human. These flaws could be physical, emotional, or moral, and they should play a role in the character's development and decisions.

Create Internal Conflict

One of the defining characteristics of morally gray characters is their internal conflict. They are torn between their good and bad tendencies, and this struggle should be evident in their thoughts and actions. This internal conflict adds depth to the character and makes them more relatable to readers.

Avoid Stereotypes

When crafting morally gray characters, it's important to avoid falling into stereotypes. These characters should not be one-dimensional or defined solely by their moral ambiguity. They should have unique personalities, backgrounds, and motivations that make them stand out as individuals.

Show Their Growth and Development

As with any well-written character, morally gray characters should experience growth and development throughout the story. They should learn from their mistakes and make decisions that challenge their moral compass. This growth and development will make them more dynamic and interesting to readers.

How to Make Morally Gray Characters Stand Out

With the rise in popularity of morally gray characters, it's important to make yours stand out in a sea of similar characters. Here are some tips for making your morally gray characters unique and memorable.

Give Them a Distinctive Voice

A character's voice is an essential part of their identity. It should be unique and reflective of their personality and motivations. For morally gray characters, their voice should reflect their internal conflict and the complexity of their moral alignment.

Create a Strong Backstory

A character's backstory can provide valuable insight into their motivations and actions. For morally gray characters, a strong backstory can help explain their moral ambiguity and add depth to their character. It can also create empathy and understanding for their decisions.

Use Foils to Highlight Their Morality

Foils are characters who contrast with the main character, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. For morally gray characters, foils can be used to showcase their moral ambiguity and challenge their beliefs. This can add depth to the character and create interesting dynamics between them and other characters.

Morally gray characters add depth, complexity, and relatability to a story. By challenging traditional notions of good and evil, these characters force readers to question their own moral compass and consider the gray areas of morality.

[thousandyearphantombunker]

"We want more morally grey/flawed female characters"

You bitches can't handle APPLE WHITE!

like people keep saying "you couldn't even handle rose quartz" but this is even more pathetic to me. How can y'all make this kid into a monster?

[wannabeprincess-8]

annabel: I hate myself and I will be as cruel as I see necessary and sacrifice anyone to be with lenore, i am extremely self destructive and couldn't care less if I died as long as I can be with lenore

people: girlboss!

annabel: *is self destructive and cruel*

fandom: you bitch!

[madsgotmadagain]

"We need more complex female characters!!"

Bro you couldn't even handle them sit down

[milliesnotes]

Why do people keep saying Emily “got ruined”

Y’all she was never nice, are we forgetting she was helping YUL manipulate Grett at the beginning of the season 😐

[l-michalska-writer]

Worried prompts:

Are you alright?

What happened?

What’s wrong?

Who did this to you?!

I was so afraid you’ll never wake up…

I would make them bring you back to life if I had to.

When did you know you were sick?

What do you mean you’re not gonna make it?!

Don’t you ever again take a bullet for me, understand?

Do you need me here?

Watch out there for them, you understand?

Did you take your medicine?

You have to lay down at least for a one week.

Where is it hurting?

Can you feel something beside the pain?

Please, open your eyes.

If you got yourself killed, I would bring you back just to kill you again for your stupidity.

Did he hurt you?

Don’t you ever forget I love you.

I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you.

What is it, honey?

Don’t ever throw yourself at the knife like that again, do you understand?

