There’s one week left to turn in your submission for the Real Girls of Gaming writing challenge, and I’m a little disappointed with the early turnout. The only article tagged for this challenge so far besides my own example prompt is Jonathan Oyama’s piece on Nakoruru from Samurai Shodown.

Therefore, I’m extending the deadline for an extra weekend. The rules are simple:

• Write a 400-800 word article on one girl from a video game, discussing her character and contribution to her series.
• Include Real Girls of Gaming in the tags so I can find them in a search.
• Post it in the Mobfeed by Sunday, April 3rd.

One of the unspoken challenges of this prompt is that it’s easier to single out which characters are demeaning to women than to pick a positive example that everyone would agree with. Everyone has his or her own standards when it comes to this topic, and what you think is OK another person can completely disagree with.  

To be honest, a lot of great choices for this challenge will not be free from criticism. When we think of Lara Croft, the first thing that comes to mind for many is her status as a sex symbol. Crystal Dynamics, however, has been trying in its Tomb Raider games to make people take Lara seriously, and even toned down her iconic looks to do so. That can’t be overlooked.   

Don’t be afraid to write about a female character you think others would come down hard on you for choosing. Who you pick isn’t important as long as you have a solid argument for why she deserves to be a Real Girl of Gaming.