Yipes, Thursday came fast this week!
As you know from my Risky Regencies blog about Story Ideas and my blog here about Hooks, I’m starting on a new book, Leo’s Story, connected to The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor.
Story ideas and plots don’t always come easy to me (as I probably have mentioned before). It helps if I know the characters. Often they almost tell me what will happen. So far, I’ve figured out Leo. He’s going to be tortured and dissipated and in need of redemption. But I don’t yet know who my heroine will be. So I’m thinking a lot about heroines lately.
Other discussions of romance heroes and heroines usually say that the typical romance reader (a woman) wants to fall in love with the hero and wants to identify with the heroine. That certainly fits with what I want from a romance novel!
I want to think of the heroine as sort of an “ideal me.” Younger, prettier, braver, smarter, etc. But I don’t want her to be perfect, because then she’ll make me feel like a total slug in comparison. If she has flaws and weaknesses and makes mistakes, I want them to be ones I can understand and sympathize with. And as she overcomes them, it gives me an inkling that I can overcome my flaws, weaknesses and mistakes, too.
She can’t be too much like me, though. I’d like to think she’s not challenged with some of the problems I have. Like….she doesn’t have to lose 20 pounds, for example. I’m not fond of stories about overweight, not-very-attractive heroines who get the hero anyway–that’s just not my fantasy. My heroines don’t have to be classically beautiful, just more beautiful (and thinner) than me!
Heroines should be strong, smart and resourceful. I love a heroine who doesn’t stand by and let the hero rescue her; she participates in the rescue. I hate it when in old movies the hero and villain are in a horrible fight and the heroine just cowers in a corner. Get in there and help him, for pity’s sake!!
Heroines should be equal to the hero. I don’t necessarily mean in terms of status–I do love a Cinderella story–but the heroine should be equal to the hero in spirit and not willing to do as he says just becauses he dictates it. She should have a sense of herself as worthy, a healthy self-esteem.
Sometimes I think my idea of a good heroine was honed by years of reading Nancy Drew, the old version. Nancy was always smart, resourceful and brave. She was never weak. In the Nancy Drew books Ned was secondary, but he did come through for her, like saving her from the quicksand. Does anyone else remember that scene? Ican’t even remember which book it was in, but, gosh, that scene made an impression on me!
I still haven’t decided who my heroine in Leo’s story will be, but I’m getting there.
What kind of heroines do you like the best? Do you have any pet peeves about heroines? Let’s talk about it!
Don’t forget my current blog contest. Comment between now and Sept 13 for a chance to win a copy of Wicked Regency Nights, the UK anthology that includes my Undone story, The Unlacing of Miss Leigh.
And if you are in or near the Northern Virginia area, this Saturday, Sept 4 at 1:00 pm, my daughter’s friend, Emma Rathbone, will be speaking about her debut novel, The Patterns of Paper Monster, at the Fairfax Barnes and Noble. I’m going to be there!
If you haven’t already, check out what’s new on my website- A new contest. A new excerpt from Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress. New reviews.
I’m with you, Diane. My heroines are smart, resourceful and brave — sometimes too brave! I didn’t connect it to Nancy Drew until I read this! An AHA moment. Thanks!!
My pet peeve about heroines in Regencies – those virgins that have sex with a virtual stranger just to see what its like!
I have a problem with those curious virgins, too, Alleyne. The consequences of pregnancy were so dire in those days, that it is hard for me to believe any respectable young lady would consider this. Sometimes authors make it work and sometimes they don’t.
Hi Diane!
I like my heroines to be strong, but confident enough to allow the hero to go into ‘protect’ mode when the need arises. Heroines that cross over into shrew territory make me cringe.
I just read a book where the heroine does nothing but screech, slap the hero’s face, or throw a drink into his handsome face. Yeesh.
What happened to quiet dignity? LOL!
Eek!! Karyn. I don’t like those heroines either. It seems childish.
What Karyn said! I like characters that accept responsibility for their actions. It bothers me when the heroine is created to be so strong that it runs into anything-you-can-do-I-can-do (and probably better) territory. Men and women are equal but not the same! And I like it that way.
Good point, Judy. I do like my heroes to be really strong. I just don’t like heroines who don’t act at all and let the hero do it all.
Hear! Hear! Spare me the “save-me-because-I’m-too-busy-finding-your-faults” heroine.
I enjoy the variety of heroines out there as long as they are not crybabies that can not do anything for themselves… I like when they work through their problems, even if help is needed.
forgot to update my e-mail…
Before I was published, I remember getting a contest entry back. One of the judges, a well-known author, remarked that she didn’t like my heroine weeping. I always remembered that. Now I’m careful when the tears flow.
I love when emotions jump out of the book… just do not care for a character that has to cry about everything.
Wishing you the best with finding the right heroine for Leo!
I agree, Diane, that my favorite heroines are equal to the heros in spirit. It’s hard to put in the story, to demonstrate on paper, but it’s just so lovely when you know (you the reader) that by the end of the book both the hero and the heroine have become better people for having known and fallen in love with each other.
Sigh! Stories like that just make you sigh at the end!
Society and societal expectations play a strong role in traditional historical romances. The sexy and strong, but morally ambiguous gentlemen seem to be acceptable. But a strong heroine? I like a writer that lets her heroine be as strong as the men. In fact, I think it’s the very strength of these women that allows them to fall in love with a non-traditional and possibly dangerous man.
I also wanted to say I just finished your new book loved it! I am sure this has already been brought to your attention but did you know chapter one had the Waterloo date wrong? July 18th?
I penciled in June, in my copy. Hate those typos.
OH MY GOSH!!!!! No, I didn’t even look!!!
I just checked and it was my mistake. I’m sure it was a typo, but oh, gosh! The ghost of Wellington is shaking a finger at me….
The copy editor is supposed to catch those things, but, really I’m supposed to catch those things first!!!!!!
I just calmed down enough to respond to your comment! I think a woman can be strong in character, no matter what her social position. Think of Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice.
And thank you for the nice words about Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress (even if the Waterloo date is wrong……)
Kathleen, thanks to you there is a chance my editor can get the correction made for the UK books, due for release this January.
I really appreciate your pointing this out to me!
You are welcome. I am glad you realize I did not intend to be petty about a typo. I really have no idea how the printing world works and naively thought maybe if they haven’t finished printing all the books they could fix it. The fact is it did not lessen the enjoyment of your book one bit for me, and now I must patiently wait for Gabe’s story.
Kathleen! You SAVED me and my editor, Linda Fildew! The UK production team can correct the Mills & Boon copies!!!
I am sooooo grateful. (or haven’t I made that clear yet????)
I know you hate that your book has a mistake but there aren’t very many of us that would have caught that
I can’t stand heroines that whine and I think spirited is the perfect word to describe how I like them too.
Awwww, thanks for trying to make me feel better about the mistake, Jeanne. I emailed my editor in the hopes that the error can be fixed in the UK versions of the book. I’m sure more of the UK readers will know when Waterloo took place. I’m very grateful to have been told of the error.
I like spirited heroines, too. I just remembered that I don’t like “spunky” heroines!
I think that writing a great heroine is perhaps one of the toughest things an author can do, especially in our genre. She’s got to be perfect, but not so perfect that all the women reading about her will hate her. There’s a fine line between flaws and imperfections and just too much reality. She has to have challenges, but not so many as to take away from the fantasy of her story.
I like a Heroine who is smart. I like a woman who doesn’t give up. Who fights for what she believes in (love and loyalty, family etc).
I don’t care if she’s young or incredibly attractive as long as the Hero finds her beautiful. If he comes to see what’s underneath, that’s all that matters.