Group Interview 3: Strong Female Leads in Genre Fiction

Those who subscribe to my newsletter, Bookish Banter, will be familiar with my fellow authors, Lisa Darcy and Sarah Bourne. We write fiction in different genres – contemporary women’s, historical and crime – yet while our books vary in tone and topic, they share a common thread: we all present strong female protagonists. Today, we discuss what we mean by a strong lead character, how our genres overlap and differ, and why female representation in fiction matters.

What do you think makes a strong female protagonist? How have you created one in your novels?

Lisa:

A strong female protagonist in my fiction is usually “strong” not because she is flawless or invulnerable, but because she keeps choosing growth, self-respect and connection even when life is messy.

In All The Little Things, Friday Jones shows strength through emotional resilience. After nearly twenty years of marriage, she has to rebuild her life while raising two teenage daughters and coping with the collapse of the future she expected. Her decision to enter the dating world, confront loneliness, and pay attention to the “little things” she once dismissed shows a protagonist who is vulnerable but still active in shaping her next chapter.

In Christmas Actually, Kate Cavendish is strong because she is flawed, anxious and overwhelmed, yet still tries to reclaim her identity. She is juggling motherhood, family pressure, doubts about her marriage, and the fear that her photography career has passed her by. Taking on a new photography opportunity, despite self-doubt and the chaos of Christmas, gives her agency: she is not simply a wife and mother reacting to everyone else’s needs, but a woman trying to recover confidence and creative purpose.

In Lily’s Little Flower Shop, Lily’s strength comes from choosing reinvention over safety. After missing out on a promotion and facing the possibility of following her boyfriend overseas, she decides instead to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a florist. Moving to the coast, dealing with financial worries, trying to fit into a tight-knit community, and learning from past mistakes all show that her growth depends on courage, independence and self-knowledge rather than simply finding romance.

Sarah:

In The Paris Resistance, Miriam is a young woman with deeply held values that guide her actions, even when faced with great adversity. For me, this is the key to creating strong female leads.

A Jew in France in WW2, her life is in danger, yet we see from the start a desire to act. When her family is taken by the Nazis, she joins the resistance to fight against the brutal regime. Although she has little preparation for her new role, she develops skills and finds resources she didn’t know she had in order to stay one step ahead of those who would do her harm.

Her fight is fuelled as much by grief as it is by anger. She experiences terror, rage, despair but also satisfaction and love. When faced with moral dilemmas, she acts, and even when she regrets a decision, she keeps moving forward because to stand still and do nothing is not an option.

Ultimately, she understands that she doesn’t have to be defined by what was done to her, but rather, the choices she makes.

Andrea:

A character’s strength can be shown in many ways. Being afraid but pressing ahead anyway. Persisting against the odds. Sticking to beliefs despite pressure to give in. The story might begin with the character lacking the very quality they need to achieve their goals, and their personal growth drives the narrative.

Jade Riley, the main character in my mystery series, is an ambitious young journalist always chasing the next headline. Many of her decisions are driven by the pursuit of this goal, sometimes to her detriment. Even her love life is impacted, and she faces a choice between career and love. She must also find the strength to acknowledge her mistakes and take steps to remedy the situation.

Jade navigates the challenges of expat life throughout the series, surviving loneliness and isolation in Houston, and facing many cultural adjustments in Lagos and the Middle East. Even repatriation poses issues when her overseas experience is disregarded and she must fit back into her ‘normal life’ back in Australia. She tackles these issues with gusto.

But perhaps her greatest risk is the emotional risk of facing the demons from her past in trying to understand her best friend’s suicide. Huge strength is needed to battle the threats from within.

Overview:

There is no single way for a woman to be a strong protagonist, but they have a number of traits in common:

• They exhibit emotional complexity and nuance which makes them realistic and relatable. They can be vulnerable but still accomplish their goals.
• When they get things wrong, they prove capable of change, often showing emotional resilience in the face of adversity or moral ambiguity, driven by personal goals, beliefs and desires.
• They are intelligent and resourceful, allowing them to be (or become) independent with agency in their own lives. They rise to challenges and join the quest, whatever that might be.
• They exhibit leadership qualities.

Why do you believe the nature of female representation in fiction is important?

Lisa:

Because it influences how women’s experiences are valued and understood. When female protagonists are written as complex and emotionally honest, they move beyond stereotypes and reflect the realities of women’s lives.

Strong female representation also matters because it gives readers possibilities. A character like Friday, Kate or Lily can make readers feel seen but also encourage them to imagine change in their own lives. Fiction can normalise women setting boundaries, pursuing work they care about, recovering after disappointment, and choosing fulfilment rather than simply pleasing others. In my novels, female protagonists show that strength can exist in vulnerability, reinvention and everyday resilience, and therefore validate readers’ private struggles, and offer hope.

Sarah:

I believe that our world is still largely defined by the ‘male gaze’, and strong women are seen as a challenge to the status quo, i.e. men being in charge and women being subservient. I’m sure I don’t have to give examples of strong women who have been batted down, treated abominably by men who feel threatened and so lash out.

