Wednesday, December 23, 2009
In search of a hero
I've been told my hero is too mean, too gruff, too short, not loving enough, too bad etc. etc. The response that always pops into my head is life is too mean, too gruff, too short, not loving enough and hard to the core many a times. Why should my hero conform to some crazy unrealistic ideal? I want a real hero with flaws. Show me a man with a weakness who overcomes or conquers the weakness to save the woman, get the girl or defeat the enemy. Was Rhett Butler perfect? Hell no. Rhett had plenty of flaws and that's why we love him. What about Cary Grant in the Philadelphia Story? He drank too much, partied too hard and did not want to grow up. But he was fun, entertaining and willing to change his bad boy ways to get Katherine Hepburn back. Or how about anyone who plays James Bond? The hero is always cool, unruffled, unreachable on an emoional level until wait... he steps outside of his carefully constructed world to save the day, defeat the enemy and get the girl. We love every bone in this bad boy's body. So my point is this - I think heroes do not have to fit some mold that many in the romance world may say they do. I know many people will dissagree with me, but if my hero cannot have flaws then I think I need to look into writing in another genre. What character has been your favorite hero and how do you come up with your heroes in your stories?
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Hi Julie. I agree, heroes (and heroines) need to have flaws. If not, then they are boring and too perfect.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the key to writing heroes with a lot of flaws is making them redeemable. They have to grow over the course of the story in order to become more than they were at the beginning. Also, there has to be something about them, even from the beginning, that is good and makes us want to see him redeemed. Otherwise, we won't care enough to keep reading. He can do some horrible things, as long as there is something good behind it. I don't know if that helps or hurts, LOL.
I dream up mine - I should never be left alone with my imagination. LOL.
ReplyDeleteAs for the dark hero - there was a fascinating article in the RWA magazine (November - i think) concerning dark and twisty. I thought of your writing as I read it. You should look over the piece again.
I like the imperfect hero - but the attraction between him and the heroine has to be right. I need a reason for the attraction.
I agree completely. The hero has to have a certain attraction with the heroine along with enough redeemable qualities to keep the reader cheering for him.
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