So, there was this discussion on another site (www.dearauthor.com , mumble, mumble, mumble) and they happened to discuss a heroine in one of my books, and that, along with the Sex and the City Movie started me thinking.  Is there truly an anti-heroine, or is it — like the Loch Ness monster and stellar customer service — a mythical beast that doesn’t exist?

 These are the questions that I ponder when I’m supposed to be writing.    In the discussion a heroine who is fighting for her independence is fighting against the mores of the constraints of a romance.  But, I posit to you, independence is a tried and true conflict in romance.  A very real conflict, usually seen on the other side of the Y chromosome (i.e. MEN!) .  But does that mean that women can’t worry about their independence as well? 

 There was a review (millions!) of the Sex and the City hoopla and one of the points that came up was that SATC started out as a story about women’s independence.  It was the Mary Tyler Moore show for the new millennium.  Not only did these women have a social network and careers, but they ruled their sex/love life.  Looking for marriage or happily ever after?  No, siree!  But somewhere along the way SATC fell into the romance “trap” (their words, not mine), and it became a romance novel, with the women looking for love in uh, mostly all the wrong places.

So, of course this started me thinking.  In most cases, I believe in the power of love. I believe that two people will be stronger than the sum of their parts, but I also think a woman can be fine if she’s not in a relationship – even in the long term, mainly because I think there are people who either a) can’t be in a relationship because of their state of mind or their past experiences, or else b) really shouldn’t be in a relationship because they can barely take care of themselves. But there are also the in-betweens: the women who either want or need their independence, but wouldn’t be adverse to love if they find it.  So, are these “go it alone” females the anti-heroines?  Is Carrie Bradshaw the original anti-heroine (Oh, my God, I’m hearing her voice-over narration in my head)? 

 (cut to the moment before the commercial break): Can a woman striving for independence survive it in the girl eat girl world of romance novel heroines?

 I don’t think a true anti-heroine (i.e. a woman who is actually better off alone) belongs in a romance novel, however, I do believe that a woman searching for independence can, OOPS! fall in love and have her life plan altered along the way.  I like to be surprised in books.  I like to be surprised in my reading material.  I like to be surprised in life.  In real life, God has a completely ironic way of taking our expectations and shredding them, 50 blade, confetti-cut.  I’m all for that in my stories as well.

 Is a heroine truly searching for independence too much for a romance novel?  Is female independence the stinky garlic to the blood-sucking vampireness that is the traditional romance novel structure?  Is the Sex and the City movie going to be a hit, or is it over the hill?  Is the cosmo passé?  Has anyone ever spent over $400 for shoes? 

 Just asking….   :roll: