A few weeks ago I read a great blog over at Dear Author, titled: Who’s at the Center of a Romance, the Hero or Heroine.
It’s a very interesting question and it really got me thinking. There are all kinds of books that focus on one or the other. All kinds of great books in romance that focus equally on the male and female protagonists through the course of a story.
I’ve never thought about this one way or another before now. I do know I prefer to read and gravitate toward books written by women over men, though I read both. I do love a fantasy novel that focuses on a woman’s journey as opposed to a man’s. I prefer a romance novel that might have more point of view (POV) scenes done from the woman's standpoint than the male protagonist. And, above all, I want to relate to the character in some shape or form while I'm reading. I don't have to step in her shoes and be her, but I want to go along for the ride in her character ARC more than I do for a man.
I'm guessing that last point has a lot to do with the reason I prefer a Heroine centered novel. I'm a woman, I relate to women characters more easily than I would a male lead. I become more emotionally invested in a story for one told through a woman's eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love me some yummy heroes. I love the intense ones as well (Lord Ian MacKenzie!) And romances are about the journey of two people coming together, falling in love and triumphing all.
But, I'm still drawn to stories that focus a little more on the women, their relationships, their loves, and their journeys in life.
If I can't connect to the heroine, I most likely won't finish the book. If she does things that I find silly or completely degrading to her part in the story it's an instant wallbanger. If the heroine has a smaller arc than the man, I might forgive the story it's flaws if it's really well told.
I think my preference for the heroine-centric novel (and there are many ways to interpret what heroine-centric can mean to you) has inadvertently influenced my writing. I love my female leads. Love them to pieces. I think my greatest strength in my story telling is in my heroines. I put more time and consideration in building their dynamics than I usually do my heroes because my heroines are more likely to represent community for me and be more family centric than my bachelor heroes. That's not to say I dislike my heroes. I love them, too, and I have to work extra hard to make them shine because they have to match my strong heroine leads.
If you haven't guessed, most of my books favor the heroines. The Surrender of a Lady is told mostly in Jinan's POV, the story is a romance, but focuses more on her journey of acceptance (watch, readers will think something completely different than this, which is fine by me). The Seduction of his wife is more about the growth of Emma's character, and the POV is slightly favored on the heroine's side. The Secret Desires of a Governess also favors my heroine a tiny bit more, though my hero, Elliott is totally droolworthy in my eyes.
Readers: Take at look at your book shelves . . . what kinds of books do you mostly see?
Writers: Who do you better relate to when writing your stories? Is it gender based? Now that I've asked the question are you going to think about this in depth?
Do you love the heroines or the heroes more in your stories? Do you like them evenly? Are there specific things/roles you like each gender to play?
It’s a very interesting question and it really got me thinking. There are all kinds of books that focus on one or the other. All kinds of great books in romance that focus equally on the male and female protagonists through the course of a story.
I’ve never thought about this one way or another before now. I do know I prefer to read and gravitate toward books written by women over men, though I read both. I do love a fantasy novel that focuses on a woman’s journey as opposed to a man’s. I prefer a romance novel that might have more point of view (POV) scenes done from the woman's standpoint than the male protagonist. And, above all, I want to relate to the character in some shape or form while I'm reading. I don't have to step in her shoes and be her, but I want to go along for the ride in her character ARC more than I do for a man.
I'm guessing that last point has a lot to do with the reason I prefer a Heroine centered novel. I'm a woman, I relate to women characters more easily than I would a male lead. I become more emotionally invested in a story for one told through a woman's eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love me some yummy heroes. I love the intense ones as well (Lord Ian MacKenzie!) And romances are about the journey of two people coming together, falling in love and triumphing all.
But, I'm still drawn to stories that focus a little more on the women, their relationships, their loves, and their journeys in life.
If I can't connect to the heroine, I most likely won't finish the book. If she does things that I find silly or completely degrading to her part in the story it's an instant wallbanger. If the heroine has a smaller arc than the man, I might forgive the story it's flaws if it's really well told.
I think my preference for the heroine-centric novel (and there are many ways to interpret what heroine-centric can mean to you) has inadvertently influenced my writing. I love my female leads. Love them to pieces. I think my greatest strength in my story telling is in my heroines. I put more time and consideration in building their dynamics than I usually do my heroes because my heroines are more likely to represent community for me and be more family centric than my bachelor heroes. That's not to say I dislike my heroes. I love them, too, and I have to work extra hard to make them shine because they have to match my strong heroine leads.
If you haven't guessed, most of my books favor the heroines. The Surrender of a Lady is told mostly in Jinan's POV, the story is a romance, but focuses more on her journey of acceptance (watch, readers will think something completely different than this, which is fine by me). The Seduction of his wife is more about the growth of Emma's character, and the POV is slightly favored on the heroine's side. The Secret Desires of a Governess also favors my heroine a tiny bit more, though my hero, Elliott is totally droolworthy in my eyes.
Readers: Take at look at your book shelves . . . what kinds of books do you mostly see?
Writers: Who do you better relate to when writing your stories? Is it gender based? Now that I've asked the question are you going to think about this in depth?
Do you love the heroines or the heroes more in your stories? Do you like them evenly? Are there specific things/roles you like each gender to play?
