What does it take to make a strong heroine? Guest blogger Rachel Rossano has a list of characteristics she feels are necessary. Take a look and let us know what you think.
When writing my latest novel, Duty, I asked the question, what makes a quality heroine? After a bit of brainstorming, I came up with a list. Here are a few of the attributes that jumped out at me.
Strength - By strength, I do not refer to her ability to talk tough, kick someone’s teeth in, or do stupid things to prove she is one of the boys. A woman who recognizes her strengths and weaknesses and acts within them is a strong woman. I would prefer following the story of a heroine who faces moral and physical challenges with perseverance and a willingness to work toward a solution. Choosing to make a stand takes more strength than seeking out trouble.
Wisdom - Just because she is the fairer sex does not mean she should be foolish. I have read so many books where the plot depends on the heroine (or another character) making an obvious mistake. A heroine should demonstrate wisdom, the ability to see things objectively and to act on more than just her emotions. Common sense would be a nice addition as well.
Tenacity - She refuses to give up. Circumstances back her into a corner. The villain holds her in his control. The hero is nowhere to be seen. Does she weep and wait for rescue? No, she looks for a solution on her own. No matter how dire the situation, she holds onto hope and continues to fight. A bit of tenacity in a heroine is a must.
Maturity in handling emotions - Hysterics never accomplished anything except, perhaps, annoying the hero. I am not saying she must be a stoic or a robot. She is an emotional being and her reactions to her environment, other characters, and, especially, the hero drives the story. Letting her grow angry, grieve, and love without losing her common sense will make the story all the more real to the reader.
Brielle Solarius, the heroine of Duty, finds herself in trouble. Not just her, but her whole village, face a long winter and few supplies. She tries to make the best of the situation, but knows that her half measures are not going to save them. A band of warriors rides into their midst. She wonders what they hope to gain raiding a starving village. Then one of them claims to be her husband.
What would the heroine I described above do?
About the book:
Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king. When that same king demands Tomas marry the impoverished daughter of the late Lord Wisten, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.
Duty: a novel of Rhynan follows their journey from strangers to friends as they face complications from their pasts and the shaky politics of a changing regime. Then Brielle is implicated in her cousin’s treasonous activities. Can a marriage of duty survive treason?
Get Duty from Amazon HERE or from Smashwords HERE.
About the author:Author of a growing stack of novels, novellas, and short stories, Rachel Rossano balances her time between the chaos of raising and homeschooling her three children and the world of drama and high adventure in her head. With her faithful husband and chief consulting editor by her side, she dreams of many more adventures to come in both of her double lives.
Rachel's online presence:
Blog ~ http://rachel-rossano.blogspot.com/
Website ~ http://anavrea.webs.com/
Twitter ~ http://twitter.com/RachelRossano
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/RachelRossanoRambles
YouTube ~ http://www.youtube.com/anavrea
*Top image taken from Chivalry by Léon Gautier (1891), p. 374. Google eBook HERE.
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Book One in the Tennessee Waltz Series.
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When penniless Catherine Roth answers a letter for a governess position in the isolated castle of Lord Andrew Montmoor, she has no idea that madness, obsession, and secrets await her.
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When the dowager duchess of Marcross insists he accompany her niece, Ginny, into the country for the day to execute a special task, Sir Anthony is appalled, to say the least. Ginny, who thinks little of the fashionable Sir Anthony, is as eager to be done with the chore as he, but before they arrive at their destination they are stranded by highwaymen and launched into adventure. Forced into each other's company, Ginny begins to sense the passionate nature beneath Sir Anthony's mask of ennui, while his exasperation with the forthright Ginny turns into admiration of her wit and charm. Then beautiful Lucinda Barrington and Lord Avery, a poet, come onto the scene, sparking Ginny's imagination and revealing a way to unmask the true man behind Sir Anthony's frivolous facade. Meanwhile, the dowager duchess has plans of her own for this pair, and her special task turns into a battle of words, wills, and wit.
Ginny Delacourt felt the course of true love could not have run smoother. After all, it required only a fortnight, a pair of highwaymen, a pox quarantine, a sham betrothal, and a masquerade ball to bring Sir Anthony up to snuff. When her beloved suddenly becomes the heir to his uncle, the Duke of Marcross, protocol dictates that he drop the 'Sir' from his name. It's his uncle who insists Ginny, daughter of a lowly vicar, is not the proper bride for a future duke.
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Only daughter of an English lord, Sarra of Greenbriar, is used to getting her way. So when her father passes and the King begins sending suitors, she feels justified in taking matters into her own hands. Through a series of harmless pranks, Sarra works to keep the potential husbands at bay.
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