By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
As a writer, I have a list of what I feel is vital for a woman to be a heroine in a romantic suspense novel. Determining who my female character is takes time and lots of thought.
My criteria may not be what you expected.
- It’s not brains or beauty.
- It’s not an ivy-league education.
- It’s not her ability as a crack shot or a master of self-defense.
- It’s not her profession.
What she must possess is a tight grip on tenacity to solve a problem or reach a goal.
Here are 12 important characteristics that matter to my heroine.
- My heroine doesn’t need a man to rescue her.
- My heroine loves unconditionally.
- My heroine is proud of her femininity.
- My heroine is strong mentally.
- My heroine isn’t defined by social status.
- My heroine puts her own life on hold until the problem is solved.
- My heroine risks everything to keep people safe.
- My heroine refuses to accept age as a barrier.
- My heroine shoves greed from her DNA.
- My heroine thinks of others before herself.
- My heroine values her faith in God.
Now it’s your turn. What do you feel is critical for a woman to be called a heroine?
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Comments 12
Perfect, DiAnn! I like her. I also agree with Pat above. All the best, DiAnn!
Thank you! I think every woman can be a heroine.
I like your criteria…adding in a heroine recognizes evil and does her best to prevent it…
Thanks Kathleen, good call!
Real heroines turn from evil.
Elizabeth, definitely one for me to add!
I don’t know about heroines but here’s a little wicked something to speculate. How about a physician of internal medicine who implants a carcinogen into female patients. Or better yet, a power broker businessman who bribes a woman’s physician to implant a carcenogen. The power broker then maintains a relationship until the inevitable bout with cancer. Professing love he marries her in order to ingratiate himself toward her inheritance. It’s the perfect crime.
Elizabeth, that so sounds like the perfect crime.
My heroine has to be a little quirky, fast on her thinking feet, a little bit of a smart mouth,
have faith that God put her in the situation for a reason, rely on her wits to puzzle out situations and have a sense of humor. Also she is hardly ever confrontational; thinks before she speaks; walks away when the pressure mounts to settle her mind and her thoughts. If she cannot walk away she is likely to plunge into something she hasn’t fully thought out and then has to scramble (which brings me back to ‘fast on her thinking feet’).
Nancy, outstanding advice. Thanks!
I think you are right. Any woman, rather homeless or in high social status; as long as she is strong and has the Lord first in her life. She will then think of others and have the strength to put them first in protection and all the other things that life seems to throw at us.
Pat, – and life can through us women a few curve balls.