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Too Stupid to Live
Marilynn Byerly
Readers of romance use the term "too stupid to live" (TSTL) to describe a character, usually the heroine, who does incredibly dumb things to further the plot.
These characters are equivalent to the scantily clad bimbo in a horror movie who leaves a perfectly good locked house to wander around outside bellowing, "Is anyone there?"
Of course, the really stupid or lazy person is the author who didn't bother to create a logical plot.
You're not sure if the heroine is too stupid to live? Here are some examples.
A heroine may be too stupid to live if she
- Doesn't change her lock or improve security after a serial killer breaks in her home and leaves a threatening note. Nor does she consider staying elsewhere.
- Sends her guards home after the so-far inept police decide they have captured the serial killer.
- The heroine gets hot for the hero and does something about it when the bad guys are near.
- The trained assassin is sneaking up on her professional bodyguard so the heroine, with no fighting training, attacks him herself rather than yelling a warning.
- The "Full Moon Killer" is savaging locals. The creepy guy next door reeks of Nair, wears flea colors, and buys large boxes of Milk Bones although he doesn't own a dog, but the heroine isn't suspicious because "werewolves don't exist."
- The heroine has an entire troop of bad guys after her, but she doesn't call in reinforcements, seek help from the police, or tell the hero she's in trouble.
- She has the only copy of some incriminating documents, and she doesn't make copies, or put them in a safety deposit box in her bank. Instead, she leaves them in her apartment.
- The heroine's blind date drinks really red Bloody Marys, has a bad overbite, and stares at her jugular vein instead of her large boobs, but she isn't suspicious because "vampires don't exist."
- The bad guy asks her to meet him to exchange the documents for the hero, and she goes without back up or a weapon.
- Bad guys are after the heroine so she picks high heels instead of running shoes because she'd rather die than be unfashionable.
- The heroine starts a verbal battle with the hero while they are trying to sneak up on the bad guys.
THE END
Copyright © 2008 by Marilynn Byerly
This article may be reproduced, but only with the permission of Marilynn Byerly (marilynnbyerly@aol.com). It must contain the byline and copyright information.
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