An author friend received a comment from a contest judge, “Cops don’t cry.” (There was a scene, in which her female cop heroine had an emotional moment,) this is a misconception. Cops do cry. It’s how they keep the demons at bay…
After that, the author considered rewriting the weak moment. I wanted her to keep it, because it's apart of the over all journey for the heroine. Not to shed a tear is a greater sign of weakness, than to suck it up.
As writers and readers, we love our strong, resourceful, independent, kick the butt of any bad guy who gets in her way, heroine. Buffy is a good example. And she is a good example of a individual with devastatingly, world crushing weaknesses. Those weaknesses gives her dimension and depth.
Her greatest weakness of course is Angel the Vampire, with a bunch of demons of his own, literally and figuratively.
As much as we love these impossibly strong heroines, we must allow them their moments in the dark places of the soul. It’s what makes them human to jump off the pages.
No, you don’t want them too stupid to live. But just give them a little dent in the armor, its moves the story forward, it keeps the pages turning. It adds interest, as they take the journey around corners, up and down hills, into deep dark valleys, only to come out the other side stronger.
I just finished a beautifully written book, The Witch of Cologne. The heroine was a midwife accused of witchcraft. Her captivity was hard to read, it was intense, but through it all, the heroine’s intelligence was her form of kick buttness. Another, I just started, The Religion. The heroine who in the first pages came across weak, but when she weaves a web of deception around a 16th century mercenary to get him to do what she wants, not once does she flinch, or bat a eye lash, I was impressed. Now there is a kick butt, woman. She earned my respect. So did the author, who by the way is male.
It’s just not the hero’s journey anymore. It’s the heroines too, even more so, in the world of kick butt women.
Different situations for women, also brings out a variety of interesting strengths and weaknesses. A well rounded character has to have their vulnerabilities, because we all do in life.
It’s just a part of the journey.
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3 comments:
Adding my 2 cents. My brother was a cop. My niece is a cop. Her fiancé is a cop and her future uncle-in-law is a cop. (I so have to watch my P's and Q's.) At some point in their careers, they have all cried. It's what keeps them connected to their humanity. Depending on the situation, the outcome, the frustration factor, there is always a breaking point. Try going for a day in Mr. Spock mode . . . all intellect and no emotion. It's pretty much impossible. Write them that way in a story and you'll alienate the reader. They won't be able to connect. You're 100% on target about showing the H/h's vulnerabilities . I think the contest judge was mistaken and maybe projecting the way he/she would have reacted.
Lee, I love the idea of a heroine's journey. As we right more kickbutt heroines they need a journey of their own. Women may be cops, but they are women first.
Love the comments...After twenty years in Law Enforcement, I had three very emotional moments, it kept me sane during horrific situations. No I didn't ball, but I found myself sitting in my drive way, tears streaming down my face, with no memory of how I got there. We need to keep connected emotionally and spiritually to our heriones...After all their apart of us too.
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