Making Women Swoon
I am a woman. As a writer, this should give me greater insight into what the female population wants, longs for, and gravitates toward. However, one thing I have learned in my life is this: we women are complicated creatures. Keeping this in mind, I would like to humbly submit what I have observed are the main things that make women swoon, though I might not be completely on target because of the observation above.
Women are attracted to security. A man who is financially secure or has demonstrated that he is capable of protecting and providing for a mate or a family is a very attractive man no matter the physical appearance.
Women like excitement. Despite the desire for security, we like a little bit of a challenge too. Not overwhelming odds, necessarily. But something to work toward and strive for with our hero.
Women are not weak by nature. Yes, we aren’t as physically strong as most men, but that doesn’t make us helpless or soft in character. We can be tenacious without being nasty, hardworking without being masculine, and strong-willed without being unreasonable.
Women appreciate being valued for more than our appearance. Sure, we like being told how appealing we are. Who doesn’t? But the surface isn’t who we are. The outward beauty will fade, and we are well aware of that. We want to be valued for the inner beauty that has a lasting value and true worth.
Women feel things keenly. We tend toward nurturing, caring, and building of relationships. As keepers of the home and hearth, we tend to sense tensions and disagreements more keenly than men.
So, writing romance from the female perspective, an author needs to keep these generalities in mind when exploring our heroines’ motivations, actions, and desires.
Please do not fall into the pitfall of thinking that a woman must sacrifice her femininity to be considered strong. Knowing one’s limits and constraints is a sign of maturity. Most women want to be confident in who they are and not striving to be less.
Keeping these things in mind, it is easy to construct a hero who will make most women swoon.
Most women desire a man who will protect and defend without smothering. Although he doesn’t always agree with us, we need to feel that he values our opinions. We need someone we can trust. We desire a partner, someone we can help and depend on when things get hard. Most of us don’t want to be pampered and cosseted all the time (it is nice occasionally). We desire work and purpose just as much as a man. Most importantly, we want a man who is kind and who cares, especially for us.
Personalities and types aside, did I miss anything?
Rachel Rossano loves adventuring into the unknown on the page. A ravenous reader, she loves words and the wonderful ways they can be used to create worlds and people them. She would love to have you join her on these adventures or just chat about the journeys you have already taken. You can find her work on Amazon or other booksellers. For a more personal experience feel free to visit her Facebook page or tag her on Twitter (though she is usually slow on tweeting back).