Evolving heroines or stuck in a hamster wheel
I'm not sure there is a correct answer here but whatever route the author chooses they have to get it right.
Let's start with the heroine stuck in a hamster wheel. And by that I mean all their weaknesses and strengths are fixed in place from the get go. They don't change for anyone or anything.
For some stories that can work. Fixated upon revenge. Mary Sunshine no matter what fate brings her way. Facing impossible odds. Independent and living their life on their terms.
A static heroine can work really well. Especially in standalone novels or a tight well constructed trilogy. People may enter their life. Events may happen. But they remain true to themselves and to their goals.
But can anyone truly stay static? We adapt. We compromise. We learn... don't we?
Sometimes a stubborn intractable heroine is a wonder. She grits her teeth. She stands her ground. And HEA willing, overcomes incredible odds even when everything and everyone is telegraphing to her to change her ways. She triumphs and essentially remains true to herself.
But... come on, you knew one was coming. Awesome books where a heroine successfully gets to remain on a hamster wheel in regards to her personality and growth levels are few and far between.
How many times have you DNF'd a book because you grew tired of the heroine refusing to learn from her mistakes? Of throwing herself into the same situation again and again and not doing anything different?
We learn. We change. We compromise. Is it too much to expect our heroines to do the same? Especially when is comes to a book series.
Think Mercy learning to accept not just the love of Adam into her life but the pack and coming to terms with her history with Bran.
What about Kate Daniels? Same could be said. Discovering that connections and friends can be a good thing, that they give you a reason to fight.
Problem is, like a static character, there can also be inherent dangers in creating a character who evolves on her journey.
Think Anita Blake. She started off a stubborn static character, then began a period of real growth and maturity. Learning to accept her powers and the love of multiple men (and then times that by a factor of ten). I have no problem with Anita's sexual journey in itself, what I do have a problem with is that in the last fifteen books anytime she makes a decision she has to analyse it, give herself a pat on the back for being so mature now, feel a little smug at how far she has come, have sex, analyse it a bit more and then do nothing much of anything.... and repeat.
Same goes for another heroine series I'm reading currently. She is overcoming a dark past. Letting people into her life is hard for her but she is learning. She evolved over about five books, and I thought the author had done a bang up job.
Problem is, here we are at book six and every time our heroine does anything she thinks about what the old pre-growth her would have done, considers how far she has come, puts herself in her lover's shoes to make sure she has the empathy factor taken in to account and then eventually does or says whatever the hell she was going to - but it was so long ago I've forgotten the story thread yet again.
I did say at the beginning of this blog that there probably wouldn't be any answers provided here.
Perhaps the trick to getting a heroine right is to blend the two components - for example, Mercy has remained true to her core self and hasn't changed essentially who she is. And where she has evolved, it has happened slowly, realistically and thankfully without all the self-congratulatory back patting.
If anything her evolution - of loving Adam, of learning to be part of the pack - has strengthened her core self, made her look inside and discover who she is, where she will draw the line and how far she is willing to go to defend it and those she cares about.
Just something to think about next time you are reading a book and beginning to wonder why the heroine is suddenly annoying the dickens out of you.
Happy five star reading everyone
Let's start with the heroine stuck in a hamster wheel. And by that I mean all their weaknesses and strengths are fixed in place from the get go. They don't change for anyone or anything.
For some stories that can work. Fixated upon revenge. Mary Sunshine no matter what fate brings her way. Facing impossible odds. Independent and living their life on their terms.
A static heroine can work really well. Especially in standalone novels or a tight well constructed trilogy. People may enter their life. Events may happen. But they remain true to themselves and to their goals.
But can anyone truly stay static? We adapt. We compromise. We learn... don't we?
Sometimes a stubborn intractable heroine is a wonder. She grits her teeth. She stands her ground. And HEA willing, overcomes incredible odds even when everything and everyone is telegraphing to her to change her ways. She triumphs and essentially remains true to herself.
But... come on, you knew one was coming. Awesome books where a heroine successfully gets to remain on a hamster wheel in regards to her personality and growth levels are few and far between.
How many times have you DNF'd a book because you grew tired of the heroine refusing to learn from her mistakes? Of throwing herself into the same situation again and again and not doing anything different?
We learn. We change. We compromise. Is it too much to expect our heroines to do the same? Especially when is comes to a book series.
Think Mercy learning to accept not just the love of Adam into her life but the pack and coming to terms with her history with Bran.
What about Kate Daniels? Same could be said. Discovering that connections and friends can be a good thing, that they give you a reason to fight.
Problem is, like a static character, there can also be inherent dangers in creating a character who evolves on her journey.
Think Anita Blake. She started off a stubborn static character, then began a period of real growth and maturity. Learning to accept her powers and the love of multiple men (and then times that by a factor of ten). I have no problem with Anita's sexual journey in itself, what I do have a problem with is that in the last fifteen books anytime she makes a decision she has to analyse it, give herself a pat on the back for being so mature now, feel a little smug at how far she has come, have sex, analyse it a bit more and then do nothing much of anything.... and repeat.
Same goes for another heroine series I'm reading currently. She is overcoming a dark past. Letting people into her life is hard for her but she is learning. She evolved over about five books, and I thought the author had done a bang up job.
Problem is, here we are at book six and every time our heroine does anything she thinks about what the old pre-growth her would have done, considers how far she has come, puts herself in her lover's shoes to make sure she has the empathy factor taken in to account and then eventually does or says whatever the hell she was going to - but it was so long ago I've forgotten the story thread yet again.
I did say at the beginning of this blog that there probably wouldn't be any answers provided here.
Perhaps the trick to getting a heroine right is to blend the two components - for example, Mercy has remained true to her core self and hasn't changed essentially who she is. And where she has evolved, it has happened slowly, realistically and thankfully without all the self-congratulatory back patting.
If anything her evolution - of loving Adam, of learning to be part of the pack - has strengthened her core self, made her look inside and discover who she is, where she will draw the line and how far she is willing to go to defend it and those she cares about.
Just something to think about next time you are reading a book and beginning to wonder why the heroine is suddenly annoying the dickens out of you.
Happy five star reading everyone
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