[bitchdafuqyousay]

i cannot stand you hoes

you fuckers will really just find any reason n excuse at all to hate on female characters, huh. like damned if she does damned if she doesn’t. they cannot win with you bitches smh

she’s upfront n emotional? ugh she’s so annoying she’s always in hysterics she needs to calm down. she’s levelheaded n even faced? god that woman is such a cold hearted bitch she doesn’t care about anyone she’s practically a villain! she’s got a temper? she’s always angry she’s so mean. she’s jovial all the time? she’s so annoying whys she always so happy it’s not realistic!! she’s super smart? she’s such a know it all she thinks she’s so clever n better than everyone else. she’s not a super genius? oh lord she’s sooo stupid what a ditz. she’s open n trusting? how can she be so naive n forwards she’s such an idiot! she’s reserved n keeps things to her chest? she’s so dishonest n a total snake i bet she’s secretly a villain!!

she’s super strong? she’s way too op it’s all just plot armor n makes no sense she needs to be knocked down a peg! she’s not as strong as the other (male) characters? god she’s useless she’s a total drag an absolute burden on the other characters!! she’s conventionally attractive n sexy? the over-sexualization is terrible she’s just pointless eye candy it’s annoying. she doesn’t meet conventional beauty standards? that bitch is so ugly haha look at the size of her forehead n her flat chest!

let’s not even get fucking started on the way y’all scream “villain” at any female character who isn’t a saintess of pure n unrestrained morality, but then throw a bitch fit about “mary sues” when another one is. female characters cannot do anything right in y’all’s eyes n you’ll take any chance to hop on them n drag em through the dirt by their necks. you hate a woman for the same qualities that make you love a man it’s pathetic.

[alextlopez]

Imagine being able to introduce yourself with a pinterest board, like a character board. Cute and easier.

[lovely-cherubs]

Kurapika's Thoughts About Haruka:

"Haruka is a complex and multidimensional individual like all humans, but even then, anything she does sends chills down my spine. She appears to be calm, collected, and sweet to those she despises, but I know that deep down she wants nothing more than to shoot a bullet into their heads, and inject them with poison till they're rotting inside out. Her vindictiveness, and her ability to hide it extremely well, is what makes her the worst person to get on your bad side."

"Another thing about Haruka that I personally don't like and disturbs me is how she so listlessly is able to harm others and lie.

Why isn't she utterly disgusted like I am when I have to kill or hurt someone? She laughed at me when I asked this and said that I should've picked a different agency to work in if I was that icky about having to kill. I didn't know whether I was shocked or disturbed with her response. I was about to argue until she added on saying:

"You can't work in or for the Mafia and not kill anyone, Kurapika. It just doesn't work that way. If you knew anything about the mafia, then you'd know that u were bound to catch a body at some point. Working here requires mental and even emotional desensitization, something that I've developed due to being repeatedly backstabbed and betrayed by multiple people in my life—most of those people being intimate partners and even now former friends."

I didn't say anything after that because I knew that she was right. But still, they way she said it sounds like she's done this before. It makes me think of the spiders."

[almadash]

Everybody makes mistakes✨

Characters are Rilda (the morally gray calico) and Crystalline (the always supportive but tired griffon).

Been experimenting with some vertical comic strips, aka the webtoon style. I would really like to start a comic there someday, but so far it’s still a dream. Expect some more short comics like this, though!

[surplus-of-sarcasm]

Numéro 23, Part 2

Part 1

Well, based on this, here's a (I'm so damn sorry you have every right to sue me) a very late part 2 to this snippet.

TW: Mentioned bone fracture, mentioned murder, restraints, alcohol drinking

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," a smooth voice called out from the corridor, the sound of footsteps gradually becoming louder as the villain walked into the room.

Their eyes darted over to Hero, their gaze almost patronisingly disapproving as Hero struggled to break out of their handcuffs, with their fractured leg allowing for very limited movement.

The hero resisted the urge to roll their eyes and stopped what they were doing, trying to sit up, glaring at the villain as though they could incinerate them with simply their eyes.

The criminal simply ignored any attempts at threatening displays from their nemesis, settling down on an armchair in front of their bed. They were dressed in a dark teal sweater and a pair of loose-fitting jeans, an outfit that the hero had seen them wear countless times before in college, but this time its casualness was so awfully jarring, simply because it was just so damn difficult to imagine that they were the murderous assassin they were hunting down.

