--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't set out to write female lead…" description: "\"I don't set out to write female lead shows, necessarily. I like deeply flawed characters. When they come to me, or when I'm introduced to them, I follo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/jenji-kohan-21916_character_i-don-t-set-out-to-write-female-lead-sho_2491502.png" --- # I don't set out to write female lead shows, necessarily. I… ![“I don't set out to write female lead shows, necessarily. I like deeply flawed characters. When they come to me, or when I'm introduced to them, I follow the stories and the people, rather than setting out to do a female lead thing.” quote by Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/jenji-kohan-21916_character_i-don-t-set-out-to-write-female-lead-sho_2491502.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/jenji-kohan-21916_character_i-don-t-set-out-to-write-female-lead-sho_2491502.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3c4/jenji-kohan-21916_character_i-don-t-set-out-to-write-female-lead-sho_2491502.png) > “I don't set out to write female lead shows, necessarily. I like deeply flawed characters. When they come to me, or when I'm introduced to them, I follow the stories and the people, rather than setting out to do a female lead thing.” [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She prioritizes complex, flawed characters over gendered storytelling. **In simple terms:** She writes flawed characters, not just female leads. Key Takeaway Focus on depth, not labels. Themes character development gender storytelling Mood thoughtful determined Type creative industry When to use this quote - TV writing - character workshops - casting Key Concepts complexity authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure authentic representation? - What draws you to flawed characters? A Different Perspective Risk of tokenism if not careful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Female](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/female/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-write-about-real-women-real-people-in-other-words-flawed/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Some of the best characters are the most flawed characters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-a-mcbride/some-of-the-best-characters-are-the-most-flawed-characters/) [Brian A. McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-a-mcbride/) > [I like flawed characters very much. A lot of times I get asked to do parts that are kind of small but key -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-cannavale/i-like-flawed-characters-very-much-a-lot-of-times-i-get-asked-to-do/) [Bobby Cannavale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-cannavale/) > [The characters are whole, real people to me that I'm getting to know, and since real people are all flawed, so are my characters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/the-characters-are-whole-real-people-to-me-that-i-m-getting-to-know/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [I like playing flawed characters, people who aren't perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/i-like-playing-flawed-characters-people-who-aren-t-perfect/) [Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/) > [I'm trying to make really flawed characters that have got redeeming features so people can say, 'I don't really like that character, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-m-trying-to-make-really-flawed-characters-that-have-got-redeeming/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [I try to write about real women, real people - in other words flawed characters. I find flawed characters much more interesting than perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-try-to-write-about-real-women-real-people-in-other-words-flawed-2/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [I find flawed characters much more interesting than perfect ones and enjoy the challenge of making readers root for them in spite of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-find-flawed-characters-much-more-interesting-than-perfect-ones-and/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [For the blockbusters, people were always telling me that if you write female protagonists, the boys won't go, so you have to put the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-woolverton/for-the-blockbusters-people-were-always-telling-me-that-if-you-write/) [Linda Woolverton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-woolverton/) > [Is it easy for me to write from a female point of view? Yeah, I am a female. I'm a very sensitive type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-blanco/is-it-easy-for-me-to-write-from-a-female-point-of-view-yeah-i-am-a/) [Benny Blanco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-blanco/) > [I do not think that when I write a female character, I intend to reflect my thoughts on gender equality, but I always make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sriram-raghavan/i-do-not-think-that-when-i-write-a-female-character-i-intend-to/) [Sriram Raghavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sriram-raghavan/) > [I grew up in a household of women, they ran the show, they kept it all together. I credit my ability to write in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/i-grew-up-in-a-household-of-women-they-ran-the-show-they-kept-it-all/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“we as authors have been writing about people we aren't for forever. We find a way to empathise, we find a way in. Female…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-kress/we-as-authors-have-been-writing-about-people-we-aren-t-for-forever-we/) [Adrienne Kress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-kress/) > [I didn't set out to write some female-empowering movie; I just wanted to write a funny college comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-cannon/i-didn-t-set-out-to-write-some-female-empowering-movie-i-just-wanted/) [Kay Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-cannon/) > [I don't write about too many male businessmen, and I'm not apt to write about too many female businessmen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-don-t-write-about-too-many-male-businessmen-and-i-m-not-apt-to/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## More by Jenji Kohan > [But, how many times can you get exactly what you want, when you want it? Not very often. So, why not have it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/but-how-many-times-can-you-get-exactly-what-you-want-when-you-want-it/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [As long as there are still interesting stories and still interesting people that we want to meet, I can keep it going. But, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/as-long-as-there-are-still-interesting-stories-and-still-interesting/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [First of all, I find everything funny, which is upsetting to my children sometimes, and to people in my life, in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/first-of-all-i-find-everything-funny-which-is-upsetting-to-my/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [I'm always looking for a nexus, where you can put all these diverse people together, see how they respond to one another, see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/i-m-always-looking-for-a-nexus-where-you-can-put-all-these-diverse/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [There's more to us than the moment we made a bad decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/there-s-more-to-us-than-the-moment-we-made-a-bad-decision/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [I'm always looking for those places where you can slam really disparate people up against one another, and they have to deal with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/i-m-always-looking-for-those-places-where-you-can-slam-really/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [But if I had my way, there would be so much more, in everything. 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I think she's a genius and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/i-begged-her-to-write-a-song-and-she-said-yes-i-am-a-huge-regina/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [We did tons of research. We went to visit a prison. We had speakers. We have read tons of supplementary material, books and articles.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/we-did-tons-of-research-we-went-to-visit-a-prison-we-had-speakers-we/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [I think a good story, well told is a good story, well told, whether you're watching the episodes all in a row or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/i-think-a-good-story-well-told-is-a-good-story-well-told-whether-you/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [We're also talking a lot in the room about planting seeds that can grow over the course of the season, knowing that people might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/we-re-also-talking-a-lot-in-the-room-about-planting-seeds-that-can/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [You spend so much of your life crafting this stuff that you want to laugh in the room. I don't want to sit there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/you-spend-so-much-of-your-life-crafting-this-stuff-that-you-want-to/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) > [To be able to be there first, I love the pioneer thing. It's exciting to me. And they pay full rate, they're really nice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenji-kohan/to-be-able-to-be-there-first-i-love-the-pioneer-thing-it-s-exciting/) [Jenji Kohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) [Explore all 28 Jenji Kohan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenji-kohan/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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