There are countless young women out there and men, for that matter who want to see adult fiction that includes someone they feel like they could be if the right circumstances presented themselves.
But how does one create a unique, strong woman? What does it even mean for a character to be strong? Does it differ between male and female characters? Again, strong women are awesome. I know many of them in my personal life. But not all people are strong in the same way.
Similarly, not all have the same faults. If you read often, you come to notice certain relationship trends across stories. You can think of them as a metaphorical character outline. She is often considered beautiful. She probably has some kind of unnatural gift or ability. Maybe she overcame incredible circumstances in her past.
She is naturally brave from the beginning. This person loves her, because she is strong, independent, and of course beautiful. Her one fault? She is stubborn. She rejects depending on others and inevitably gets herself into some sort of dangerous or unpleasant situation. Her stubbornness also makes her somehow all the more appealing.
After all, there are so many things to choose from. I think many authors choose stubbornness as a trait because it is an easy way to create a rebel and, perhaps more importantly, a romantic relationship. Because, if there is a female lead, there always has to be a love interest. Women do that all the time. We can have characters who are smart enough to listen to others, but still act independently.