It didn't matter. Didn't matter how much the crime-fighter despised it, the kill count was there on that file they'd seen yesterday. The three oppressive digits staring at them with as much certainty as the deaths their vis-a-vis had caused.

"How are you feeling right now?" the villain asked in the same velvety tone, snapping them out of their reverie.

"What do you want?" the hero huffed out, raising a skeptical eyebrow and clenching their jaw.

"You didn't answer my question." It was a warning, not a statement, and the hero noticed the way the villain's shoulders tensed subtly, except they payed it no heed.

"Let me rephrase that. Why didn't you kill me?" The hero made absolutely no effort to sugarcoat the venom in their tone. If they didn't kill them when they should have, then they wouldn't just throw that away now.

A ghost of a smile graced the villain's lips, fading away just as quickly as it came to be. They let out a sigh of defeat, turning the full weight of their steely gaze on the hero. "Because you don't deserve to die," they answered simply, the edge of finality to their tone highlighted by them clasping their hands together.

The hero let out a disbelieving snort. "Oh, so your three-digit kill count is a testament to how you should be made the absolute authority on who gets to live and who doesn't."

"Not exactly, Hero. But have you bothered to look at my targets before throwing those accusations my way?" they challenged, raising an eyebrow, "or do you just follow the agency like a blind-folded bull through everything?"

"I know the agency's full of crap. I wasn't born yesterday. Still, I have a hard time believing you killed those people simply out of the goodness of your own heart."

The way the crime-fighter took in the room in which they were placed wasn't lost on the villain; they knew the hero could tell they were somewhat well-off. "So my job pays well. Is it a sin to reap what I sow?" The villain was growing visibly impatient, their jaw clenched, their lips pressed together in a thin, hard line.

"Let's cut the crap, shall we?" the hero bit out tersely, flashing the villain a fake grin.

"I'd like nothing more," they answered back, their voice just like steel, silk-smooth and yet terribly cold. And yet they had the audacity to have a genuinely hurt look in their eyes, as if the hero was the one to betray them.

"You didn't kill me."

"I saved your life," they corrected, getting up to go into the kitchen and coming back with what was probably a ridiculously expensive bottle of alcohol and pouring themselves some in a glass as they sat down again.

"Which means I owe you for this. But it doesn't mean I suddenly believe you're a saint."

The villain didn't say anything, simply responding by pouring themselves more wine and giving the hero a pointed look. It didn't take that long though for their gaze to soften as they set their now empty glass down on a small table and walked over to stand at the foot of the hero's bed. They frowned at their enemy's wary gaze, at the visible tension in their shoulders, at every sign of mistrust the hero's body failed to hide.

"I'm not the kind of person you think I am," they attested their voice barely above a whisper as they crossed the distance between them, pressing down onto the mattress with both of their hands and looking straight into the hero's eyes.

"Who I thought you were. You've made that perfectly clear," Hero replied, their harsh words rendered almost ineffective due to their shaky voice.

"Our time in college together, these moments, they weren't fake. We don't have to give them up," they attested gently, their hands mere inches from the hero's own, slender fingers skirting over the handcuffs. "I saved you because I care about you."

They half-expected a snide remark, but the hero let out a measured breath and something in their gaze changed, almost imperceptible, but the villain noticed everything. "Whatever was between us. . .was that friendship-"

"Or love? I know there was friendship, I know there could be love, but this is a two-way street. I won't force your hand. Not on this," they stage-whispered, close enough till they were practically breathing each other's air.

"I know. Those three digits on that file make it almost unthinkable to trust me. But that's all you know. All you've been told. Aren't you the one who said to me that you'd never build an idea on someone based on a single fact? That you need the full picture?" they urged, their eyes widening not looking at anywhere besides straight into the hero's chestnut brown gaze.

Straight into the line of fire.

