Comments on: The Allure of the Heroine http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/ What's hip, what's now, what's tomorrow in the romance genre world. Sat, 09 Jan 2010 20:26:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Abbi http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24696 Abbi Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:42:57 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24696 If the characters are well written, regardless of being bitchy/sipid/bland, I will most likely read the book with great joy! Mainly because, it is easy to believe that these characters exist - we have bland people, bitchy people, etc etc.. On the other hand, it is nice to see this argument made - I can definitely see where writers hold back, but I've also read a few where the heroines will kick ass (IMO) and I'm like whoa, you go! =) If the characters are well written, regardless of being bitchy/sipid/bland, I will most likely read the book with great joy! Mainly because, it is easy to believe that these characters exist – we have bland people, bitchy people, etc etc..

On the other hand, it is nice to see this argument made – I can definitely see where writers hold back, but I’ve also read a few where the heroines will kick ass (IMO) and I’m like whoa, you go! =)

]]> By: sherry thomas http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24665 sherry thomas Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:45:34 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24665 ::claps:: This is why I loved Ember by Bettie Sharpe so much. Now that's one heroine I'd switch teams for. :wink: ::claps::

This is why I loved Ember by Bettie Sharpe so much. Now that’s one heroine I’d switch teams for. :wink:

]]> By: Sasha http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24549 Sasha Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:30:09 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24549 I love strong characters, especially strong heroines. I like to read them and I like to think I write them. One or two of my stories, the hero became an equal focus, but in my mind and in my heart, it's always the woman's story. I love strong characters, especially strong heroines. I like to read them and I like to think I write them.

One or two of my stories, the hero became an equal focus, but in my mind and in my heart, it’s always the woman’s story.

]]> By: Angel http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24541 Angel Sun, 06 Apr 2008 10:43:52 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24541 Brilliant post. Well said and, personally, I've had similar feelings about female characterization. I wish the genre loved women enough to consider us worthy of being portrayed in all of our complex motivations, individual flaws and acts of bravery. There's quite a good song by Sara Bariselle over on YouTube called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cGQoPmefyA" rel="nofollow">Fairytale</a> that addresses some of the same things you mention in your post, particularly where she sings that the fair maiden "spent her whole life / being graded /on the sanctity of patience /and dumb appreciation /but the story needs some mending / and a better happy ending." Brilliant post. Well said and, personally, I’ve had similar feelings about female characterization. I wish the genre loved women enough to consider us worthy of being portrayed in all of our complex motivations, individual flaws and acts of bravery.

There’s quite a good song by Sara Bariselle over on YouTube called Fairytale that addresses some of the same things you mention in your post, particularly where she sings that the fair maiden “spent her whole life / being graded /on the sanctity of patience /and dumb appreciation /but the story needs some mending / and a better happy ending.”

]]> By: KeVinK http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24515 KeVinK Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:09:45 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24515 As a man who reads romances -- well, mostly romantic suspense -- I know that the men in romance novels don't ast like men. They act the way women wish men would act. (Committing unnatural acts like talking about their feelings or picking up his socks.) By the same token, I've often wondered if the heroines in some of the novels I've read weren't made bland deliberately so they wouldn't interfere with the reader putting herself in the story. Me, I don't need to be in th story. I like to read about interesting characters interacting. Sadly, I;m finding most of the time I need to go outside of romance to find that. As a man who reads romances — well, mostly romantic suspense — I know that the men in romance novels don’t ast like men. They act the way women wish men would act. (Committing unnatural acts like talking about their feelings or picking up his socks.) By the same token, I’ve often wondered if the heroines in some of the novels I’ve read weren’t made bland deliberately so they wouldn’t interfere with the reader putting herself in the story.

Me, I don’t need to be in th story. I like to read about interesting characters interacting. Sadly, I;m finding most of the time I need to go outside of romance to find that.

]]> By: Robert Gregory Browne http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24514 Robert Gregory Browne Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:38:52 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24514 I simply prefer strong characters, period. I don't care who does the heavy lifting as long as they jump off the page, as characters should. I try to write my women characters as strong and independent, even if they're supporting a male lead. The strength of that support has to be based in reality and, to my mind, real women are a combination of many wonderful qualities, and reflecting that in my work is important to me. I simply prefer strong characters, period. I don’t care who does the heavy lifting as long as they jump off the page, as characters should.

I try to write my women characters as strong and independent, even if they’re supporting a male lead. The strength of that support has to be based in reality and, to my mind, real women are a combination of many wonderful qualities, and reflecting that in my work is important to me.

]]> By: Susan Kelley http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24512 Susan Kelley Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:37:25 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24512 Thanks for saying all this. When the heroine is so sweet and forgiving and nuturing in a book even when the hero is an arrogant jerk, I sometimes wonder why such a man would fall madly in love with such a doormat? And in real life, sweet shy women really don't like the badboy type. Lots of good points today. Thanks for saying all this. When the heroine is so sweet and forgiving and nuturing in a book even when the hero is an arrogant jerk, I sometimes wonder why such a man would fall madly in love with such a doormat? And in real life, sweet shy women really don’t like the badboy type. Lots of good points today.

]]> By: Dee Savoy http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24511 Dee Savoy Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:16:32 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24511 Hmmm. . . Don't know how my post got posted like the one above, but I was trying to agree with Angela T. I liked her post so much, I kept it going at <a href="http://deirdresavoysays.blogspot.com/2008/04/lets-hear-it-for-girls-redux.html" rel="nofollow">my place</a>. Great topic! Hmmm. . .

Don’t know how my post got posted like the one above, but I was trying to agree with Angela T. I liked her post so much, I kept it going at my place. Great topic!

]]> By: Dee Savoy http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24510 Dee Savoy Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:03:46 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24510 It's not that I've got anything against the guys, but when it comes to telling a woman's side of things, isn't the best place for that a romance? It’s not that I’ve got anything against the guys, but when it comes to telling a woman’s side of things, isn’t the best place for that a romance?

]]> By: Gail Dayton http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/comment-page-1/#comment-24509 Gail Dayton Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:02:37 +0000 http://www.romancingtheblog.com/blog/2008/04/03/the-allure-of-the-heroine/#comment-24509 Remember, DANGEROUS MEN AND ADVENTUROUS WOMEN was published in 1992. That's more than 15 years ago. The meaning and use of "bitch" has evolved since then. I don't run across too many place-holder heroines in my reading, but that's because I really don't like those dark, dark, nasty-alpha, tortured heroes. A little torture, a little darkness, okay, but no nasty-alphas. (My definition of Alpha male tends to incorporate Eagle Boy Scouts.) However, I don't think strength necessarily means kick-ass. I'd find it interesting to find a strong ... Girly... heroine. One who's more traditionally feminine--and yet quietly kickass. Does that make sense? It just seems to me that strong women do not have to kick literal asses. Remember, DANGEROUS MEN AND ADVENTUROUS WOMEN was published in 1992. That’s more than 15 years ago. The meaning and use of “bitch” has evolved since then.

I don’t run across too many place-holder heroines in my reading, but that’s because I really don’t like those dark, dark, nasty-alpha, tortured heroes. A little torture, a little darkness, okay, but no nasty-alphas. (My definition of Alpha male tends to incorporate Eagle Boy Scouts.)

However, I don’t think strength necessarily means kick-ass. I’d find it interesting to find a strong … Girly… heroine. One who’s more traditionally feminine–and yet quietly kickass. Does that make sense? It just seems to me that strong women do not have to kick literal asses.

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