I think many people who have read a lot of romance novel reviews have probably seen heroines described as “too stupid to live,” (aka TSTL). Now, normally I write very smart, capable heroines with tons of common sense. But NaNo has a way making me rush into things; plot twists, little random adventures. And it seems to turn my otherwise sensible heroines into reckless idiots. So my question is, does this happen to anyone else during NaNo? And, up to this point, what is the stupidest thing your heroine has done?
My heroine just traveled a hundred miles to chase after an attempted murderer and ask him to come hide out in her father’s attic. Stupid, stupid girl. She actually stood by and watched him try to rip someone’s throat out with his bare teeth. And still, she tracks him down and begs him to let her help him. Just because he’s handsome and troubled and suffering from amnesia. (I’m embarrassed just writing this. Poor, foolish girl.)
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NaNoWriMo 2006: The Loyalist and the Librarian (100k)
NaNoWriMo 2007: Moonlight Waltz (100k)
NaNoWriMo 2008: Howling at the Moon
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50,713 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2008 - 10 56
Things sound worse all condensed like that. I'm sure it'll make a lot more sense in long form? (best I could do.) But hey! it's NANO!
My heroine isn't quite TSTL... but I think that's because she hasn't had the chance. She's become obsessively convinced of something for no good reason, and has now alienated her best friend and pissed off her mother and sister. Her real TSTL moment will be when she reveals The Big Secret the hero tells her to the villain because she can't think of how The Big Secret could cause any trouble.
Okay, maybe she is TSTL... after all, he does do the whole "hang on and let me confide in you"-thing before he tells her... Maybe I might have to tweak...
50,381 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2008 - 19 06
Well, she just got herself kidnapped because she was quite glad to be jogging in a deserted park early in the morning. *Sigh* I just... Stupidly, I'm trying to pass the time before my characters' first passionate lovemaking session... I guess this is the stupidest thing *I* have ever done... *LOL*
Oh God. *weeping*
60,238 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2008 - 20 33
Sigh. 43k words and I'm not even AT my heroine yet.
But she's going to blow a once in a lifetime chance... at first.
53,831 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2008 - 15 24
If I don't do anything to put a stop to this, my heroine is about do the McNasty with her dentist. And no he ain't the hero.
56,683 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2008 - 18 19
My heroine just made out with a guy who is not her betrothed. She is engaged for goodness sakes. Why is she kissing another guy like that? Oh dear, what now! Ugh! My characther just totally temporarily made me lose all respect for her. Why did she kiss him? What does this mean for their engagement? Grr!!!! She was engaged! What was she thinking? Now I am going to tell ehr betrothed what happened. Oh dear,a fight scene seems unavoidable now.
50,820 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 02 40
She fell in love with her kidnapper! lol
But then that's what my whole story is based upon!
She's stupid because she stops fighting him and just accepts that how he treats her is how all women are treated!
50,136 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 08 37
This is something I think I'm struggling with too. I want my heroine to be intelligent, competent, yet a bit impulsive, and I'm worried the things I'm making her do (she has to get in trouble somehow!) will make her look stupid.
So far, she generally disregards her own well being for the sake of the success of her unit, which albeit a little selfless I think doesn't make her look dim as she realizes what she is doing.
However, I had her sense an enemy, travel a large distance on her own to follow him and consider confronting him (not knowing if there was one or many) on her own. A bit foolhardy, and she still approached the situation with caution and avoided full on confrontation with unknown enemy.
Does that make her seem stupid?
50,063 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 09 08
Oh God. *weeping*
That sounds like me......the jogging in deserted areas....ha ha.......I can't help it. I like my jogging routes, but yes, I should change them.
Good luck with the story!
50,063 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 09 09
My character just slept with her gay next door neighbor!.....ha ha..........turns out that he's not gay ........lol
50,138 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 10 29
my heroine has tagged along (and been found out now) behind a camp of 50-60 men who have 2 types of women in their culture and the good kind is never alone with 50-60 men. AND she's pissed off about it and thus flaunting the fact that she's wearing pants (which in her culture is no big deal, but these guys ...whew). the hero has had enough and is considering just letting the men have at her. (of course he really wouldn't, he just thinks it for a second LOL)
50,090 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 16 44
My character is dangerously close to TSTL, more though because she refuses to goddamn think! She refuses to see the truth even when shoved in her face. Luckily I remark on it so hopefully it's not that bad.
I think the stupidest thing she did was go to her boyfriend's house to spend the night and not realize that his foster parents abandoned him shortly before the story even began.
The stupidest thing her boyfriend has done is not use that to his advantage but he's a damn sweet heart, in a jerk off sort of way.
