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Friday, January 11, 2008

Feisty Females

Ever have one of those heroines who just won’t cooperate? The female in my current wip keeps turning in to one totally feisty bitch. She’s supposed to be taunting the hero, enticing him, daring him to take what he wants, but so far her manipulation consists of derogatory remarks to his masculinity. Time to rethink the dialogue.

Doesn’t Eva retain her femininity while pulling off that man hungry quality?
And even little Mandy seems to have that “wait til later, baby” look.
So, my question to you is, how do you make your heroine strong without creating a monster?

4 comments:

Nicole McCaffrey said...

It's all about the motivation! That deep PV is also all important. A smart mouth can hide a fear of rejection, an assertive personality can hide a fear of being seen as weak. Let the reader inside her head to see her frailties and vulnerabilities and she'll become much more sympathetic.

Good to see you back, btw.

Darah Lace said...

But you know how I hate the M word!

L. Rosario said...

hmmmmm....good questions, Darah, not sure I know how to answer because that would mean I've taken the time to analyze the process of my writing and "god forbid!" LOL
but in all seriousness...Nic is right, she won't be monstrous if she has some vulnerabilities. Regardless of what she says or how she acts toward others, the key is those private moments.
*hugs*

Nicole McCaffrey said...

Yoo hoo! Darah! Thought you were back??