I know I know I”m not supposed to be here but….since it pertains to my WIPs, I’m here. Mary over at The Bandwagon asks the question: So lately, especially in contest entries, I’ve read a lot of tough heroines. Tough to the point of being unsympathetic. Maybe they’ve been hurt before and have built a huge, thick wall around themselves. Some are just butt-kickers, not needing a man, not bending, often rude to the hero for no apparent reason.

I have trouble relating to a heroine like that. I’ve written some women who have been through the mill, but I think I’ve made them sympathetic and relateable. What do you think makes them this way?

And I started writing a response over there then thought I’d bring it here….I think you have to give them an Achilles heel. And I think this goes for tough guys or gals..it helps negate the a$$hole factor. My current heroes are hired killers. Hitmen. It’s what they do. No excuses. There’s no getting around that.

There is NO getting around the fact that my heroes kill people for a living. So what do I do to make a character with such a huge mark against them likeable? I try to give them equally big flaws. Will has HUGE relationship issues–in that he fails miserably at them. And John can’t lie. Yes, I realize a man who can’t lie is a bit of an oxymoron, and in order to pull it off I had to give him a DAMN good reason to not lie. I think I did. Only time will tell.

So how do you soften up your tough characters OR who are some writers that do this especially well?