Who weighs more? Your hero or your heroine?
Whose story do you emphasize?
In my humble opinion, a story is almost always weighted one way or another. Either the bulk of screen time (and inner conflict) falls upon the slender shoulders of the heroine or upon the broad shoulders of the hero. Some authors attempt to give all protagonists equal billing, but the prevalence of first person narrative increasingly dictates the weight of the story.
Let’s talk examples. I admit that in Pushing Her Boundaries, Maggie gets top billing. Mace is a perfect springboard for her journey of self-discovery, yet he’s not a cipher, far from it. That’s the trick when weighting a story one way or the other - to write your secondary character/s as a man or woman who would win best actor or actress in a supporting role.
Another example: In My Everything, my two protagonists, Grace and Ben, share screen time. Both are wounded and in need of emotional healing. I follow their journeys, separately and together, giving each journey equal weight. I even throw in an epilogue so the reader can experience first hand the sense of oneness these two create when their conflict is resolved.
Examples that aren’t my books…I’ll volunteer several of my favorite romance authors.
J.R. Ward - Her stories are heavily weighted in favor of the heroes, with the exception of Zsadist’s and Bella’s story in Lover Awakened. For me, the other female leads in most of the books have little substance, literally in one case.
Karen Marie Moning - Her Highlander series, with a couple of exceptions, is weighted in favor of the smokin’ hot Scots. Specifically, in Kiss of the Highlander and The Dark Highlander, I find that the heroines, after starting out strong, turn into cornmeal mush. By the time The Immortal Highlander and Spell of the Highlander roll around, one could perhaps argue that Gwen and Chloe have morphed into blithering idiots.
On the other hand, K.M.M.’s Fever series is very heavily weighted in favor of the heroine of the piece, MacKayla Lane. The journey through all the books is hers. Yes, there is a significant supporting cast, but still, from beginning to end, the story belongs to Mac.
Linda Howard - Perhaps one of the reasons I like Linda Howard so much, despite her few stinkers, is that she does, more or less, give equal weight to both her hero and heroine. If there is any imbalance, it’s usually in favor of the heroine - an imbalance I happen to prefer. I like to fantasize about a big, strong, assertive, hot alpha male as much as the next gal, but give me a heroine who can stand on her own two feet and take him on. Bring it, is my motto.
How do you weight your stories?
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I’ve written a little bit of all of the above. Some heroine, some hero and some both.
I, personally, favor the heroes. I just can’t help myself! I have to work harder at making fully-formed heroines. I just read Eloisa James’ When Beauty Tamed The Beast, and one of my observations was that BOTH the hero and heroine were fabulous, flawed, fascinating characters. You don’t find that so much in romance.
I try to balance both partners but the partner inhabiting the POV, by necessity needs to be the stronger one in some way with either stronger emotions or stronger motivations.
I did love how equally strong both Mari and Ekkat were in “Captured” that was a good balance of strength.
XXOO Kat
I love this topic, and have given it a bit of thought. In my first-person POV series, the heroine gets the bulk of page-time because as you note, in a first-person narrative the narrator has to be front-and-center.
I just finished a shifting third-person POV book where I intended to balance between the h/h, but it ended up being the hero’s story. I think it goes back to the example you used of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. We create these strong, damaged men and, as women writers and readers, we just want to fix them
And, yeah, poor Jane.
Hmmm. I like to think I balance both in most books. But each book is unique and must be written differently. Saving Grace was all about the heroine’s journey and only in her POV. All my other books are shared by heros and heroine. I guess I may be heavier on the heroine’s POV, but I LOVE writing from a male’s perspective.
Stacey
Amber - yes, I think you give pretty much equal weight to your protagonists.
Penny - some writers really do like to produce that amazing hero who becomes every reader’s fantasy. KMM does that with her Highlanders.
Hey, Kat - I think you go for balance, but you’re kinda like me, your stories tend to be weighted on the side of your heroine - even if it’s just a little bit. Thanks for mentioning Mari and Ekkatt. I tried really hard to look through their eyes.
Suzanne - yup! First person, by its very nature, gives us the hero’s or heroine’s story. Third person can be weighted in any direction we want. Yeah…poor Jane!
Stacey - you actually have a huge job because you write menage - which is tough because everyone wants equal billing, or at least some screen time!
What’s interesting is in my current WIP, the story centers around the hero, but the heroine(s) get more screen time! In my new release, my heroine definitely weighed more and carried the story.
Hi Kim! Very interesting! I know that sometimes when I write, I’m not entirely sure who will carry the story. The protagonists sort of decide for themselves.
I must admit I tend to go more for the hero, and haven’t tried a lst person POV yet, and I don’t like to read them much, so won’t try. Now, why do I like being in his skin the best? Hmmm. But my first one was more her story, and now I’m writing them the other way around.
One thing is consistent, usually one is “over balanced” than the other. I’ve had to watch that too, where the other half goes away. Unfortunately you can get away with it a little in romance if it’s the gal, but not the hero. He can never go away. At least that’s what happens in my faves.
Great post, and not something I would have thought up to talk about. Brava!
I agree with your post- the heroine is usually the one I focus on- except for when I don’t - LOL- I have one story coming in July that is mostly all the hero’s journey- only because that was the way it needed to be told.
As always, I enjoyed your post.
That’s such a good question. I guess I always try to make it as equal as possible, but I notice that in some of my stories it focuses more on the heroine and in others, the hero gets more face time. Hmm, now I’m going to be noticing this as I write.
Delilah - I don’t tend to notice as I write; I notice as I edit. It’s so interesting!
Yes, Jillian, I agree. I tend to focus on the heroine, except when I don’t! Thanks!
Hey, Sharon - there’s no need to balance if the story is good. I have no problem with imbalance unless one character turns into a cardboard cut-out. A lot of us focus on the hero because of the fantasy/hotness factor - which is quite all right!
I have a series and the first book became more about the hero, the second more about the heroine. It’s funny how each seem to way a little heavier no matter how hard you try to make them equal. Great post, Julia.
I know, Ciara - can’t seem to help it!
I write first person as a rule - certainly for the last couple of years - and its always from the heroine’s view. However even when I dabble with third person she still gets more screen time. Is it because I’m female? Not sure. I adore reading about the hero’s POV though, something fascinating about it.
Lily - I’m always in the heroine’s corner. I like my guys, but I love strong heroines.
Always an interesting topic, and most of the bases have been covered. I find I adore writing both the heroine’s and the hero’s POV. The interplay between them is what drives the story often. That being said, my books feature the heroine’s POV exclusively, and in another one only the hero’s POV is written. In my menages, everyone’s POV is written, often a POV for each chapter. In my current WIP, my heroine takes center stage a bit because she gets two chapters of POV to one for her heroes, Zin and Zol. Plus, their focus is so strong on her as their one witch that becomes one of the dynamics driving their love-passion-erotic story.
I’d love to write a first person paranormal erotic romance. And have several started.
Hi Savanna - I think first person is the toughest to write. You have to flesh out all your characters through one person.
Some of this, some of that. I like to see all the bits and pieces…
Anny - I think you’re the queen of a little bit of this and a little bit of that - sort of like a song.
I lean more heavily on the heroine’s pov but I think we all like to hear the male’s pov.
It depends on whose story it is. I love writing the heroes POV, but I think most of my stories end up being the heroine’s story. But regardless of whose story I think it is, they both get page time, usually along with a villain.
Sandra, you do tend to weight the heroine - which I’m all in favor of!
Yes, Nina - it does all depend upon the story. I agree.