I love a feisty heroine, one who follows her heart, sometimes foolishly, regardless of the consequences. I love that she is intelligent (except when it comes to him and then all thought leaves her, especially when she is in his arms). I love that she can find valor and honesty and bravery, even though she may be shaking in her boots. I like that she can be tough when she needs to be but still maintain her femininity.
Whatever the heroine is to you, she is so much more to the man who is falling in love with her. To him, she is a wonder, at turns surprising him, beguiling him, frustrating him. She is a blessing and a curse at the same time. She is the one who forces him to see himself as he truly is-an honorable man who has no choice but to love her as she is.
And isn’t that the way it should be?
Happy reading!
Marie
Hi Marie, Thanks for the article on heroines! How do you decide the inner/external conflict of your heroines?
ReplyDeleteGenerally, the circumstances she finds herself in dictate the external conflict but I've been lucky in that my characters talk to me (although it does get a little noisy in my head) and for the most part, my heroines have always decided their inner conflict for me. Where those circumstances come from, I really have no clue - I'll be minding my own business (or working on something else) when a thought will pop into my head "What if...." and it blossoms from there. I will tell you that my heroines have "intestinal fortitude" as grandma used to say - on the outside they may seem accommodating but on the inside, they've got a core of strength when they need it (although I have one that's shy and reserved but circumstances have forced her to come out of her shell - she's been fun to write when the others aren't pushing her out of the way). Did I answer your question?
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