See, I grew up reading sci-fi and fantasy centered around female characters (Tamora Pierce, most notably). It wasn't just that I preferred female heroes over males; it was actually very difficult to get me to pick up a novel with a male as a protagonist, and even now I associate writers like Tolkien and Lewis with a certain male sensibility and style that is more difficult for me to relate to. I suppose I'm lucky that there actually was such children's literature when I was a child. It actually took fandom for me to be able to write male characters. In PotC, at least, I blame my habit of writing men on the distribution of sex and pairing, not necessarily because I find it easier or more interesting. I actually like the challenge of writing women in historical settings, because they're aware of their gender in ways that men simply haven't had to be.