Stary Writing Academy III: Kickass Heroine Is the New Black
What is 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.
Typical Features of 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 Scarlette Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn, and Margarett 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.
Some Mistakes Writers Might Make in 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.
More instructions on the trending themes are on the way. Feel free to run your imagination in this lucrative Stary Writing Academy III writing contest. Also, don’t forget to join our Stary Writing Academy Facebook group to get the latest news and connect with over 80,000 fellow writers.
