What, you ask? Aren’t they the same. No.

An easy one to use as an example is Buffy in the beginning she was becoming a strong heroine. After she died and they brought her back, remember when she was sleeping with Spike she’d become an anti-heroine. See example of heroine, who started off as a strong heroine and becomes an anti-heroines. Xena was an anti-heroine who became a strong heroine by the end series. Yes, I watched both.  

So you want to write an anti-heroine. I should warn you, the road to publishing isn’t an easy one.  So why make life hard and write a prickly heroine? Okay, I have to say yes to this one too.

The big thing is you need to show the reader she has her reasons for being who she is. Don’t rely on telling the reader and hope they get who she is. Show, show and show some more. You’re job as a writer is to create the context and world in which you can sale whatever hocus-pocus is up your writer’s sleeve. Think of it as you have to show the reader it’s perfectly reasonable because look at this and these things what else could she be? You have to make so crystal clear that any other behavior would be ludicrous.

Last consider your genre. One of the reasons, I like writing paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi is because of the wiggle room for hard as nail heroines and anti-heroines.  

My heroines are mostly Queen Bee of the hive, fighters, independent, elusive and dangerous. Sometimes even out of control.

Kiss,
Mason