UNLIKELY HEROES AND HEROINES 3/12/2012

Unlikely heroes and heroines

Apparently I caused a controversy with this lead in:

The author said, “I've adequately disgraced the legend of Robin Hood and Lady Marian with the release of this lusty, irreverent novella: THE WOLVES OF SHERWOOD FOREST. For one thing I miscast a 22 year old Marian who in two ways resembles Dolly Parton, and not to be outdone, Robin is the world's first tree hugger. Do run out and hug a tree today. It will stir unusual feelings. Please forgive me Dolly, you’re beautiful.”

Genre: Historical Romance Novella

A respected writer, not to name names, I’ll just call her ‘fiery redhead’ said that women readers of romance fiction hate (don’t want to read about) heroines with big boobs. There may be no such thing as bad publicity. I sold 1400 copies in 3 days and made it to #8 on Kindle’s free historicals, #15 in historical romance, #83 of all romances, #256 of all fiction.

Let’s think beyond the box. If your muse (or marketing savvy) leads you to write about a heroine with big boobs or a hero with a small penis, do it. Actually I never read anything about a hero who wasn’t endowed. Why is it the guy is always endowed and the woman is never? If you guys know me by now, my personal preferences have nothing to do with this story. Some guys transcend their own idea of beauty to love the woman, no matter what she looks like.

Has Hemmingway condemned us to only write what we know? Hey, Earnest, we know a lot. Humans were put on this Earth to question, to ask what if. If your critique group is all over you for expressing yourself in a manner they aren’t used to, **** it. I do listen and use the criticism as a double check. Honor your vision, enjoy yourself while writing a story the way you want to write it. Besides, the last thing anybody in a critique group should want to comment on is the writer’s voice. This is not just my advice, Maya Banks said the same thing when she visited RWA San Diego last year.

Unlikely heroes and heroines:

Frumpy
Bald
103 years old — who waited his whole life to meet his soulmate.
Frumpy (the guy)
Bald (the woman)
Etc.
PAUSE: Many romance authors write a heroine who is not comfortable with themselves in some physical way. True most readers are women and they more easily identify with someone like themselves and sometimes place themselves into the fantasy. For the 9%+ male readers, no such accomodation is usually offered.

What about blind heroines? In a few weeks Deidre Knight, who has written blind heroines, is coming to speak at RWASD. Writing blind heroines is a very difficult task, because we take away a sense. Maybe not as hard as you think, memories of what things looked like play big as a survival tool, for instance.

Okay maybe frumpy women and less tall guys don’t make good heroes and heroines, but they might be memorable and don’t we fall in love with the character’s heart (the way they act) first and take everything else for granted? How many of us remember the color of her eyes? We will remember a unique personality.