Avoiding the Heroine Stupid Juice

Begin rant.

“Too Stupid To Live” is a term that’s tossed around these days concerning a number of female urban fantasy heroines. These are women that, in the real world, would have long died from the stupidity of their own actions.

Often, these are leather-bound “chicks” who refuse to work with anyone, who claim to have people skills but are never shown using them, and who claim to have strategic planning abilities but are only ever seen barging into bad situations and making them a whole lot worse.

I think a heroine who can get along with others (or, at least work with them), is the definition of a strong, smart heroine. I don’t find it a triumph for women’s rights in literature to have stacks of books about women suffering from lone wolf syndrome.

I want to see women lead demon hunting squads. I want to see our heroines in charge of vampire slaying armies. I want to see women making choices that affect more than just their own skins, but the lives of everyone around them.

And I want those blasted heroines to ask for help on occasion, even if it costs her some dignity.

Your heroine might be able to kick down a door and survive a grenade blast. But if she’s constantly doing a Lone Ranger impersonation, as opposed to working with her allies, she starts to come off as stupid.

And the stupid juice has a rather bitter aftertaste.