50,381 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2008 - 12 49
I'm SO loving this thread... I just had to say! *LOL*
6,191 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2008 - 14 05
Randomly, and for no great pressing reason, took someone's gun and fired it, just to see what that was like.
Which is fine.
She didn't hurt anyone.
But the aftermath of this results in her having an existential meltdown and I don't know how her boyfriend should feel about it.
Note to characters: Weaponry Assessable By Authorized Personnel Only!
50,100 / 50,000
Nov 22, 2008 - 19 18
Have her best friend catch the mysterious illness that is plaguing her love interest. :[
50,876 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2008 - 07 15
Okay, I don't have a heroine only two heroes but they're doing enough stupid things...
One kisses the other and runs away...
The other starts kissing and dating one of his friends and pretends he could forget about my other hero...
They're two very, very stupid heroes, really. And they don't do what I want them to do!
60,527 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2008 - 18 22
My heroine just followed the hero upstate, because he ran up there to get away from her, and she couldn't take no for an answer. Not only is she setting out on her own, which girls at the time this story takes place didn't do, but she's heading into the woods, where there are predatory animals and she doesn't have any survival equipment, because she thinks she's going o find the hero in the big woods, just like that. She has no more then a hat pin with her for protection.
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NaNoWriMo 2006: True Love Is Magic (Won!)
NaNoWriMo 2007: Under A Southern Moon (Won!)
NaNoWriMo 2008: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Beasts
Proud Member of the Trebuchet Club!
77,342 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2008 - 09 09
Stupidest thing my girl has done so far... not kick the crap out of the guy who kissed her - the picture of said act later making my hero literally fly into a rage and rip a sink off the wall.
51,233 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2008 - 12 46
Stupidest thing was running away from her surrogate family, heading back to a city where people were actively looking for her.
Of course, her guardian/love interest follows after her and gets to her before she gets too far...and then after returning she realizes what she did was not that smart at all. :P So at least she's learning throughout the course of events...
50,067 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2008 - 14 15
My heroine fled the country, haha.
Thankfully her knight in shining Armani went after her and in about 8k from now they'll be living happily ever after. :)
0 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2008 - 20 22
Dani - just a suggestion: do a psyche out on the reader....make it a dream sequence.
56,683 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2008 - 20 50
Kreeves106, I actually sort of applied your suggestion. She does have a dream like the one you suggested I do. Good to know that one person had the same idea with me. Good luck with your novel!
54,201 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2008 - 23 46
Get pregnant.
50,496 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2008 - 05 59
mine is being a slut... she's about to sleep with one character, possibly sleep with another old friend, and all before she finally gets with the hero. What am I doing with her?
50,186 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2008 - 14 00
Mine has decide that she has commitment issues, that kind of makes the whole fall in love and live happily ever after part of the book harder to get to. I guess I will just have to wait and see if he is “the one” or this is not so much romance any more.
104,006 / 50,000
Nov 25, 2008 - 18 34
My heroine made a deal with the Devil. Not the smartest thing, but I wouldn't have a plot otherwise. :-)
51,548 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 10 49
Dumbest thing Myrna has done BY FAR was going out to feed on her own cause she was upset. Yeah that was DUMB, STUPID you name it that was what that choice was. She knew Arvel was after her, but oh no its better to take a few minutes outside. She nearly got herself killed being stupid. She was so good up until then, she was using that brain, but that one moment she decided not to. Stupid girl.
19,052 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 08 32
The stupidest thing my heroine has done so far is this:
She feel in love with the man that supposedly killed her fiance and then told him about her pregnancy. Plus she almost slep with him when she was stuck in a doengen with other men.
But this one isn't the one from He Comes Before Night
54,201 / 50,000
Nov 27, 2008 - 23 44
Well, she went & outdid herself. She wouldn't stay where she was supposed to & insisted on trying to be near her husband, which allowed the MA to kidnap her. And once kidnapped, she became the bait.
She's upset with herself now. Oh well. She didn't listen. OTOH, it was the impetus to finish on Wednesday.
33,866 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 03 03
My heroine went and fell in love /had sex with the man who has to kill her. He loves her too. Still has to do his duty though... ;)
Torturing characters is waaaay too much fun. I love writing *grin*
Kim Knox
www.darknessandromance.wordpress.com
www.kim-knox.co.uk
52,366 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 08 12
Um um. I don't really have a heroine. I just realised that most of the characters in this story are guys. x_x
Stupidest thing my hero has done: not call the doctor and blab on the phone with his ex-boyfriend, instead.
By doing this he indirectly kills two of my other characters.
... :D!