I'm no stranger to a bit of sexist backlash, but I was surprised by the level of vicious and misogynist hate I received.

Here are examples of real women who have done real things: good, bad, and in between. We're expanding not just the definition of the female or feminine hero, but also villains and more complex, nuanced female characters. Too often I hear men say, "I don't know how to write women." Here you go, here are five incredible women you can use to inspire your own stories.

The gaming industry has been male-dominated ever since its inception.

I'm no stranger to a bit of sexist backlash, but I was surprised by the level of vicious and misogynist hate I received.

I wouldn't call it a silver lining, but with more women speaking up, online harassment is beginning to be taken more seriously.

Maybe today we aren't being told that our brains are not capable of such things [like programming], but we [as a women] are being told that we are not good enough or smart enough or that our successes do not belong to us.

One of the most radical things you can do, is to actually believe women when they tell you about their experiences.