Hero wished, more than anything, with the same desperation as a sinner's prayer for atonement, that the villain couldn't take note of their chest rising and falling rapidly with their erratic breaths, of how their blood roared in their ears, of how badly they wished to tear their gaze away from their enemy's face.

"Let's look at the situation at hand here," the hero replied, and they caught the villain's soft, quiet laugh at the statement; at the familiarity established by the number of times the hero had used it. They still didn't comment. "I'm injured and at your mercy, so there's not much of a choice here."

At that, the villain let out an inelegant snort. It wasn't the first time they'd heard it, but it wasn't the first time it had seemed disconcerting to them, never matched the villain or their graceful nature. "Don't downplay your abilities, darling. You'll figure something out if you need to."

An involuntary shiver snaked down the crime-fighter's spine, leaving a strange tingling in their nerves that almost seemed to find its way through the muscles of their shoulders and most of their back at how perfect the pet name sounded in the criminal's voice, even if there was a chance it was sardonic. "With a broken leg?"

"A small obstacle." The villain's smile was subtle, but it could've blinded the hero, dagger-sharp and yet strangely gentle at the edges, their eyes crinkling at the corners.

It wasn't the first time they'd seen the villain genuinely smile, but this kind of smile, almost feline in nature, was a new experience. But again, it wasn't like ruminating on their enemy's various and ever-changing facial expressions was a new interest of theirs.

"But I actually want to earn your trust," they countered, something in their demeanour sobering up as the playful, razor-edged glint in their eyes softened into something warmer. They unlocked the handcuffs with a key in their pocket, inching closer again to them to place a gentle kiss that seemed to last longer than it really did to their forehead, alcohol and honey mixing together with the fresh scent of the villain's conditioner and wafting into the hero's nose without the courtesy of a warning. They spent a good few moments rubbing some feeling into the hero's wrists with their fingers, the warmth and the gentle touch melting the discomfort away quicker than they'd thought. It felt as though they were apologising for causing the pain in the first place.

"I'll make us breakfast," they said, pulling away from the hero and smiling, a much more tender expression than the Cheshire cat grin they were previously wearing.

The hero simply nodded their agreement, hoping their face hadn't betrayed the sudden disappointment that ran through them like poison at the cold left behind on their skin, on their forehead and their wrists, at how the villain's scent still lingered in the air around them even as they walked out.

They hated how they even managed to feel any kind of dismay, how for a moment, they'd let themselves get lost in the soothing touch and all its comfort, as though villain's kill count and the ruthlessness with which they fought had sobered them up forcefully, like a heavy vase had shattered abruptly, destroying a pin-drop silence. But right now, they just had to follow through with this and keep a clear head so that their conflicting emotions didn't destroy everything for them.

Life is a game of both chance and skill, all of the factors affecting its course on a dice of infinite sides. The mind wishes to believe it can override the heart and never fail, but moving mountains is easier when the heart remains living, breathing flesh and not stone-hard and burnt blackened. We are not as powerless as we like to believe; a lie despair of our own fashioning tries to sell us. Because wisdom was never having all the answers, but having the courage to find them.

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Wanna be on the taglist? This'll take you there!

[mademoiselle-crabaletta]

When the study came out that said 60% of americans read at or below a 6th grade level I was like "no frickin way"

But after reading reviews on goodreads.............I can see it 😭

[nellasbookplanet]

*grabs fandom by the shoulders* please tell me you understand that the dichotomy of the 'fan favorite man who’s done nothing wrong ever how dare you imply otherwise he's just a TRAUMATIZED BABY' vs 'woman who’s a selfish bitch who should just die for not always prioritizing the male favorite and for getting in the way of my m/m ship' is bad on both sides.

please tell me you understand these kinds of readings remove complexity and agency from both the male and female characters as well as the narrative as a whole. please tell me you don’t just want to flip the dynamic. please tell me you didn’t think it was originally bad only because it was the male character who should be demonized and the female character excused. please I am begging you to develop media literacy and to step away from radfem rethoric