The Perfect Heroine
So I think I'm on my last "perfect" post, unless I write about the perfect dog, which is a title taken by my deceased dog Honi, who WAS, indeed, the perfect dog, and at least a dozen people who knew her told me so, so then it must be true.
But what makes a perfect heroine?
For me, it is that she is utterly imperfect. Messy, quirky, neurotic, wise-mouthed . . . (hmm . . . sounds like someone I know). Better yet, she is NOT self-absorbed and cares about something bigger than herself. Billie Quinn worshipped at the altar of Chemistry and solving cold cases. Cassie Hayes sacrificed for Work. Ava in The Roofer for Family. There was always something in my heroines that they cared about far mroe than themselves.
I hate to say it, but the above reason is very often why I don't read romance and was selective about chick lit. Because so much of it, or too much of it, felt like it was all about ME (not me, per se, but Heroine). Wanting to get married, find a boyfriend, get revenge on a old boyfriend, whittle down to a size 2, shop, go to the hot spot, whatever it was . . . it wasn't from MY world. I just don't care about those things. And I generally don't care to spend my time around people who do. You want to talk politics, social causes, books, family . . . I'm with you. Well, except politics. That leads to fights.
But, dedicated to a cause or something bigger than herself, my heroine must be deeply flawed and the journey for her is discovering that flaw and repairing it. Not perfectly. But enough that she is wiser by the end. She is also, throughout, loyal to a fault. And smart. And usually funny.
So that's my perfect heroine. And when I think of books I have loved that resonate through me, I think of Jo in Little Women . . . and you know? She is a perfectly modern heroine in this vein. Loyal to a fault, funny, headstrong . . . but flawed in acting and speaking without thinking, and sometimes a little selfish. A perfect heroine.
So what's your idea of a perfect heroine?
But what makes a perfect heroine?
For me, it is that she is utterly imperfect. Messy, quirky, neurotic, wise-mouthed . . . (hmm . . . sounds like someone I know). Better yet, she is NOT self-absorbed and cares about something bigger than herself. Billie Quinn worshipped at the altar of Chemistry and solving cold cases. Cassie Hayes sacrificed for Work. Ava in The Roofer for Family. There was always something in my heroines that they cared about far mroe than themselves.
I hate to say it, but the above reason is very often why I don't read romance and was selective about chick lit. Because so much of it, or too much of it, felt like it was all about ME (not me, per se, but Heroine). Wanting to get married, find a boyfriend, get revenge on a old boyfriend, whittle down to a size 2, shop, go to the hot spot, whatever it was . . . it wasn't from MY world. I just don't care about those things. And I generally don't care to spend my time around people who do. You want to talk politics, social causes, books, family . . . I'm with you. Well, except politics. That leads to fights.
But, dedicated to a cause or something bigger than herself, my heroine must be deeply flawed and the journey for her is discovering that flaw and repairing it. Not perfectly. But enough that she is wiser by the end. She is also, throughout, loyal to a fault. And smart. And usually funny.
So that's my perfect heroine. And when I think of books I have loved that resonate through me, I think of Jo in Little Women . . . and you know? She is a perfectly modern heroine in this vein. Loyal to a fault, funny, headstrong . . . but flawed in acting and speaking without thinking, and sometimes a little selfish. A perfect heroine.
So what's your idea of a perfect heroine?
Labels: heroines
posted by Erica Orloff at 6:25 AM
29 Comments:
I want a woman who's strong, intelligent, loyal, sexy, and who possesses pyrokinetic powers.
A cross between Clarice Starling and the little girl in Stephen King's Firestarter.
Jude:
I'll let you know if I meet someone like that.
E
Timely post, Erica, as always. In my writing group, there are a few people who, after reading my last chapter (ok, half of a chapter) are disgruntled that my main character isn't behaving the way they think she should. So I think BRAVO to me! She is ruffling some feathers, making people think, doing what is unexpected and maybe a bit troublesome. Her anger doesn't sit well with them - and to me, it's what make her real.
A perfect heroine is conflicted, imo. Sometimes the conflicts can be light - oh my dear, what shall I wear - and sometime heavy - how will I manage to feed my children when I've just lost my job. How the heroine fights her own demons is what reveals her character - and when she surprises herself, she in turn surprises us.
Erica:
Yeah, let me know so I can run the other way. LOL!
Amy:
When I wrote The Roofer, I got some really nice reviews, but there was this one blogger or commenter (can't remember where) who hated it because "where were the glittering parties, where was all the fancy rich details of life in the mob like on TV." I was really struck, then, by reader expectations, what they bring to the table. You can find readers who expect heroines to not be prickly, or who have a totally wrong impression of what a certain job or mob life might be. I had one reviewer slam Spanish Disco because from the age of the heroine, she thought she couldn't have been going to Manhattan clubs when she did--when I said she was a "club kid" (back then checking i.d. was a joke). Some people bring their own heroine expectations to the table, their own absolutely WRONG impressions just because they don't have the background in law or haven't done the research you've done or whatever . . . or readers who just buy a certain kind of book with some very set "rules" in their mind. And while you don't want to alienate readers, I think you have to be true to reality and your character and your story.
