My heroines are observant. Sensitive. Resourceful. Not “kickass,” but resilient. She’s spirited yet not brazenly confident; she’s grace under pressure. Not afraid to acknowledge her own fears. Or to be soft or nurturing.

She’s not afraid to be kind.

She faces challenges head-on, but is also plagued by self-doubt. She’s not been raised the princess. She’s had some hardships.

She strives for a balanced view on feminism. She’s raising a son, or loves her dad and brother. She doesn’t buy that all women are goddesses and are automatically right. Nor are men to be blindly followed and revered.

She likes old-school men but also those who can admit their shortcomings, who aren’t afraid to express their feelings.

If she’s gonna fall, the guy has to show he’s more than testosterone and grit. He’s going to have to open his heart.

Here is who I relate to . . . how about you?

The adorable Emma Stone resisting Ryan Gosling in “Crazy Stupid Love.”

Sutton Foster as Eliza in TV Land’s “Younger.”

Isabella Rossellini in 1989’s “Cousins.”

Diana Rigg as Emma Peel on The Avengers.

Julie Andrews as the timeless Maria, how nervous she is dancing with the Captain.

Dorothy Maguire listening to her rowdy son in “Ole Yeller,” the patience and encouragement she shows in this scene. Later, staying calm as she patched up the dog after the wild boar attack.

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