In the dictionary, the term “waif” means a wanderer, a castaway, a lost person or child with no home, but is that all a heroine marked with that title could be?

While she projects an innocence worthy of infants, making those around her feel the need to shelter and protect her, The Waif can surprise us all with her inner strength and endurance. She is naïve, yet hardy. Her adaptable nature makes her an easy target for conflict. She’ll easily fit in with her captors, not fighting back but enduring whatever she must until her rescuer appears.


With an ethereal quality to drift through life, The Waif’s true goal is for happiness and a family. Ever since childhood, she has searched for love and acceptance in the gaze of others. Quick to be the loyal friend, she was often disappointed when betrayal or jealousy invaded the friendships of childhood, leaving her once more – alone. In her eagerness for love, she would often follow the advice of others without thought – be it her mother, father, a teacher, whomever, following their directives in search of approval. Forever searching for the unattainable, none of her achievements touched her inner soul.

Many may view this woman as weak, lost and submissive. But our Waif has qualities that allow her to shine in her own way:

• Pure – She is the golden Madonna. Unspoiled and authentic, there is nothing fake about this woman. What you see is whole-heartedly true. The harsh cruelty of the world never sinks in to depress and ruin this woman.


• Generous – She will be the first to pass out alms to the poor, volunteer to stand out in the snow and ring the bell at Christmas time, or donate her worldly goods to charity. She goes out of her way to help those in need. Since she’s typically in a bind and requires saving herself, it is understandable that she would want to help others like her.


• Sharp – While the Waif will wait to be rescued, there are times when appearances can be deceiving. Behind her mask of acceptance lies a mind churning with plans. When backed into a corner, she manages to figure out a Plan B and strikes back when least expected.
  

And just as with all human nature, The Waif has her flaws:

• Easy Prey – Her too trusting personality allows her to be easily influenced by those around her. Her naiveté and submissiveness quickly allows her to be taken advantage of, trusting the opinions of others instead of herself.


• Passive – Quick to run along rather than fight, The Waif will look for the easy, non-violent way out of a situation. Her fear can soon take over any desire to escape, providing the control freaks in her life with an attractive victim.


• Vulnerable – Yearning for love, our Waif tends to rush into relationships, hoping and praying that this is “the one”. Because of her insecurity, she often finds herself in trouble – stuck in the wrong relationship because she didn’t trust her own opinion to begin with.

One example of The Waif is a woman every girl knows, dreamt of being as a child, and still longs for her own fairy godmother to appear and make everything perfect:

Cinderella

Abused and humiliated by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella touches the heart and soul of every person who endures the hardships life has dealt with her. Remaining ever gentle and kind, she accepts the situation she’s in and merely longs for a happier life.

Another example of The Waif – and a personal favorite movie heroine of mine – is Thelma Dickinson (aka Geena Davis) in Thelma and Louise.What woman hasn’t watched that movie and longed for the adventure and excitement of a road trip with their best friend? Let’s leave off the almost-rape scene of course, and the dying at the end – but definitely keep in that hot hotel scene with Brad Pitt! Woohooo!!

Sorry, got off track there – Anyways, Thelma is The Waif incarnate. Abused and rejected by her husband, Thelma is prodded and pushed into taking off on a weekend getaway by her best friend, Louise. Unknowingly, this journey is the first step to setting Thelma free. Free of the dull and oppressive existence – free of the crappy life she endured with her good-for-nothing husband. Thelma begins to really live – though her too-trusting nature and pure heart tend to still get her into trouble.

(Though I bet I’d let Brad Pitt steal my money in exchange for one night with him….**sigh**)

I hope you enjoyed today’s post and will continue to join us here at Author’s Studio as we finish up our wonderful heroines. We love to here from our readers so please feel free to leave a comment and if there’s any other WAIF examples you may have in mind, please do share!

Within the soul of every woman lies an entity, a desire that many suppress and few embrace, a personality that can capture the heart of every male if we'd only set it free - The Seductress.

She is the epitome of desire, power, and fantasy. Holding tremendous control over others, she has the ability to capture the attention of anyone she chooses. She possesses the charm to make men feel dominant, desirable, and worthy. Able to bewitch whomever she sets her sights for, The Seductress will create a fantasy world for her victim, easily bringing them in for her purposes - and ONLY hers, even though the victim may feel they have the upper-hand, in reality, it is the Lady who controls the reins.