11 comments:
I am, hands down, bar non, a heroine-centric reader and writer. I didn't realize I was until the topic was broached at AAR a few years ago, but the discussion at DA cemented my opinion. It's why I could never get into paranormal romance and why I inhale urban fantasy like chocolate. Many of the most important figures in my life, who have influenced me, and continue to do so, have been women, and when I write historicals, I can't help but think about the history of women in society--I want to give them a voice in my historical romances, and give a voice to the extraordinary men who could love them.
I love the picture you've used! Will have to snag it for my computer slide show.
It depends. I think I'm more judgmental when it comes to heroines---they must touch a chord with me or the book doesn't work. I tend to cut heroes slack (kind of like what I have to do with the men in my life...because they're only men,poor things, you know?)But the heroine is usually the core of the book for me. However, when I write, I hope I'm giving both sexes their full range.
Evangeline and Maggie, glad to see others give their women the core of the story.
Evangeline: There are a lot of great paranormals with some kick ass heroines. I think the majority of my reading is of the paranormal/UF variety. Keri Arthur has a good kick butt half vamp/half werewolf secret agent female lead. Those are the Riley Jenson books.
I usually pick books with the female lead. Of course there are some that I read that are very male-centric, like the Jim Butcher Dresden File (also UF/fantasy/para). But mostly, it's all about the women.
If the books have a strong male lead, I need the female to play yin to his yang, basically. She had better be able to stand by her man and not be weak next to the uber alpha para heroes.
Maggie,I hope readers feel they get the full range with my men, too!
Provoking me to think so early in the morning? Urgh.
Seriously, when I'm reading I don't think that I have a preference as long as the character who is front and center is one that I can believe in. I know that when I'm writing however it's a different story. Whereas oddly enough I think my first few books were hero-heavy :) the one I'm writing now is most definitely heroine-centric (considering she's the only one with a point of view)
Hmmm.
I prefer romances written by women rather than men. (As JQ says in TTILAY, a romance written by a woman ends happily; a romance written by a man ends in death.)
It depends on the book. I think stories belong more to one character than the other--one character almost always grows more than the other character. I'm not sure I care which character grows more--I love hero growth as well as heroine growth--but I do prefer it acknowledged that one character owns the story more than the other. Some writers get obsessed in sharing the spotlight and making it equal when I think it's impossible to do so...and it comes off as poorly done.
I do notice that when the story belongs to the heroine, the heroine is usually cranky, ill-tempered, and narrow-minded--and I don't like her as much. I think she's "bitchy" and unworthy of the hero. However, if the hero is cranky, ill-tempered, and narrow-minded, I don't mind him as much because I'm so used to giving men a pass for being an asshole. This is quite sexist of me, I know, but it is what it is.
I did enjoy the 3rd in the first Tessa Dare series. The saint and the sinner--because to me, it was clearly HER book and HER issues rather than his. He bent over backwards to accommodate her whims, and it wasn't good enough. So it was enjoyable seeing her saint-veneer crack and her become human...and then finally make amends with the hero.
In Desperate Duchess--Roberta amused me because she wasn't an overly likable heroine, but he was a very likable hero. He was easy-going; she didn't like kids. I *LOVED* her. And she was ashamed of her family and wanted to pretend they didn't exist. It was HER story, HER character growth...the hero was just the catalyst for her growth.
I like it in reverse too...but those are two heroine-centric novels I can think of.
Such a great blog. I think for any novel to work that both characters have to be equally strong and dynamic. I do like romances better where the woman grows and becomes a "better" self, but I also like that of my heroes. Ultimately I think that both need to be compelling and make the reader care about his and her journey for the book to be successful.
I also like getting both povs in the story, so I'm not a big fan of UF or Women/Chick Lit.
I might be in the minority, but i love the hero's POV. For some reason i always prefer to read what he thinks over the girl. I think its because i get a thrill when he starts to think about the heroine in a new light. Plus i love a man's take on things. ^^ I do prefer to read a romance written my a woman over a man. There is just something wrong about a man writing a romance book to me. Might be because it's hard to imagine them writing a sex scene without it turning into a porno.
Melissa
I really like equal time for my heroes and heroines when I read. I get irritated when I'm reading and the last third of the book rarely goes into the hero's POV.
I think in writing, mine is pretty balanced. This book leans to the heroine side because she had a bigger journey to make. My next book is likely to lean toward the hero, because the story started with him and revolves around him. It also contains a love triangle. I'm really looking forward to writing it.
The joy of thought provoking in the morning is, I wrote it the previous night, when my brain was still semi working.
Kris, I love books solely told in the POV of the heroine.
Hellion, it is quite amazing how we'll let one sex get away with something, but not the other. And you are right, one character usually owns the story. Definitely seems to be my heroines.
Ely, I know you aren't a huge UF fan... can't blame me for trying to get you to try some of the awesome ones :)
Melissa, I don't think you are in the minority at all. I wonder if there is a difference for preference when comparing writers to readers. Maybe writers think it's all about the heroines but the readers are loving the book because of the hero.
Terri, I find more books that have more women POV's in them. What are these books with men in the last third? I want to know.
And your story with the love triangle is intriguing!
I meant when the guy's POV almost never shows up in the last 3rd of the book. The one that stands out is Eloisa's Desperate Duchesses. I love her and her books, but I adored Damon in that book and for the end of that story, I felt robbed for not getting his POV at all.
I can't think of other specific titles, but I know it happens often enough for me to notice it. My guess is these scenes end up on the cutting room floor due to page count/word count issues. Which is a shame, but you can't keep it all!
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