So I'm writing a story that takes place in high school. The main character is a girl, she's supposed to represent what I wish I could be. Maybe she's out and proud or comes out to her parents. I just want her to not be cliche or stereotypical and really believable. Should I give her a girlfriend? Should she be bi or a lesbian? Does anyone have any ideas? (!) (I'm becoming super obsessed with this banana)
It's your story, so I guess it's up to you Maybe it could be a story of discovery? She could start out with a boyfriend, believing she was straight, but always feeling something wrong, then maybe she meets a girl who changes all that? To add a bit of drama, you could make it so the girl she falls for is straight, but she eventually finds happiness with someone else, or decides she can be happy by herself for a while. You could make her trans, if you'd like, but you'd have to do some research and ask around the gender and identity forum to get a better idea of how to write a trans character. She could be completely happy with her friendships and relationships, but maybe it's her parents that cause the conflict. There's a lot of ways it could go, but the best way to write a believable gay character into a story is to write them exactly the same way as you would anyone else, and make some reference to the fact they are gay, rather than make a story entirely about them being gay. (unless the plot of the story is about their self discovery etc) Just a few ideas Good luck with your story! (PS: Please don't kill her or her girlfriend off! For some reason, a lot of writers seem to think that all gay love stories must end in tragedy, but that is not true)
It depends what the story is about. Since you say the character represents what you wish you could be, I think as long as you keep it realistic, there's no reason she shouldn't be believable. Whether she has a girlfriend or whether or not she is bi completely depends on the story. One piece of advice though, don't write her with the specific intention of avoiding stereotypes because it's very likely that won't end well. Write her how you imagine her to be, first and foremost. Then afterwards, if you feel like she says or does something cliché you can change it.
You could write a diary of anything that happens to you personally within being possibly LGBT and use that to help create your character. Also, if you have something that is stereotypical/cliche, but still feels true to the character, then perhaps leave it in - people do fit into stereotypes and cliches in real life.
Very true! Also, for the sake of originality I'd try to avoid some of the most common stereotypes, just because a lot of them are turning into tired tropes. But it's really up to you! What I would do, as a writer myself, is to just write your character as you imagine her - because after all, lesbian/bisexual/pansexual girls are just like anybody else - and then, if you want to run a stereotypes check, consider your character if she was heterosexual. If, suddenly, she's not an interesting character anymore and lacks substance, then maybe you could add in some more personality traits. Obviously if your story is about "coming into yourself" then being a lesbian/bisexual/pansexual is going to be a big part of her story, but there should still be more to her identity. I hope that made sense!
