This Saturday, I'll be giving a workshop for the Ancient City Romance Writers of America (great group, btw!) on Creating a Strong Romantic Heroine. It's my contention that the heroine in your romance novel is the back bone of your entire story. If your readers don't connect with her in a strong way, then your story is going to fall apart. No one likes a wimpy dumb heroine. Nor do they like a Perfect Polly either.
I put together a list of the qualities I most admire/like in a heroine and came up with the following.
Smart.
Capable.
Loyal.
Quirky.
Sense of Humor.
Kind.
Ambitious.
Who are some of my favorite heroines from literature/film? There's lots to pick from but without a doubt my top favorites are:
Kathleen Kelly (so wonderfully played by Meg Ryan) in You've Got Mail
Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice
And last but not least, my personal Fave: Jo March in Little Women
Who are your favorite literary heroines? And what characteristics do you admire most in them?
I'm with you with Jo from Little Women, always a great fave of mine. Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables, as well. Leslie Benedict in Edna Ferber's Giant.
ReplyDeleteCan we count Dorothy Parker? Always loved her work and she had an interesting, if often sad, life.
ReplyDelete