tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post4333091606589473854..comments2023-11-03T05:49:10.841-04:00Comments on Storytelling Rules: The fine line between a nice heroine and a martyrMaureen McGowanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-80245835261779847682011-05-20T12:00:55.800-04:002011-05-20T12:00:55.800-04:00I just revised an entire manuscript to make the he...I just revised an entire manuscript to make the heroine more likeable. Jury's still out. (And by jury, I mean editors.)Maureen McGowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00494408580378817045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-11506554902063311422011-05-20T11:53:24.786-04:002011-05-20T11:53:24.786-04:00When I was writing Hold Back the Dark, in one the ...When I was writing Hold Back the Dark, in one the first scenes, I had my heroine grousing (internally only!) about getting up in the middle of the night to deal with a patient. My editor had me cut it. She said it made her seem petulant and not heroine-material. It still irritates me. Who wants to get up in the middle of the night to deal with someone? Why couldn't she grouse? At any rate, that character is not one of my favorites. She's just too goody goody because of things like that.Eileenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09803986849921870941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-33726887922019072422011-05-20T09:18:30.460-04:002011-05-20T09:18:30.460-04:00Agreeing with everyone! I think where we are seein...Agreeing with everyone! I think where we are seeing the trend (at least in romance) is for more realistic people. Humans. Not caricatures of what the "romance" heroine used to be. I'm thinking of Sherry Thomas as I right this.<br /><br />Sometimes it's not easy to like her heroines... which in a way likes what she's doing more. <br /><br />People shoudln't be any ONE thing. And as writers when we try to make something "bigger than life" I think we over compensate.Stephanie Doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17448686465587131952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-86316188933693076962011-05-20T09:05:44.024-04:002011-05-20T09:05:44.024-04:00I agree with you - but I think that balance swings...I agree with you - but I think that balance swings a lot of different ways - too sarcastic and I'm done, too angry and I'm done, too wimpy I'm done that tightrope always comes down to just one line in the first five pages - you get the right line in there, whatever it is and your readers will follow you -Molly O'Keefehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15171236688541657736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29864506.post-31694933221900113632011-05-19T21:19:22.925-04:002011-05-19T21:19:22.925-04:00I especially hate the heroine with the "chara...I especially hate the heroine with the "character flaw" of realizing she's too much of a perfectionist. Gag. <br /><br />I have a friend who is an immaculate housekeeper. It gave me a great bit of joy each time I used her downstairs bathroom to notice a tiny piece of painter's tape along the baseboard. It was there for over a year. I decided I could still be friends with her.<br /><br />Don't we women put enough pressure on ourselves? The last thing I want when I slip into my tub (that is a little past due for a re-caulking) is to read about some perfect goody-two-shoes, who of course falls in love with the unrepentant bad boy. Only after he's become perfect as well.That is the kind of book that gives romance a bad name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com