Are women in danger in today’s fiction? Have you noticed a lot of dead females around? In books and on screen.
I have. So has the Crime Writers’ Association, which is interviewing authors for their views.
This is not new, of course. Hardboiled writers such as Raymond Chandler and Micky Spillane were happy to off the odd blonde or brunette in their novels back in the 30s without a qualm.
But turning on the TV it seems there’s a tsunami of dead women on our screens. Feminist critics and others have been commenting on it for years.
Why are women in danger from writers?
One sample survey of the top 50 crime novels on Amazon found that 75% of the victims were female. By contrast, real life statistics from the UK Ministry of Justice show that in 2022-23 only 29% of homicide victims were female.
The US was more of an equal opportunities venue, with victims of violence showing up as almost balanced – 48% female/51% male/1% uncertain – make of that what you will.
But still way fewer than in books.
So why the imbalance in fictional crime?
I have four theories:
1. Many writers, publishers, directors and producers prefer their women to be passive objects
2. Having a female victim – and young at that – is an easy (I’d say thoughtless) way to engender sympathy
3. It’s sexy
4. It sells
No matter the reason. Automatically choosing a female victim risks lazy writing.
I’d say it risks perpetuating an image of women as lacking agency. Weak.
And contributing to an atmosphere of fear. Where violence against women is seen as the norm.
Yet, crime stories do need victims and just over half of the population is female. And crime against women is real – from domestic abuse to honour crime.
So are we saying victims should only be male?
Real characters or clichés?
Of course not.
But writers need to stop going for the easy option. They must choose carefully what victims they use and how they portray them.
If choosing a female victim, are they just going for the easy option? If not, are they making them into real, credible characters, who take action, have feelings, strengths and flaws?
Or are they going for the cliché?
If you want to see how I approach the victims in my books to avoid the stereotype, I’m sending an exclusive article to my mailing list in two days’ time.
Join my list or email me now to get it.
Maigret had dead men. John Buchanan certainly killed men but, of course, had a gorgeous female spook. But in some cases women are seen as the abused and men as the abusers. It’s topical and very often true. My writing at the moment includes a murdered women who will be avenged. So, perhaps it will work out equal. Slow Horses have their own take on it!
Thanks, John. I like that idea. Keep me posted as to how the avenging works out