A Brief Note on Heroines
I know I like them to be quickwitted. I know I like them to believe in love, but to have other things to do, rather than just trying to win it or destroy it or bitch about not having it or finding it for others (and thereafter winning it, but without effort). I like them to be a story that isn't about hooking up, or staying good while somebody tries to corrupt them, until their hook-up finally arrives to save (corrupt, cough) them. I like them to be clever and I like them to have a job. I like to see them actually choose to get involved in adventure and trials and tribulations, not just get dragged into them because otherwise they'd die, and that's not just because it cuts down on the whining and angsting about oh woe why do I have to do this. Actually, I just like it when people decide to be good, or to do something brave, or great, because they want to, or on impulse, not because they've been forced or coerced. I like stories where the heroine embarks on a quest because if she doesn't oh noes X will happen, but I also like it when she embarks on the quest, even though it won't necessarily end HER world if she doesn't go, although it might end somebody else's. I like it when they're good at things, but not perfect. I like it when they know how to indulge in some banter, but I like it when they're quiet and intense, too. I like it when they think they believe in nothing, but find out that, actually, they really do believe in something, and it's important to them. I like it when they have a family they aren't completely at odds with. I like it when they're flawed, but their flaw isn't a plot device; it's just part of how they interact with the world. I like it when they don't totally get their own way.