Girl Power/Kickass Heroine Fiction Writing Guide|PART 1
I. What is Girl Power/Kickass Heroine Fiction?
This is female-centric fiction, with the main character being the heroine. Other characters’ narratives hinge on the heroine’s core narrative. In a kickass heroine fiction, the heroine should grow as a person. Stories should highlight a protagonist’s growth throughout their struggle, romantic relationships, etc.
II. Typical Features of Girl Power/Kickass Heroine Fiction?
1.The heroine is the core of this type of stories
Examples of strong female protagonists can be seen in books such as The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn, and Margaret Attwood’s The Handmaiden’s Tale.
2.The heroine’s growth is the most basic plot device
Without her growth, the story can hardly be called Kickass Heroine Fiction. A classic example of a female-orientated plot is that the heroine grows from an ignorant girl to a person with foresight and a mind of her own. The girl is like a phoenix. She might experience deception, betrayal, or even losing everything. But after the dark time, she is finally reborn and gets revenge on her enemies, finds true love, and of course, becomes an independent woman.
3. The leading heroes always are the second-tier characters
In Kickass Heroine Fiction, the leading hero mostly plays a role to assist the heroine in any way that he can. In short, his assistance will help her grow but she would never rely on him. Imagine that there is a story about a girl who goes from an Internet celebrity to a company CEO, and then becomes a diplomat. Her life is enriched, and she achieves success in her career. In such a story, what should the writer design the hero and his plot? Taking the responsibility to accompany and encourage the girl, and give the support that she needs to meet her goals might be the great answer.
III. Some Mistakes Writers Might Make in Girl Power/Kickass Heroine Fiction
1. Heroine’s success is a derivative of actions taken by another person
Another person, in this term, often means male characters. Standing on her own two feet is the most fundamental need of every female-centric story. Also, she needs to face obstacles that can make her grow and become powerful. If a heroine is led from opportunity to opportunity without any difficulties or depression, her growth and rebirth are convincing. Consequently, a story like this is hard to call a Kickass Heroine Fiction, because readers will have a difficult time immersing themselves in the story.
2.Love and romantic relationship is the goal of the heroine’s effort
Here comes the most significant difference between a traditional romance story and a girl-power story. Love and romance are not everything in Kickass Heroine Fiction. By contrast, this kind of story always includes an independent heroine. Rather than obtaining the favour of the hero as her first goal, she has a clear goal for her life or a transparent belief system to achieve goals in her career or her revenge.
3.Heroine’s plot armor is overstated
To be specific, the heroine in a story never dies or hurts. She easily breaks through many difficulties because of her plot armor. Many writers make this mistake in their very first works but then find their plot lacks ups and downs, which makes readers lose interest in continuing reading. The Kickass Heroine Fiction is focused on the girl’s growth and development. If the story was straightforward, her growth and change would lack persuasion.
Ⅳ. How to Write a Good Girl Power/Kickass heroine Fiction?
1.To combine the central idea with the primary pursuit of the heroine
The primary pursuit of the heroine should be relatable to readers. If a reader’s dreams are similar to the protagonist’s dreams, they are more likely to bury themselves in the story, and the heroine’s success should arouse their sympathy. The heroine’s pursuit of her dream should be beautiful and bright. If the reader cannot relate to the heroine in any way, they are less likely to pursue the story to its conclusion.
2. To combine the central idea with the behavior style of the heroine
The behavior style of the heroine determines the plot obstruction you set. We can see that in many works, the heroine’s goal is often achieved too easily, making the story dull. Success makes people proud, but only if they had to work hard to achieve it. Obstructions should be designed to reflect the protagonist’s character. Every obstacle should serve a purpose.
3. Keep to the point
When regarding the central idea, be concise and keep to the point. These are among the basic requirements of a good story. A scattered theme is the last thing you should want. When determining a theme, you should learn to lighten the burden. A fictional story cannot carry too many themes. One is enough.
4.To make the novel’s theme
If the theme is popular but not novel, the story is unlikely to be any good. To understand what is meant by that, consider the type of urban revenge story that includes a reborn protagonist (for example, come back as a bad girl, back to my devil billionaire,); a situation where a rookie in workplace turns into an elite businesswoman (for example, The Devil Wears Prada), or an academic loser turns into a top student (for example, Her billionaire assistant).