Any relationship she acquires must be for a reason - that involves her gain, of course. No man will be allowed into her heart. If a woman looks for her friendship, they may feel they have it - but don't try to rely on The Seductress in times of need. She'll only worry for herself. Carefully concealing her true motivations behind a mask of sensuality, she has a massive trust issue. Never allowing others to penetrate the wall she has built up and discover her true self, The Seductress is self-focused and protects herself at all times.

While our Seductress is the envy of women and the object of passion for men, she does have good qualities inside - qualities that only those who can break the barrier she has erected will discover.

• Independent - She relys on herself, always staying one step ahead of everyone, able to protect and secure her own interests. She is in control of her destiny.
  


• Strength - She is a survivor. She will do whatever it takes to get what she needs, experience whatever hardships she must to obtain her goals. She will fight for what she wants and she won't back down, won't admit defeat. She uses whatever wiles she must to attract those who can assist her in her plan.
  


• Savvy - When things start heading south, she always has a Plan B. She is clever enough to reconfigure the scenario to fall in her favor, and cover her tracks in the process.

But like every human, our Seductress does have her flaws:

• Pessimistic - She is wary of everyone, especially men. Only trusting her own judgement, she knows that everyone is out for themselves - like her - and vows not to end up the last one crossing the finish line.
  


• Manipulative - She has learned how to use people to her advantage, seeing nothing wrong with lying to or cheating others to get her way.
  


• Cold-hearted - She is unable to say I'm sorry. Because she views herself as all alone, she is constantly striving for security - meaning money and power. She spends her time planning how to get it, then hoards it when achieved.

Within her good and bad qualities lie the making of an extradinarily strong, efficient, and clever woman. Her acquaintances find her hard to control but admire her willingness to do whatever it takes to get ahead. Her smooth touch and winning smile can turn people's hearts before a physical confrontation will.

The man who can show her he sees beneath her shield for who she truly is and does not judge her, will win her trust and eventually, her heart. Accepting her and her cunning intelligence, she learns that with him she can be herself without worry. He helps her to accept herself and the beauty she has inside, regardless of past deeds, trusting her unconditionally and teaching her that money and power are not always worth the sacrifice. She realizes that pride in herself is more valuable than any monetary gain.

For more information into The Seductress and the other 7 heroine archetypes, please pick up Tami Cowden's The Complete Writer's Guide to Hero and Heroine Archetypes. It is a writer's treasure!!

So, questions to our readers - who do you feel portrayed The Seductress role accurately and why?

What comes to mind when you think of little Orphan Annie?

If you are like most people, the perky song The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow is the first thing (after the red hair) that springs into your head. We all know Annie’s story. If you don’t crawl out from under your rock and rent the movie. Annie’s pre-Daddy Warbucks days could be considered ‘tragic,” but tragic and Annie are two words that don’t mesh. So while we feel for her, we don’t let her go down in history as a heartbreaking classic. Why? Because Annie is a SPUNKY KID, who will probably, with the love of her new family, grow into a spunky heroine.

Like so many SPUNKY heroines, Annie is energetic, courageous and a spirited child who is a loyal friend to all the other orphans. The SPUNKY HEROINE is a broad archetype that covers so many different kinds of woman. The spunky heroine is like the melting pot of heroines. She’s creative, lively, and her tongue is quick with both a kind word and sarcasm. – All the while she can be shooting off at mouth in a crowded pub or quietly setting you into place at the office.



Annie doesn’t entirely fit the description of a SPUNKY KID, but nor will any spunky heroine.—It’s what makes them spunky. :0) But some of the most common traits and qualities you’ll find among the spit-fire clan of heroines is that they are a great friend, perhaps your best friend. They will go to the ends of the earth for you, (and most everyone) to fulfill your life’s happiness or just help you move from the East side of town to the West End.

The character Monica Gellar from the sitcom FRIENDS is a classy, but sassy heroine. Her need for clean does not take away from her spunk. And while she can be frank, curt, she can also be gentle. Her witty sarcasm can be the cure for a bad day or the biting remark that sends you back across the hall.

Everybody loves Monica and Annie—and so everyone loves the spunky heroine. What’s not to love?

