What Makes A Heroine?
I've been stalled on my favorite novel for months, and it's all Helena's fault. Helena Shiloh, my leading lady, is the single most frustrating character I've ever tried to develop. Not just that I don't know what she looks like, what her backstory is, or what her personality is like, but I just can't figure out how to make her that perfect balance between strong, feminine, fun, respected, flawed, kind, and real. I can't figure out where to start with her.
I somehow ended up in a reflective sort of mood and got to thinking. I don't typically like female characters. Period. In just about every epic fantasy saga I've ever read, I've never cared for the leading ladies. They're either too strong, too domineering, too angry, too ditzy, or too... "I am wo-man, here me roar". Naturally, this led to a debate with myself over whether or not there are any main female characters out there that I like, and I managed to compile this extremely short list of fictional women that I like and/or admire:
Samantha Carter /Stargate SG-1
Jo March /Little Women
Sophie /Howl's Moving Castle
Belle /Beauty and the Beast (my fondness for her is very recent)
That's about it. At the moment, at least. I'll add more over time, I think.
Who are your favorite female characters in fiction; literature, TV, or movies? Why do you like them? What makes them memorable, strong, likable? What makes a strong heroine?
I somehow ended up in a reflective sort of mood and got to thinking. I don't typically like female characters. Period. In just about every epic fantasy saga I've ever read, I've never cared for the leading ladies. They're either too strong, too domineering, too angry, too ditzy, or too... "I am wo-man, here me roar". Naturally, this led to a debate with myself over whether or not there are any main female characters out there that I like, and I managed to compile this extremely short list of fictional women that I like and/or admire:
Samantha Carter /Stargate SG-1
Jo March /Little Women
Sophie /Howl's Moving Castle
Belle /Beauty and the Beast (my fondness for her is very recent)
That's about it. At the moment, at least. I'll add more over time, I think.
Who are your favorite female characters in fiction; literature, TV, or movies? Why do you like them? What makes them memorable, strong, likable? What makes a strong heroine?