I try not to write badass characters. Rather, I strive to write real characters dealing with real problems as best they can. Sometimes, however, this very effort makes them badass and there’s nothing I can do about it.
In my most recent book, Water, one of the characters suffers a broken lower leg due to a fall, and she must deal with her rescue and first aid herself. Speaking from experience, now, after the fact, she is an undeniable badass.
Image: The author after a recent fall