And if their supportive friendship isn’t enough, at the very least this heroine will give you a sense of integrity and honor. Ms. Spunky can be as fun as the FREE SPIRIT, but has the pride of an ancient warrior. And like any skilled and noble warrior, you can count on her to have your back. But don’t piss her off.

Problem with Ms. Spunky is that she tends to be reticent. Perhaps she’s being modest as she plays down her better attributes, or truly she doesn’t see in the mirror what we see when sitting across from her. She will beat into someone’s head their finer traits, but when it comes to the good of her physical traits or moral living she is a fat slice of humble pie. –This can be a hang up as it can grow ever tiresome to her friends and loved ones. –Yet, they can never stay mad at her long.

Ms. Spunky and men… well, for as wonderful as this woman is she is just to appealing to the opposite sex to be considered girlfriend material. That’s right, too appealing. She’s the perfect pal, the team player. She is the all around pleasant and pleasing gal. Where does all this praise leave Ms. Spunky? Alone on Friday night. The guys pat her bottom she’s a fellow football player and hug her protectively like a little sister.


Ms. Spunky doesn’t have a childhood to complain of for the most part. If she’s cynical it’s because of something she experienced later in life. You’ll really have to think about what inner conflict to give her. She’s not easily deterred, nor easily put down. But she does love fiercely, protectively and without restraint. --- How else could a spunky heroine love?

Author Tami Cowden does a superb job at helping you get to know your heroine, a far better job than I could do in one blog post. But before we say our farewell for the day can you list any other qualities Tami Cowden mentions in her book: The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines that are missed here?

I’ll give you hint: There’s several. Tami gives you an in depth look at the inner workings of each of our heroine archetypes, so as before, I urge to read the book.
Does this blog post have you thinking about a new heroine in a new book? If you’re writing romance, what hero archetype do you think would best pair with our SPUNKY KID?
I can’t wait to read your responses! Have a wonderful day, and as always, I hope our post here at A.S. has been helpful and/or inspiring.

Until Next Time!

P.S. We apologize for the gap between post, our authors have been very busy. Please come back Saturday as we cover the Libarian archetype.

"To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable”

Helen Keller

Defining female characters in archetypes is nothing new. On the writing side of life heroine archetypes sometimes seem very new to writers. So focused is the world on male characters and how they develop, female characters are taken for granted. (Hmm… sounds a little like real life:o))

Often, in fiction as in real life women can be misunderstood or poorly represented if their role is not well defined. I chose this archetype—THE FREE SPIRIT-- for the similarities I share with her (We’ll call our free spirit Rainey). Despite my connection with this archetype, I struggled with how to present her. One must be careful when introducing a free spirited heroine. If you don’t balance the very diverse personality she could come across very differently than you wished.

Rainey is a genuine gal. She loves life. Everyone loves her for she makes those special moments special with her off the wall humor and behavior. Rainey enhances the lives of others with her genuine, fun-loving, charming self. Her comedic responses and zany ways lighten your mood and feather a smile on your face. You look at her and love her, wish you could be her. She is just so carefree and at a peace with life. – How could anyone misinterpret that, right? – Keep reading.

Rainey’s family rolls their eyes and wonders how her crazy logic ever works. Gut instincts, intuition, ‘a feeling’ are what drive Rainey’s life vehicle. She listens to heart and lives by the rules within each beat.

Misinterpretation #1: If you don’t develop your free spirited heroine well, she’ll come across as a ditz, air-headed and unrealistic in her quest for balance in life. Instincts are not enough for most people. They need tangible evidence. Rainey doesn’t. Her decisions are based on emotions and emotions are enough for her.

A side effect to living on instinct though is impulsiveness. There is no time to think when the hearts say go. Time and again Rainey backs herself into a corner and pushes chaos to the edge. And time and again she somehow slips out of the corner and into exactly what she set her mind on entering and accomplishing. People can’t figure out her bizarre logic, but to Rainey being driven by anything other than instinct is unfathomable.

Misinterpretation #2: Her impulsiveness is mistaken for immaturity. Has no consideration for others as she expects, and always is bailed out of trouble. When in fact, Rainey had run into conflict, but was confident enough in herself and her beliefs that she outsmarted the conflict. Her logic seems bizarre to ‘them’, but no more bizarre than their logic seems to her.

