The one thing I’ll never accept?
Dumb heroines.
You know the heroine I’m talking about. In movies or
TV shows, she’s the one that hears a noise and goes toward it. Or does
something incredibly stupid that has no reason for occurring, other than maybe
allowing some character to rush in and save her, even though she should know—as
does the entire audience—not to do that.
The same holds true in romance books. I don’t want to
read about a woman who can’t function on her own, who absolutely needs a man to
save her.* I’m perfectly fine with vulnerability. I’m fine with a heroine
making mistakes—we all do that, and it’s one of the qualities that make characters
relatable. But being unable to function without the hero is a reading turnoff
for me.
For that reason, when I became a writer, I made sure
to write strong heroines. Some of them are single moms, who might be tired and
overworked, but are fully capable of holding down a job and taking care of
their child. They might wish things were different, but they’re capable and
fully functioning.
Others are escaping a past where they’ve made
life-altering mistakes. Were their mistakes stupid? Possibly. Then again,
hindsight is 20/20, and we’ve all done things that we regret. But they’ve
learned from their mistakes and are determined not to repeat them.
Some are either chasing a future that is markedly
different from their childhood. They’ve seen what their parents have done, and
they are determined to do things differently. Do they slip up? Sometimes. But
they pull themselves up, figure out what they did wrong, and change their
direction.
So how does my hero fit into the life of a strong
heroine? Well, first, I love writing damaged heroes. So quite often, it’s my
heroine who is “saving” my hero. She challenges him, teases him, and forces him
to consider things he hadn’t considered before.
Second, if the hero does swoop in and do any saving,
it’s on her terms. If he’s arrogant and bossy, he soon learns he’ll have to
change his behavior in order for her to accept anything, much less help, from
him.
And third, the heroes and heroines in my stories
ultimately share the load equally. Falling in love doesn’t mean giving up one’s
dreams. In my stories, it means expanding them. Relationships require
communication and compromise—on both sides. It’s only at that point where both
of them realize that accepting help isn’t a sign of weakness, and strength
comes in many forms.
*For
the purposes of this blog, I’m talking about M/F romances, since that is what I
typically read and always write. However, I have read some really great M/M
romances, too, and I’m happy to recommend authors if you’re interested (ones
who don’t write stupid characters).
UNLOCK MY HEART
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/4NyjGx
Jennifer Wilck is an award-winning contemporary romance author for readers who are passionate about love, laughter, and happily ever after. Known for writing both Jewish and non-Jewish romances, her books feature damaged heroes, sassy and independent heroines, witty banter, and hot chemistry. Jennifer’s ability to transport the reader into the scene, create characters the reader will fall in love with, and evoke a roller coaster of emotions, will hook you from the first page. You can find her books at all major online retailers in a variety of formats.
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