Have the heroines of YA fantasy overtaken the heroes? I began reading fantasy when there was a true Renaissance of female protagonists: The artistic young women of Charles de Lint's Newford series; Neil Gaiman's Goth girl Death; the sword-wielding heroines of Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword, C.J. Cherryh's Gates of Ivrel series, and Barbara Hambly's Time of the Dark; P.C. Hodgell's trickster Jame in Godstalk.
I also read about the bad-ass girls of myth and folklore: Tokoyo, daughter of a Samurai, who took the place of a sacrifice and killed a dragon; Janet of the Scottish ballad 'Tam Lin,' who defied a faery queen to save her lover; the heroine of the fairy tale 'The Robber Bridegroom,' who outwits murderous thugs; the Russian Vassilisa, who escapes the terrifying witch Baba Yaga; Maeve, the Irish warrior queen, who is somewhat of an anti-hero; the Australian Wawilak sisters, hunters and keepers of wisdom; and clever Scheherazade, who convinced a mad sultan not to kill her by telling him stories.
The idea of writing a YA heroine as a blank slate so that readers might place their own personas upon her is no longer the standard. YA books are filled with young women who have distinct personalities. The steampunk tough girls of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles and Kady Cross's The Girl in the Steel Corset. The cutthroat trickster girls in A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows. The inquisitive and introspective Blue of Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys, and Karou in Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The rebels Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, and Lada in Kiersten White's And I Darken.
When creating a young female protagonist, an archetype is a helpful way to lay the groundwork. Archetypes are not stereotypes, but traditional roles in storytelling throughout time. Beginning with an archetype helps understand a character's function, what part they'll play, and how they'll change throughout the story. Books explaining the meaning of Tarot cards are a fantastic way to find an archetype for a heroine, as well as lists of attributes.
But a hero is a person, not an archetype. And building on this is where the real work begins. Finding a face and a personality for the female protagonist can be done by leafing through magazines, checking out Pinterest, watching movies or TV. It helps to visualize her as flesh and blood. Adding a quirk, habits, and hobbies makes her memorable. These must be important to her character. Listing her likes and dislikes and any daily rituals also helps give her an identity--sometimes these won't even be seen by the reader, but kept in a character journal. And what kind of upbringing has she had? What sort of culture was she raised in? Fantasy opens up doors to imaginative alternatives in diversity. A family and choice memories create a rich background from which to extract emotional information.
Remember she's a teen. Remember what it was like to be a teenager, with all those passions and insecurities. This is a part of who she is. Add some heroic or anti-heroic qualities--a negative trait makes her easy to relate to (temper, pride, selfishness) and a fault she aspires to conquer. This fault can also get her into trouble and ratchet up the tension. Rational contradictions and unexpected attributes also add depth.
Think of the heroines that came before. The adventurers, Nancy Drew and Alice in Wonderland. The survivors--the true life pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder and Frances Hodgson Burnett's Little Princess. And real life girls who have overcome great odds.
Romance or not? It depends on the story. If it's a fairy-tale like narrative, a heroine can be the adventurer and still find true love. Romance doesn't have to be the major focus, but it can be a development that complicates matters. It should be organic, something that helps grow the story.
People are complex, but a character full of foibles and personality traits is weird. Just a few distinguishing characteristics will create a protagonist whose emotional and physical journey is unforgettable. Overcoming stereotypes, even fun ones (such as the kick-ass heroine), to create a girl who is on her way to becoming a unique young woman, is a challenge, but results in a fascinating hero readers will adore and follow anywhere.
So, who are some of your favorite heroines and why?
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