What do Scarlett O’Hara, Erica Kane and Bath’s wife have in common? The obvious answer is that they are among the most memorable fictional characters ever created, possibly the most memorable female characters, period. They are femme fatales, meaning no man who gets involved with them gets away unscathed. In real life we ​​hate such women, but in fiction we find them irresistible. So how do you go about creating a femme fatale?

At first glance the features are not obvious. Two of these women are beautiful, but the third is simply ugly. Two of her stories take her to middle age, still strong and sexy, but the third story ends when she is only 28 years old. Two of them start life with little to nothing and work their way to the top, but the third is born to riches. Two of them have fabulous fashion sense, but the third is a fashion disaster. Note that it is not the same two vs. the same in each case.

So what do the three actions mean? An obvious answer: numerous husbands and other men in their lives. Scarlett O’Hara is married three times. The Wife of Bath is married five times. and according to Who’s Who in Pine Valley website, Erica Kane has so far had eleven marriages to eight different men (three of whom she has been married twice).

But what do all those connections mean? That these women are sexually attractive and surprisingly manipulative. Intelligent men have their common sense overcome by feminine wiles.

They have two types of relationships with men: for love and for money or power. But when it is for love it is a disaster, while the marriage for money works because the woman has no expectations beyond a marriage of convenience.

Scarlett’s experience with a love match is complex, even distorted: she never marries Ashley, the man she wasted her emotional youth on, but her longing for him makes it impossible for her to love her soul mate, Rhett. The other two women have more conventional love marriages, but they never work out either. So, a characteristic of a femme fatale is that although she shares the same dream of true love as any other woman, she can never achieve it. The femme fatale’s inability to find true love is a vulnerability that allows female audiences to sympathize with her.

Another feature is sharp intelligence. None of these women are well educated, but they are all very, very intelligent in areas that go far beyond just manipulating men. Scarlett and Erica are successful business owners, while Alison, Bath’s wife, is an expert weaver and has learned Latin, philosophy and theology to support her sharp wit.

One story they all share is that they achieve riches, lose it, and come back to the top. They become self-sufficient, so their mature relationships with men may still be for twisted reasons, but no longer for money or power.

Hence the secret to writing a femme fatale is more complicated than simply creating a sexy and manipulative woman. Put together these five character and plot traits:

1. A femme fatale has numerous marriages and other relationships with men. She longs for true love, but often gives it up for practical reasons.

2. He is highly desirable sexually and is never afraid to use it.

3. He has two kinds of marriages and other relationships: for money or power, and for love. The love ones never work, leaving her disillusioned.

4. Although she has little formal education, she is very intelligent and cunning.

5. His life story is a roller coaster: he achieves wealth and power, loses it, and fights his way to the top again.

Create a femme fatale and you too can have an unforgettable character that will live on through the centuries.

Copyright 2010 by Jean Lorrah