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Last week I blogged about sexy heroes. This week I thought I’d take on appealing heroines. I don’t think readers necessarily want a sexy heroine as much as one we can relate to. We want a girl who could be our best friend. Or maybe a girl whose shoes we think would be fun to try out for a day—especially if she’s with that sexy hero!
So what makes a heroine appealing?
1. She’s a little insecure.
We all like confident women, but someone who is 100% sure of herself all the time? I don’t think so. Heroines are usually challenged by the circumstances in novels. We imagine ourselves challenged in that same way. How would we react? Hopefully the heroine does something interesting or brave or funny, but for us to relate, she should probably also question herself a little bit.
2. She’s not sure of the hero’s affections.
Who in a new relationship—sometimes even in an established one—doesn’t question the other party’s affections at least once in a while? Even if our heroine is drop dead gorgeous, she should wonder if the hero thinks so. Or even if it’s obvious he does, will that make him fall in love/lust with her? And will that feeling last? As a reader I love knowing the hero’s feelings toward the heroine when she is still wondering if he’s even noticed she’s alive.
3. She’s more than just a pretty face.
Lots of heroines aren’t conventionally beautiful. Readers don’t mind that at all because these heroines have a lot more than looks to offer. They’re smart, brave, witty, authoritative, soft, sensitive, compassionate, and so much more! Whatever kind of heroine you like, there’s a book out there featuring someone like her. I tend to like witty heroines. Think Elizabeth Bennett in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. There’s nothing as appealing as a heroine who makes the perfect comeback at the perfect time.
What do you think? Do I have it right or am I way off base? What other characteristics do appealing heroines offer?
Filed in: Writers and Writing
Oct 26th
2009
6:10 am
kristan higgins Said:
You’re right on all counts, I think, Shana…but I’d have to list confidence, too. Nothing less appealing than a heroine who needs the hero’s affections to make her feel worthy. I always like the sense that he’s the icing on the cake of life; not the cake itself.
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Oct 26th
2009
6:25 am
Lynz Said:
I agree with those three and with Kristan’s confidence, too. They’re all important, and I need all four of those factors (in varying degrees, depending on the heroine in question) in order to enjoy reading about her. But the most important thing?
She has to be the hero’s equal. (Of course, the same goes for him.) She has to be able to stand up to him, to support him, and to relax with him. She has to make him question himself and she has to make him unsure of her affections. She has to prove that she’s attracted to him for more than just his pretty face and his confidence. She has to make me feel that she’ll take on the responsibilities, and the joys, that being in a relationship with the hero will bring.
That, to me, is what matters most.
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Oct 26th
2009
7:29 am
Margo Maguire Said:
I like a heroine who has her own “momentum” in a story. She’s got her own things going on, and – as Kristan said – the hero is the icing on the cake… not the cake itself, but the icing.
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Oct 26th
2009
8:08 am
Katherine Garbera Said:
I like a heroine I can relate too. I think confidence is important but also a little bit of self-deprecating humor. Without humor I don’t think I’d make it through most days. I like the heroine to be someone who I’d probably be friends with. I think she should know who she is when she’s not in love and that finding the right guy and falling in love just makes enhances who she already is.
Katherine
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