Soooo...Gynger Fyer brought up a point in her blog that got me to thinking. Basically, doesn't everyone deserve a happily ever after, no matter what they look like? Big, small, thin, fat, black, white etc...don't we all want to see a couple make it through and make it work against all odds? Limiting ourselves to one specific type of heroine really limits the amount of amazing books we read! And I for one don't think there are ENOUGH books in the whole world for me to limit myself to just one specific type of heroine! I'd have to read nothing but Scottish highland romances if I wanted the heroine to resemble me. (Think of the animated movie Brave...if she were like 10 sizes bigger you'd have me) Not that I don't love a good Scottish highland novel but...yeah, not gonna limit myself like that! There's too much good stuff to be read!
However, I do know that some women read to imagine a perfect life, or a perfect fantasy. To escape reality. They want a hero that looks like wolverine and a heroine with a kick ass body like cat woman. They simply don't want "real". That's fine. They're plenty of books out there for them. I just hope they don't ruin a really good book with a bad review simply because they don't like how the characters are described.
I've said this before. When I read a book, I frequently ignore what the characters look like anyway. I'm going to picture that heroine as me and have myself one awesome adventure! I suppose that's why I'm consciously vague in my own writings about what the heroine looks like. I just assume everyone's picturing themselves anyway! Why make it hard for them?
So tell me, I'd really like to know. What type of heroine do you prefer to read? One that looks just like you? Or one that looks just like what you WISH you looked like? Don't be ashamed, we all want to be happy with our bodies but most of us have a secret longing to look like cat woman in a tight leather outfit! hehe (No, it can't just be me!) Do you not care at all? Big and beautiful, small and petite...it's all good for you? Or are you just like me where, low and behold, thanks to your imagination, every heroine, in EVERY book, looks astonishingly JUST LIKE YOU! (Let me tell you, I've been on some AMAZING adventures!)
If you want to see the blog that inspired my ramblings, check it out here:
There is a lid for every pot
Oh, and keep an eye out...I'm going to be reviewing one of Gynger's books soon! I've been naughty and neglecting my author reviews...if we love something we need to get out there and tell people why!
Me personally I really don't care what the heroine looks like. Whether she is a size 2 or 22 does not matter to me. I want to read a story that focuses more on her mine, her strength, her interlect, her confidence in who she is, and her personality. I want a heroine who is strong and yet loveable, who can do it herself, yet isn't intimidated by the fact of being rescued. One who loves hard but isn't a doormat those are the things i look for in a heroine. The only time i want to read about how thin or thick , how darker skinned or lighter skinned or any other description is when she catches the eye of the hero and he is mentally taking in by the visual things he likes about her. If the outline of a story describes the look and size of the heroine and the reader buys the book anyway yet complains about it personally i think that particular reader just wants some entertainment or attention. I think we are too busy focusing on what people look like instead of focusing on what's on the inside. I'm a size 4/6 but that does not make me sexier or more appealng than a woman who is a fuller size. At the end of the day it's all about how you rock your confidence. I love romance, erotica, because i'm a hopeless romantic with a spicy side. I believe in love and i believe when it comes to love there are no boundaries. that is why i read these books not to dream about or wish i looked like a particular heroine inside the book.
ReplyDeleteLOVE it! Amen A.W!
ReplyDeleteI like my heroines to come in all different sizes & shapes. Personally I'm a 5'3" dumpling. I would like to know what it feels like to be tall & tough sometimes or dainty & delicate other times. The only thing that really bothers me about a heroine is when she's whiny or she complains all the time (unless of course the whole point of the story is to show her growing into a better person).
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