Rainey desires to bring peace to her loved ones and she can smell brewed trouble a mile away. The combination is lethal. She can’t help herself, and well doesn’t really want to. Her loved ones are in trouble or are hurting and instinctively she rushes to them, prepared to mend their wounds. Despite their pleas to be left alone, Rainey is drawn to interfere.

Misinterpretation #3: Rainey’s a busy body. Inconsiderate to the request from her loved ones to be left alone. When in fact, Rainey only wishes to help and most times firmly believes she can mend the broken. But if we don’t make clear her feelings, then all we’ll see is a woman butting in where she doesn’t belong. Perhaps still she won’t belong, but we’ll know she’s there out of love and concern.

Rainey’s mouth often makes things worse. She speaks before thinking and speaks from a blunt truthfulness most people can’t handle.

Misinterpretation #4: That this is a bad thing. If added to all the above misinterpretations then yes, it would look to be very bad. But Rainey is only being honest. To lie would do her loved ones an injustice. She’s here to help them, not shelter them.

Can you see the chaos left behind in the wake of Rainey’s unplanned life, compulsive talking, and amusing anecdotes? I hope you do, because Rainey doesn’t. Never does and probably never will (unless it’s her character arc :o)). Just before the tide engulfs the shore Rainey is on her way. The victims of her archetype left gawking behind her.

Misinterpretation #5: That she stirred up trouble for no reason and then leaves when the things get tough. Well, first a truth: Rainey avoids conflict when possible. Stress is negative and debilitating to her optimism. BUT, most times Rainey walks away thinking she had offered you hope or inspiration. Despite the chaos she creates in her wake, she doesn’t intentionally hurt anyone. Ever.

Rainey can see the promise of tomorrow and believes it’s worth coming to terms with the bad of today. Every problem has a solution; it just has to be found. If you don’t find it the promise of tomorrow will stay hidden beneath it.

Along with her ‘To Everything There is Season’ attitude, Rainey is an independent woman who believes in what she does. She is a unique individual possessing the inner tranquility to be a calming effect on others. She is the heroine who resists the hero’s attempts to secure her safety. She cannot and will not have her freedom suppressed. It’s who she is.

Tami Cowden’s book: The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines, breaks down the Free Spirited heroine archetype. I recommend reading the book as I can’t begin to cover in one post what Tami Cowden covers in a chapter. She goes on to gives examples of occupations and possible back story. She elaborates on styles of the Free Spirit that I just can’t reiterate here fully enough to give justice. And oddly, there isn’t a lot of the heroine archetype information on the internet other than Tami’s work. Her book is simply stated and a wealth of information that will bring you closer to the character you wish to create.

Have you ever created a free-spirited heroine?

What conflict did your Rainey face that threatened her way of life?

Or do you think the free spirit is a poor choice of romantic heroine?

Has the term Bodice Ripper become an insulting cliché or is it just a fact in the history of romance novels?

Publicly printed in a 1980's article , Bodice Ripper became the identity of romance novels.

The New York Times, December 1980:
"Women too have their pornography: Harlequin romances, novels of 'sweet savagery,' - bodice-rippers."

On Merriam Webster online dictionary this is the definition of bodice ripper:
a historical or Gothic romance typically featuring scenes in which the heroine is subjected to violence

With that dated (and never updated) information given, I feel it's safe to say in the twenty plus years since The New York Times used this phrase, romance novels have drastically changed and the attitude that they are pornography, though it still exists, has lessened. (and perhaps would even more if the dictionary had a better definition.)

We are excited to announce a new and debut release of one of our very own authors here at A.S.! (Can you hear the party poppers and kazoos going off? I won't tell you ladies again, put down that wine bottle until we're through with the interview! Jeesh, you can dress 'em up... )

Side note: I apologize if you can't hear over the ruckus in the background. There is just no controlling these ladies when a celebration is to be had.

Shannon Robinson was born at Fort Polk, LA, to military parents. After some traveling around, including a stint living in Alaska, they settled in upstate New York. The oldest of two children, Shannon completed her high school career and with an infant in tow, entered the workforce.

Shannon married her hero, Jake, in May of 2006. With two wonderful children, her life is very active but fulfilling. Able to squeeze time in for her passion of writing, Shannon enjoys creating new worlds and characters.

Shannon is an active member of the RWA Chapter CNYRW (Central New York Romance Writers) and is a member of several writers groups and online chapters.

