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The Heroine Database...

Ever since I started using the 'Backwards Casting Method' for hero's and heroines in my books I've found it easier to capture the essence of my characters. And it's certainly a very handy way of keeping a clear mental picture of them visually for descriptive passages...

I even blogged about it:

"...in many ways this little lady is more important than the hero. I can hear your gasp of outrage from my house but it's true! Remember, you are writing your story for your reader and in the very large part that reader is female. And although she has to love our hero, want him, appreciate him, (look at the man lying next to her at night in real life and nudge him harder when he burps or passes wind). She has to like the heroine even more. Because though she may fall in love with the hero, she has to like the heroine. Has to understand why this gorgeous man of ours fell for him...
And getting a woman to like another woman without ever meeting her can be a tough sell because women are always critical of other women, particularly if they're beautiful or rich or successful already...

Even looking at pictures while casting a heroine can be a test of whether or not we like her enough to tell her story. Remember how we talked about how the picture can ask us questions about the guy??? It's the same thing here. If we have some woman thrusting her breasts out in the camera we may not immediately take to her. But if she has the look of someone we might know, see on the street, have as a relative... Well, we may empathize more with her. If she is crying in the picture or has a determined tilt to her chin or a sparkle of mischief in her eyes she seems more human somehow, more real, like she might be a friend we know.

And that's were the real magic kicks in on this one...
 We need to create a heroine that the reader wants to take the journey with. A heroine whose shoes she wants to walk in. And whatever conflicts she has or past problems that hold her emotions back from the guy we know is right for her, they need to be real and understandable. It's one heck of a challenge for any writer. To not only make her story believable and real, but to make her someone the reader would like to know, maybe even be for the the space of a couple of hundred odd pages."

So having started a Hero Database with the help of my Pink Heart Society friends... it seemed only right to do one for heroine's this time out. Because I've noticed it's more difficult to find heroine pictures to work with than it is hero...Mmm - I wonder why??? Anyway I hope this helps and I'll be adding to it as often as I can manage...

My advice would be once you find the look you're aiming for - go do a Google picture search of the gals name to see what you come up with - cos you might find a picture of her that captures the 'mood' of your story better... (and you'll see the proof of this with the ones I have listed here because some are repeated with very different looks!)

If you have any additions you feel should be here then please email me  and the next time I do a revamp I'll add them in... Also - if you've found this page useful email me and and I'll add your comments on the sidebar...

And don't forget the Hero's Database here. (as if you would!)

The Heroine Database:

(names in colour are ones I've used for inspiration myself...)

Amanda Tapping

Anne Hathaway

Emily Procter

Jewel Staite

Keira Knightly

Lindsay Lohan

Nicole Kidman

Rosamund Pike

Wendy Kilbourne

Catherine McCormick

Jennifer Lopez

Kelly Rowan

Kim Cattrall

Mischa Barton

Rachel McAdams

Shirley Henderson

Louise Rednapp

Paz Vega

Amy Adams

Ashley Judd

Hilary Burton

Julie Bowen

Kate Hudson

Mandy Moore

Rachel McAdams

Sandra Bullock

Barbara Alyn Woods

Cynthia Nixon

Juliette Binoche

Kim Cattrall

Lauren Graham

Morena Baccarin

Rosamund Pike

Sienna Millar

Andrea Corr

Erica Durance

Anne Hathaway

Denise Richards

Jewel Staite

Julie Bowen

Kelly Clarkson

Melinda Karakanedes

Rachel McAdams

Sandra Bullock

Bethany Joy Gaelotti

Jenny Falconer

Karen Minier

Kristen Davis

Melinda Clarke

Rachel Bilson

Sharon Stone

Uma Thurman

Helena Bonham Carter

Alana De La Garcia

Carla Bonner

Natalie Saleeba

Pippa Black

Emily Deschanel

Kirsten Dunst

Marg Helgenberger

Rene Zelwegger

Rachel Weisz

Kate Bosworth

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jaime Pressly

Heather Graham

Elsa Benitez

Elisha Cuthbert

Blake Lively

Alicia Silverstone

Alessandra Ambrosso

Rebecca Romijn

Kylie Minogue

Josie Maran

Jennifer Aniston

Gisele Bundchen

Eva Mendes

Diane Lane

Brooke Burke

Alyson Hannigan

Zhang Ziyi

Sung Hi Lee

Petra Nemcova

Kate Beckinsale

Jennifer Connelly

Faith Hill

Evangeline Lilly

Christina Milian

Charlize Theron

Alyssa Milano

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