When I was young, I loved books with heroines that were impossibly hot. I’m not sure why. Perhaps I liked to imagine myself as that hot, but, like looking at the models in the magazines, they made me feel less than. Some of the descriptions I’ve never seen a woman look like that. Of course, that was the 80s. Things have changed a lot since then.
Now, I’m not particular about how a woman looks. It’s her personality that attracts me. Maybe it’s age–and wisdom?–that’s changed my mind on heroines. I want a real heroine, one that I can relate to. She doesn’t have to be perfect. Matter of fact, I don’t want her perfect, but I don’t want a nitwit. I know many women loved Barbara Cartland, but, even in my teens, I couldn’t bring myself to read her romance novels. Who wanted to read about a heroine who had more hair than brains? Certainly not me.
What I find that draws me, in my own writing and others, is a real woman. She may be beautiful, she may be plain, she may be in between, but she’s got baggage (because she has a past and past equates to baggage of some sort), she’s a real person with warts, peccadilloes, and virtues, and she’s intelligent, even if she sometimes does stupid shit. Whatever she does, though, it can’t be out of character. If it is, the author better do an amazing job of establishing why.
Recently, I picked up a book (I don’t remember the title) and never finished it. Why? Because the heroine (and hero) did something so out of character and incredibly stupid that I couldn’t believe it and was disgusted. I deleted it off my iPad. That’s the ultimate insult from me. LOL I hope I never do that to any of my readers. I hope no one dislikes my books so much they delete them.
My heroines, so far, have ranged from jocks to archaeologists to psychics to shifters. All have had their baggage they have to sift through and they grow and change by the end of the story. Those are the heroines I like to read, and write, about.
What about you?
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This topic brings to mind the question of “would you rather watch hot beautiful actors in a love scene or the average perhaps non-attractive ones?” I admit watching less than attractive people in love scenes is less than appealing! HA…However their are some actors that I can watch if I get attached to their characters. For instance, I think Carson and Mrs. Hughes from Downton Abbey would be wonderful to watch kiss cause I want them together at some point. They’re so endearing to watch when they are together in scenes.
I don’t know, Ruth. I’m not saying they are ugly, but if you look at the heroines, and heroes, now, many of them are not what would be considered traditionally beautiful. I’m not going to say I don’t like eye candy. Oh, I do, but if the eye candy is an idiot, I’ll lose all interest in them. Take Bridget Jones Diaries. Renee Zellweger is not smoking hot in that movie, and yet all of us rooted for her in part because of that. I’m not saying the protagonist can’t be beautiful, just that it’s not the be all end all for me.
If we were all incredibly hot, then we’d only be average, and when you get familiar with a person, they are just themselves, whether beautiful or not, it doesn’t matter.
Like you, the personal attributes of a heroine now draw me.
Very true, Rhobin. I read a book recently where all of the characters were incredibly beautiful and perfect physically. Part of the appeal of the heroine to the hero was her imperfection. Not that she was unattractive, she just wasn’t perfect.
One of my very favorite authors is Mercedes Lackey, because her protagonists/heroes/heroines are so “common”. They have personal doubts, likes, and “funkables”. Yet, they overcome and show up when the circumstances call for them to do so. If the main character in any story is not someone the reader can identify with in some way, the reader will not stay with the story. I even like James Bond in the original stories. Not because I’m anything like him, but Ian Fleming wrote him as a sort of “ideal, yet sort of attainable” guy. Although, I do have a theory about “unattainable” males in media. lol
What’s your theory, Christ? I’m curious. 🙂
Those “funkables” make them relatable and make you root for them, don’t they? 🙂
Until I became a mom, all my characters were “beautiful people” as well. Most of my heroines now are more “real” and have their insecurities.
Being a mom sure gives one a new perspective, doesn’t it, Diane? 🙂 I know it did me. LOL
Like you, I’m not too particular about how the heroine looks. I care more about her personality and her strengths. I read and write books with women with realistic flaws because while we might like to look at perfect people, in reality we don’t identify with them much because that’s unattainable.
And like Rhobin pointed out, if we were all exceptionally good-looking that would become the new average. Then we’d be seeking out plain or ugly people because they’d be so “different”. Just like we like to read about men with accents different from ours.
I agree with you, Fiona. Perfect people are hard to relate to. I don’t know if that is because we are envious (maybe a little) or if we just can’t relate to them at all.
I like meeting men with accents different. They can be quite sexy. 😉
I agree with you about the ‘too stupid to live’ heroine’s, or heroes. When you’re screaming at them because you already know the plot and what’s going to happen. I usually quit reading too.
Marci,
Great post. I guess one’s age does make a difference. I just finished compiling three stories in one of women who find romance at different ages. I more identified with the last one who had gained some weight, didn’t feel very appealing, and doubted she’d ever find anyone to replace her late husband. Youth doesn’t always mean wisdom, and I’m starting to write about older heroines who have lived and learned.
Right, Beverley? What’s the point of reading when you are rooting for them to die? LOL
Thanks, Ginger. Youth frequently means stupidity. LOL We don’t have the benefit of experience when we are younger. Not that everyone gains wisdom with age, but we can hope. LOL