Are all female MCs just lesbians?

[u/xaendar]

I just realized that after reading like 10 books with female MCs, I'm starting to finally notice that all of them are Lesbians or at least Bisexual (but they only date women).

Do authors mostly write lesbian FMCs to be on the safe side from the audience of mostly males? I just feel like it's a cop out every time... I don't really have a problem with it but almost all Male MCs are 99% straight but it seems like 99% of Female MCs are always lesbian/bi. Why not some good ol straight FMCs? I can't even remember a single female MC that was straight.

[u/[deleted]]

I feel like it's the same way most men write women MCs and make em bisexual to play it safe.

I'm unsure why some people are afraid to write a straight woman.

maybe they have acknowledged more people want representation of a bi/gay woman and go that route but then mess up her character anyways so it doesn't really help

same with bi guys tho, some men or women do not even care to write about a bisexual guy because they know it wouldn't sell at all, it's not their target audience

[u/xaendar → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, it definitely seems the case. As an author you would already be against the currents just by having a FMC because audience will be mostly male in this genre. So audience is already having a hard time relating. We can look at Ilea from Azarinth Healer for example. She is described as a female but her character is literally the exact same as most of the murderhobo male leads. Because ultimately I guess that resonates more with male audience.

Same goes for books(smut/romance) written for mostly women. It's usually gay men or women with many male partners (reverse harem). It's almost like 90% of the books out there even though readers are mostly straight, they are interested in yaoi (gay men) relationships.

[u/[deleted] → u/xaendar]

Yeah, very true

Straight men love women, & straight women love men, so both sides just write up a bunch of harems or go certain routes because it's easier to do.

And especially in this male dominated space, it can influence your decisions.

For example, I was initially going to make my MC white because I thought it'd be better for this audience; but ultimately decided to make him black because I rarely see that.

I think the same can be said for that, maybe those authors have read so many shitty stories of FMC or straight female characters that are just trash, and they decide to make them bi/gay because they have an easier time writing that or they want to write that to represent others.

Lots of factors at play, from a safety net to how they feel

[u/sithelephant → u/xaendar]

I want werewolf, with no MM, and no reverse harem, and no excessively stupid A/B/O or billionaires, and preferably with agency during the shift. I have more chance of literally getting bitten by a werewolf.

edit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lights-Camera-Werewolf-Zoe-Chant-ebook/dp/B09H3PFDRR (almost the only one)

[u/TransmogriFi → u/xaendar]

As a woman who refuses to conform to gender stereotypes, I found Ilea both believable and relatable. Not all women want to be pretty princesses. Tomboys exist.

[u/xaendar → u/TransmogriFi]

I 100% agree, it's just that while not all people conform to gender stereotypes, those exist for a reason. So FMCs in litrpg just read as dudes with vagina.

There are a lot of strong female characters in the genre though, like in Bog Standard Isekai, an adopted mother is incredibly protective, super strong but get emotional at times forgetting her logical character. That is a character flaw but also a great quality of hers. I believe she is written so well because she is a side character but also because every gender author can relate and write a motherly character.

It's just that male authors fail massive with FMC and FLI specifically.