A.S. Awesome excerpt, Shannon! With this being your debut publication, can you tell us a little about how the anthology evolved?

Shannon: It all began with the members of the Erotic Romance Workshop yahoo group. One of the ladies emailed a phrase about Going down in Elevators and the owner / moderator of the group, Marie A. Roy (aka Collette Thomas), asked if anyone would be interested in creating stories for an anthology sharing that theme. I gave it some thought and decided ‘what the heck’. So after a couple of months, we all had our stories ready to go and Marie submitted the idea to Aspen. Less than a week later, we had an email back from them saying they wanted the stories!

A.S. How exciting!

Do you find it harder to writer erotic romance vs. non-erotic romance?

Shannon: Actually no. I thought that because I typically wrote non-erotic, it would be more difficult, but it wasn’t. Instead of skirting around the idea of intimacy, I was able to dive right in and explore the writing of that genre more fully. It was fun and exciting.

A.S. Sounds like you had a great time writing this story. Will you write more erotic in the future?

Shannon: Definitely. I’m actually working on another project with some of the same authors for Goin’ Down. This one involves cowboys and their mail-order brides. My heroine actually gets sold into the mail-order bride service, unknowingly, by her father. The hero overhears her trying to get out of the service and offers to pay for her release in exchange for one night with him. Yea, going erotic!

A.S. LOL! What a great premise! I can't wait to read that one. Can you tell us a little about what has your writing journey been like up to this point? Is there any one area you struggle with more than another? An area of writing you love?

Shannon: I’ve been seriously writing for about two years now, ever since my best friend and fellow writer Holly Greenfield introduced me to the world of writing. It’s been a wonderful journey of learning and creating, of meeting so many wonderful people, and sharing many different joys with Holly during the process.

A.S. (insert from Holly) I couldn't imagine traveling this journey with anyone else.

Back to Shannon's Answer:
The one area that I struggled with in the beginning was the dreaded “show don’t tell”. After many how-to books, online workshops, and critiques, I feel that I’ve finally gotten a handle on it. Certainly not perfect, but I’m learning to dive into my characters, to actually experience what I want them to experience, so that I can communicate their adventures to my readers.
I love everything about writing. I love discovering my characters and brainstorming new ideas or conflict to put them through. While I don’t have all the time that I would like to have to indulge in my writing, whenever I do, it’s an amazing adventure.

A.S. Every writer is asked where do they get their ideas from, is there any one thing, or place that inspires your ideas?

Shannon: Inspiration comes in all different forms. I may see a sign on the road, read an article in the paper, or even watch a movie, and new ideas pop up. I have an idea notebook that I carry with me so whenever I do have an idea, I can jot it down quickly. You never know what might become a selling idea and if I don’t write it down when I think of it, you can bet that idea will be lost to the wind!

A.S. What are you currently working on?

Shannon: I’m currently working on the cowboy short story, while plotting out and brainstorming scenes for my novel length Scottish historical time-travel. This novel will involve time-travel, faeries, and hunky kilt-wearing heroes that I’m hoping readers will fall in love with just like I did.

A.S. Is there anything you’ve learned along the way to publication, that you’d like to share with aspiring writers?

Shannon: Keep writing no matter what. I know many have heard that same phrase over and over, and it still seems like no one will accept your baby. But if you keep writing and keep learning about the craft, it will happen. It’s the passion, the light, inside of each of us that keeps our fingers flying over the keyboard, our pencils scratching the paper. If we stop, then a part of us goes out, our passion disappears. Without writing, an author is only a shell of what he / she could be. Writing fulfills us and sustains our souls. Stay strong on the path and you will discover success.

A.S. Very well said! We can definitely relate. Would you like to ask the blog readers a question?

Shannon: I always like to hear what readers look for in a story – is it the hunky hero, the independent heroines, or does the setting really make you turn the page? I’d love to hear what it is about your favorite stories that make you come back for more.

And of course, I couldn’t end this without saying how much I appreciate Holly taking the time to do this interview and allowing me the chance to talk with our wonderful readers of Author’s Studio. Thank you!!

A.S. It is time well spent. :0)

If you'd like to check out a little more about Shannon visit her website. Thanks so much for letting us into a little of your world and for being a part of Author's Studio, so that we could celebrate with you!

Now, I must go check on the ladies in the back...groan... it's suddenly grew quiet...