In fiction, we can create a different culture, where women and men can be strong yet vulnerable, brave but at times timid, compassionate and kind while still standing up for what is right. That’s the world I’d like to live in, and I can make it happen in fiction, not just for myself, but so that my readers can imagine it too!

Me:

The stories we read shape our beliefs about the world. Fairytales are fiction, but many of us grew up believing in them because our parents shared them with us at bedtime. So if readers only see for example, male detectives, they may struggle to picture women or nonbinary characters in the role. As authors, we can seize the opportunity to showcase women doing tough jobs in trying circumstances and coming out on top. Hopefully, this will help women believe they, too, can take on these roles.

Overview:

These days, when many people in power around the world are, to varying degrees, trying to push women back into the family carer role and out of the public space, it has become more important than ever to champion strong, capable women.

It is important for both men and women to see role models in popular culture demonstrating that woman hold interesting, challenging lives. They can be rich or poor, in a position of power or the underdog, likeable or detestable, yet still experience personal growth and have moments in which they shine.

Can you explain a bit about your genre?

Lisa:

I write women’s fiction, stories that explore the pressures, compromises and turning points of a woman’s ordinary life – relationships, family, friendship, work, ageing, loss, reinvention and self-discovery – and asks how she finds strength and meaning within them. While it may include romance, humour, tragedy or suspense, the central focus is usually growth: how the protagonist comes to understand herself, make difficult choices and move toward a more authentic life.

My protagonists are usually everyday women facing recognisable pressures. Representing these experiences honestly gives importance to aspects of women’s lives that are sometimes dismissed as “domestic” or “light,” even though they involve real emotional labour and courage.

In short, my novels revolve around women triumphing over adversity. There is no happily ever after because I don’t write fairy tales. However, my novels always end on a hopeful note, with light at the end of the tunnel.

Sarah:

I have written contemporary women’s fiction, often touching on themes of mental health as that is my background, but recently turned to historical – specifically World War 2 – fiction. I love creating fictitious plots that take place in the setting of real historical events. For the reader to be immersed in the story, certain facts have to be accurate; dates of significant events and details about real people, for example. But as I carry out my extensive research, the characters develop, the plot becomes clear and finally, I get to the point where not writing the book is harder than writing it. (That might be a slight exaggeration!)

Me:

Mysteries at their heart pose a puzzle to solve, usually a murder, but it can be some other secret or problem. Alongside this come several genre conventions, which drive reader expectations. For example:

• a detective character, which can be a police detective, PI, amateur sleuth or spy, depending on the subgenre
• a number of suspects
• the detective will end up in some sort of mortal peril
• the mystery will (usually) be solved

While this may sound prescriptive, there are a million ways this can play out, and conventions can be subverted. The challenge for authors is to find an original way to construct and solve the puzzle.

Current overview:

A novel tells a story, whether fairy tale, murder mystery or sweeping saga across generations. To be compelling, stories require a central question around which the plot can coalesce, engaging characters who do interesting things – often against adversity – and a satisfying outcome.

What makes genres distinctive are specific conventions that set them apart. Historical fiction highlights a period and place within which the fictitious narrative takes place. A mystery centres on solving a puzzle, frequently a murder. Women’s fiction is usually about character growth – how a woman triumphed over adversity.

Author Bios

For those not familiar with Lisa and Sarah, here’s a bit about them.

Lisa Darcy

Lisa lives at Gerroa on the NSW south coast and writes contemporary fiction exploring the lives of women navigating friendship, careers, romance, and ultimately triumphing over adversity.

Her published novels include Lily’s Little Flower Shop, My Big Greek Holiday, Should You Keep a Secret?, Christmas Actually and All the Little Things.

She has appeared at writing festivals and taught writing workshops with a particular focus on novel structure, character development and point of view. She has also led successful week-long live in retreats in Tuscany, Italy.

When not writing, Lisa can be found walking along the beach (when it’s not too windy), curled up with her two Ragdoll cats, reading (when they’re not whining about being starving, and she’s not complaining about fur on every surface in the house) and gardening, generally cursing rampant greedy caterpillars, but being reluctant to actually harm them.

Sarah Bourne

Sarah was born in London and although she’s lived over half her life in Australia, every time she tries to set a book there, her characters pack their bags and head off to England before the end of the first page, so she’s had to accept that she’ll never write the great Australian novel.

She writes character-driven contemporary women’s fiction which often touch on issues of mental health, as that is her professional background. The Train, Ella’s War, InVisible, Exile, When Lives Collide and Letting Go were published between 2020 and 2025.

She’s now turned her hand to historical fiction. The Paris Resistance was published in April 2026 and will be followed by The Angel Network in November 2026.

When not chained to her computer, she enjoys reading, yoga, swimming, walking and spending time with family and friends, especially if those occasions involve food she hasn’t had to cook.

Last group interview: Group Interview 2: Inspiration