E
Strong morals,someone who's not afraid to stand firm in her beliefs and maybe a little quirky. Like she has these things she does that might appear strange to others but she knows its right for her. (does that make sense?) She really doesn't care what others think of her because she knows whats right for her.
Erica, I love that your heroines care about something far more than themselves. Although like Jo March, sometimes being selfish is great! But I know what you mean about Jo. She didn't fit in the mold of every other heroine. She was so valiant and so vital.
My heroine changes with every book, but one thing all my heroines have in common is that they don't whine. They're active and not passive. If something needs to be done, they suck it up and do it. Even when they're victims, they refuse to act or, more important, feel like one.
Aimless:
I tend to think of "moral code" instead of "good morals" because sometimes great characters break the law/rules, etc. . . . at least characters the way I like them . . . but that's a good one.
E
Hi Edie:
My mother has the expression, "Put on your big girl panties and deal with it." My heroines all suck it up and deal with misfortune without whining, too. And if they DO whine, they ALWAYS have someone--a best friend--to kick their ass and tell them they are whining and to shut the hell up.
E
Thanks Erica - you're right of course. These folks just made me question my character's moral code saying "it couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't" be that way because she wasn't sweet and sad. I always take what I can use from criticism, and they did point out a few things I can use. I should focus on that.
Tough, smart, independent, strong-willed. (Sort of describes my wife).
Meg Malloy, from my novel Dirty Deeds fits the bill. Sexy in her own way, ferociously intelligent, and independently wealthy as an added bonus.
Definitely allowed to have some neuroses, but I'm cautious about the "girly" neuroses and the shopping thing. It's okay to have issues with Mom or Dad, but for God sakes, learn to stand on your own two feet and you don't have to be dependent on a man.
Mark:
A hearty amen to that.
E
So I think I'm on my last "perfect" post...
You could always do "The Perfect Beginning."
These have been fun.
P.S. I left a final comment on "The Perfect Villain" page.
Jude:
I thought of that . . . I'll see how I feel tomorrow a.m. I never pre-think my blog much. Maybe it WILL be on the perfect dog. ;-)
E
The perfect heroine to me is one who has a gazillion imperfections, but is everything her hero wants.
kath:
Isn't that a great description? Sure. You want your flaws to match up with what your partner finds endearing.
E
Marie Curie. 'Nuff said.
Perfect dog? Perfect location? Perfect romance?
Lots of perfect options.
Oh, Sarah:
She was my favorite heroine of real life for many, many years when I was a girl. Her, Susan B. Anthony. I forget about Marie Curie sometimes now. But yes!
E
Perfect herione... well, there's a good question. I like her to be strong willed, more so than strong physically (though I don't mind an ass kicking heroine, it's always more impressive when she can out think her antagonist)
I do like her to have faults, I like all characters to have faults otherwise they just don't seem believable. But I think it's most important for me that her faults don't weaken her confidence...
Merry:
Interesting. I don't set out to write confident heroines, but they nearly always are.
E
hehe I won't copy you on my blog this time. Scout's honor. :P
I like them smart-mouthed, sassy, brave when it counts, and loyal.
I guess I see the romance genre differently than you, and it may be that I read paranormals mostly. I think paranormal romance although romance for some reason tends to be a little different than a lot of other romances.
In a paranormal because the stakes are so high, the heroine is usually called upon to do more than just look pretty and get her guy to propose. Lives often hang in the balance and she usually has to confront fears and fight for love.
Hi Zoe:
My first sales were in chick lit, and so many of the heroines were insecure or focused on a wedding.
But yes, paranormals are different.
E
For my heroine, her decisions aren't always the best and she can be impulsive depending upon the situation. However, she's smart and know it's okay to back down from a fight that she can't win. I believe in giving them a woe-is-me moment because it's part of the good, the bad, and the ugly that make them human. However, my heroine had better damn well internalize it. She doesn't have the luxury to whine in the middle of a crisis and she knows it. Once the chaos starts, she's the last person to think about herself because she's too busy trying to help others.
I'm responding to your reply to Amy early in the comments. You mention reader expectations and that they might disagree despite all the research you have done. I once sent a ms to an editor with a heroine who had a particular hereditary disease. I researched not only the disease itself but people's reaction to having this disease. I even found a University thesis on exactly that. But the editor rejected my ms saying that the heroine's reactions didn't ring true. I must say it is the one and only time that I responded to an R. It was so upsetting to do it all right and to realize that what matters is the public's perception of reality, not reality itself. This knowledge makes research much harder now.
Marcia:
Hmm . . . I do think my heroines have a "the chips are down and woe is me" followed by a "pick yourself up and move on" moment. It's internalized, definitely.
E
suzanne:
I feel your rejection pain. I really do. I have had editors or readers react that "this didn't ring true" and sometimes I was basing the reaction on my own life, my own reaction, or on research. So yes, it can be painful, and it's one of those things that definitely happens from time to time.
E
hehehe @ "insecure or focused on a wedding"
*stabs eye with a spork*
Zoe:
Here, take my spork. LOL!
E
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