As you can see, I'm not very good at alligning my pictures! Sorry!
Heroines are a fun, challenging entity for me. I don't like them too "In Your Face", I certainly don't like them wimpy, but best of all, I love them to have a cool and unique career. They have to have the just-right balance of sweetness vs. aggressiveness--not an easy balance!
I'm sort of dragging up the back of the line here by JUST NOW jumping on the CSI bandwagon. Oh my GOSH! I LOVE LOVE LOVE CSI! Miami is my favorite. My daughter and I will watch episode after episode! (ahem, when I'm not writing!) Calleigh (the top picture) is one of my favorites on CSI: Miami. She's cool, knows her stuff, and yet has that great sweet/I-can-kick-your-butt type attitude. LOVE CALLEIGH!
One of the fun things about writing is this: ALL the cool careers that I'm too old to pursue? I can now simply live vicariously through my heroines! FUN! Take for instance, Rachel Weisz (pictured in white shirt and with BRENDAN FRASER!). WOW. Not only is she a cool archaeologist (AFTER she was a Librarian, of course!) and gets to smooch her super-cool and sexy archaeologist (AFTER he was a treasure hunter!) guy, Rick O'Connell (sigh, Brendan!), but she is again, that perfect mixture of sweet/kindhearted vs. "don't make me come in there!" I love her character as Evie. One of my favorites!
But there's also the very cool career as a demon hunter, as Rachel showed us in Constantine (pic in white shirt). LOVED her in that movie (as well as Keanu!).
I've had one of my heroines be a mystery novelist( Amelia from Highland Knight- (see pic of Kim Lenox! Ain't she gorgeous?!!!), a forensic archaeologist (Andi from Spirited Away), a geneologist (that was Ellie, and for the most part her career didn't surface during the book), a professional ghost-ouster (Allie in MacGowan's Ghost), and lastly Emma (from Thirteen Chances) who is a wedding photographer. Lots of neat careers! And these are just to name a few.
You may be wondering about the super-hip and adorable violinist (last pic). I stumbled across Emilie Autumn while researching another heroine (I'm keeping that one a secret for now!). She is a PHENOMENAL violinist who mixes the classicals with modern-day rock. It is AWESOME! And her music is totally an inspiration for a character I'm working on...
What sort of heroine do you like to read? Are there certain careers that really pull you into a story? Let's hear some of them!
Better yet...what do you want to be when you grow up? :)
Hm, I don't know what sort of heroine I especially like to read, however, I do know what sort of heroine I DON'T want to read: stupid ones. Really, they exist. I've read about some. Not many, but they exist. Or overly naïve ones. It's almost the same. They're just getting on my nerves and I want to throw something (preferably the book)...
ReplyDeleteBut, hey, I like to read about writer heroines. I think that's just something very cool. You know, the author who writes about an author who's researching things the REAL author must have researched before... Am I making sense? I'm not sure, but it's cool!
Also like honest, outspoken women. The ones who say what's on their mind, no matter if it suits the ones around them or not, and who know what they want. You go, girls!
When I grow up, of course, I want to be a writer. :) No, really. I want to publish books on day. I've already started, but I'm infuriatingly slow!
Great post, LisaK! And you remember this about becoming a writer: PERSISTANCE!!!! :) Don't give up!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!
I don't think many women like reading about helpless damsels in distress anymore. Adventure seeking, outgoing, confident, women who have no problems working in a male dominant field or participating in male dominant activites such as martial arts, shooting, etc., are the ones I like to read about. I think women want to read about women that THEY want to be!
ReplyDeleteI like heroines that are not perfect but strong willed. A heroine is far more interesting to me if I feel like I can identify with her, I guess I just like to feel like she could someone I know or I would even dare say myself.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that women like to read about strong, funny, outgoing women who never give up no matter what.
I think it would be interesting to have a character that is a psychologist or even better a forensic psychologist. But then I might be a bit bias since that my chosen profession I am working for.
Oh, thank you Cindy! Lol! (Air brushing was kind to me!)
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying your cozy website fireplace today.
Super posts, guys! I'm so in agreeance--I like strong (but not so strong they're manly or over-assertive) and especially funny heroines. I love Sandra Bulloch's "Gracie Hart" in Miss Congeniality. Snort! She was too funny, underlying really sweet, and don't take poo-poo!
ReplyDeleteKim, I wish I had that cozy website fireplace today--it's COLD here! Sun blazing and everything! Buurrrrr!
Thanks guys! I appreciate you making sure I'm not talking to just myself here! LOL!