Into the Fire

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Passionate: right or wrong. Writes love stories with a passion. Raw Romantic Redemptive

Spunk, grace, wisdom, or guts.

 

Does your heroine display any of these characteristics? Does she have a quick wit and a sense of humor? Is she compassionate and empathetic? Can she discern the needs in others or solve problems? Does she charge into trouble or shy away from any hint of it?

 

What’s to like about her? Is she kind? Is she acerbic? Is she clever? Is she tough?

 

What’s her spiritual condition? In the world or of the world? Lost or found? Leaning toward God or running away from Him? Indifferent towards His advances? Desperately hoping He exists?

 

Do we need to envision her clearly for the story? Does her appearance play a role? How old is she?

 

Does she have a best friend, a husband, a business partner? Do we get to know her quickly or is she stand-offish and unpredictable?

 

Is she strong physically? Emotionally? Spiritually? Is she fragile at one level and strong in others? Is she delicate?

 

Will men enjoy reading about her? Do you care if they do?

 

What’s important to you when you read a story with a female protagonist?

 

 

Lord, help us to write memorably. Help us to flesh out and spirit up the people in our stories. Help us to do and be real. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

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2 responses to “Spunk, grace, wisdom, or guts.”

  1. Brenda Jackson Avatar
    Brenda Jackson

    I look for a heroine who is strong without being unintentionally comedic about it. I think one of the reasons I prefer a male protag over female is that it is not uncommon for me to read a novel where the writer is trying to make their heroine into a female rambo, and rather than coming across well, it just makes me gag.
    Likewise, the heroine should be vulnerable and proactive. Nothing drives me nuttier than heroines who stand around, or ones who do one idiotic thing after the other (and at those times I’m thinking, well of COURSE such and such a bad thing happened to you and I don’t feel sorry for you!)
    A heroine should be comfortable being a woman, not busy trying to prove she’s as good as a man.
    Weaving stories isn’t easy–if an author doesn’t make it REALLY believable why a character makes the choices they made, the story is lost.

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  2. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Female Rambos should be CIA or nothing at all. I thoroughly agree with your assessments, Brenda. I’d only add that whiny women are on the top of my “who cares?” list. Snarky women characters will work but rarely as protagonists unless the author is clever enough to clue us in to their vulnerability.
    I’ve read two novels where tragedies occurred to the female protagonists. By the time I was a quarter of the way through the story, I could’ve cared less. That’s exactly the opposite reaction the story intended because a love interest was presented, and I thought, “Man, if you love this woman, what’s wrong with you? You deserve her.”

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