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By Emmanuel Williams

The first of hopefully many, let’s begin our stream of consciousness experiment intended to bring about far more pantsing than plotting. Because plotting has begun to feel like writer’s block as the structure templates have become too numerous to control, or perhaps even trust.

Let’s start with a well known, yet typically seldom used character. 

The Heroine.

Usually heroes are male protagonists with enough strength and… what is it called? Gumption? To pull off the massive task required to defeat evil, and all the antagonistic shapes in which evil arrives.

The problem with the status quo aforementioned, is that women typically serve another role to this hero. The woman who gives him strength, encouragement, and sexual reliance. A queen, a princess, a wife, a maiden.

You get it.

Sometimes the woman is the prize who cannot defend herself because she does not have the strength like her knight in shining armor does.

Some of this is observable in the real world. Plenty of females would rather let someone else do the heavy lifting, usually a boy or even better, their father or some other full size male with far more physical leverage.

It perpetuates the idea that females are expected to be weak. At least weaker than a male. Which biologically is well supported, and all throughout the history of humanity.

It is not so in the animal kingdom. Many lionesses are far stronger than male lions. Many of them are mothers, which may be what I can use in my favor as I attempt to use the Heroine appropriately.

You see, across the animal kingdom, and in many, many human cases, mothers are the strongest females of the binary gender universe. 

They may not be as strong as the more alpha males, but usually they can overpower the average male in their species. The caveat being that these mothers have had the unfortunate task of constantly protecting their young from threat after threat.

This is easier to understand in the case of lions, gazelles, and gorillas. But the human race lags behind in this unique set of experiences, because of whatever village surrounds mother and child. Shielding the mother-child unit from both scavenging, and the scavenger.

There is another warrior princess aside from the mother in the human race. In fact there are many.

The athlete. As female athletes are found at different ages, the older athlete with more training is far stronger than a young athlete at the beginning of her journey. There are levels to this princess too. Varying by sports league, I mean. A female UFC fighter may be stronger than, say, a WNBA star player, even if the star player is much faster on their legs.

The trauma survivor who trains in martial arts on a regular basis, or simply never neglects the gym. Plenty of women aren’t trying to prevent new trauma and are simply concerned about their health enough to keep strength training a part of their regular exercise. 

A part of me weeps at the woman who has seen so much trauma that constantly increasing her strength is her only way to protect herself. Or her young. Or the rest of her family. Even if the only use she has for all that power is peace of mind…

Others may simply choose to keep up a routine even though they no longer compete athletically. 

Some just like to run.

Even more were pushed by their parents or other caregivers to an excellence they either achieve or don’t. 

There is no gray area.

But then you consider historical figures like Joan of Arc or the many Queens of England.

Fictional big screen characters like Daenerys Targaryen, Wonder Woman, Black Widow, Trinity (The Matrix), Ripley (Alien), Mulan, Rey (Star Wars), are more frequent examples.

In the myths of Greece you find Athena, Artemis, and the warrior tribe of the Amazons.

It appears that the stronger women are either mothers, athletes, warriors, leaders…

Ok, but we’re missing another Heroine here.

The one with a unique power or ability. This is far more open to fictional exploration than another cliche example of ‘girl power’.

By the way, I see true girl power as when the female wins a neutral contest over a male. Whether either side is singular or plural. Or when a team of girls pulls off the unexpected social achievement that increases their power either within or without.

But back to the unique powers of Heroines. If you’re not burning them for it, sorcery, magic, and healing power are also strengths.

More so when mischief is her middle name.

What of the shaman priestess who can call forth the dead? The oracle that tells you just what you need to hear so you fulfill your destiny?

What you really want is the Rare Skill/Supernatural Powers heroine.

Buffy, Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games), Wanda (Marvel), Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup too. Wednesday Addams, Hermione Granger, Selene (Underworld), and let’s not forget Jean Grey, Rogue, and Storm. Wonder Woman once again, Supergirl, Batgirl, heck even Catwoman isn’t always a bad cat…

So if there’s going to be a female Heroine. And you admit that genetic, physical truth is not on a gal’s side concerning strength, unless she is in someway pushing herself to strength train and can match her opponent at least by the end of the tale, then –

We’ll hold on to that idea because what a great journey that is.

…But, your best fictional character, female heroine, is going to be a character that is either Warrior/Leader or Skilled/Supernatural/Superhuman.

You don’t have to overpower everything like most men assume they must. Like you can’t defeat a demon with a simple spell? Like you can’t outsmart your opponent by using a skill they never knew you had until it hit them right in their overshocked face?

It’s like their opponent assumed she’d be as dull as a deck of cards, yet all along she could channel every character from “Magic: The Gathering” by summoning them with her mind and transforming in a split second.

No more Miss Nice Girl.