I know I have mentioned it before, but I am working on several WIPs. I have told myself over and over that I need to choose one and spend all my time completing it, then move on to the next. I have tried that repeatedly, and still I find myself working on one when something pops in my head that forces me to return to one of the others for a while. It is bad, because it is taking me a great while to complete the next book.
I mention this because I was reading, again, a running commentary on one of the online groups where once again everyone congratulated themselves on their hatred of the weak willed heroine and how they must all be strong and capable creatures or they will not read the novel. TSTL heroines were remarked on with regularity. The majority of these commentators had varying degrees of where the line stood as to what they were willing to put with from a heroine.
Let me start by saying that writing the perfect heroine is not an easy task. You can not please every one who will read your story and though I am a capable woman, and have managed to live my life in such a way that I can support myself with out depending on someone else, I am still fully capable of being a bitch and screwing the pooch with the best of them.
When I write, the story dictates who my heroine is and what her goal, needs and issues are. If I am writing an historical, I may want to have a forward looking female as my lead, but she must be true to the time period and the plotline. Sure I can make her angry with the world and how it is, so she fights against everything. Is that character you want for a romance novel. Seriously? She has to be true to the time and the existence she has lived. If it has been difficult for her, then that has to be reflected.
One of the reasons that I find myself jumping from one story to another is the females in the different stories. The Urban Fantasy has a very nifty kick ass heroine. She can be kick ass, because she is ancient and is the blood of the Sidra. Another story is a historical and my heroine has sacrificed much in her life and now she will find some happiness, but not easily. Another story in my urban fantasy world is an empath, who happens to be a director, she approaches things very different. She is strong in some ways, but clueless in other ways. And the last is a female shifter whose story is secondary to the two men. Sometimes a woman simply is and finds happiness in what makes those happy around her, does that make her a lesser person. Some of us must hold onto something with a firm grip and others let things come to them.
If we all wrote stories with the same female, strong, right minded and never screws up, how long would that hold your interest in a book. Don’t get me wrong, I love a strong female character, but I’ve never met a perfect one and that means that they make bad decisions and do stupid things. I often realize it was a wrong dumb headed move on my part within just minutes of opening my mouth. I don’t learn from it as much as shake my head.
I am enjoying being in the heads of these four very different characters. Now, I just want to close in and finish their stories.
Rhianna
3 comments:
I have told myself over and over that I need to choose one and spend all my time completing it, then move on to the next.
You need to do it the way it comes naturally, obviously. Cause talkin to yourself all the time isn’t working and prolly makes you look crazy. :P
I am still fully capable of being a bitch and screwing the pooch with the best of them.
Seriously,you? Really? Ok, snark aside, I don’t think it’s a sign of being weak willed or stupid for a heroine to have some major/minor flaws. That’s what makes her interesting.
Sure I can make her angry with the world and how it is, so she fights against everything. Is that character you want for a romance novel. Seriously?
Hmm… I wouldn’t want to read a heroine who is constantly fighting everyone and everything because I can’t empathize or like someone like that. I think though, a heroine who is like that because she’s consciously or unconsciously covering up for some deep vulnerability or pain by acting like that, is very interesting and things can be done with her as a character.
If it has been difficult for her, then that has to be reflected.
Are you saying that you think, from the tone of commenters on that board, that there is a general consensus that there is something wrong with a heroine who is flawed and you are defending the heroine who is messed up sometimes? The tone of your post suggests that you feel there is too much complaint or criticism about any heroine who isn’t perfect. Just curious if this is what you mean by this statement.
Sometimes a woman simply is and finds happiness in what makes those happy around her, does that make her a lesser person.
No, but I don’t think it makes her TSTL or weak willed either. It makes her real.
I often realize it was a wrong dumb headed move on my part within just minutes of opening my mouth. I don’t learn from it as much as shake my head.
See this is where I have one gripe with TSTL or weak willed heroine. If she is making the same mistake over and over and doesn’t learn anything or even recognize that she’s acting stupid even if she can’t stop herself, I’m done.
Your characters sound so interesting and the excerpts you posted way back on the Urban fantasy and the Historical were very interesting.
Oh and my world view on sex? Umm... I like it. :D
{the tone of your post suggests that you feel there is too much complaint or criticism about any heroine who isn’t perfect.}
It not so much perfect, because what each of us considers perfect varies.
If there was a vote for what we want in a heroine, I wouldn't vote. I want something different and unique to the situation. I want a human response that I can relate to on a personal level.
Now we all know what I want. snort
Rhianna
I want something different and unique to the situation.
Yes me too. I don't like cookie cutter characters, which happens a lot I think.
Now we all know what I want. snort
It's your blog and you can say what you want to. :D
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