Romance writers are often told that readers are the heroine but they read for the hero. The hero is one half of the romantic couple (or one third/two thirds of a romantic ménage) and is a key part of the story.
So what is a hero?
According to Dictionary.com, a hero is
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
4. Classical Mythology
a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
b. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
5. hero sandwich.
Yes, he’s a sandwich. (grins)
I thought it would be fun to talk about some myths about romance heroes.
1. A Hero Must Be An Alpha
I love writing alpha heroes. I’m married to an alpha male and they are the types of men I’m personally attracted to. But there are some great non-alpha regular guy heroes in Romanceland. Yes, while they’re under pressure (while protecting the heroine or saving the world), they become take charge, more dominant males, but in their regular lives, they’re okay with being led, rather than leading.
2. A Hero Must Be Perfect
The perfect man is… well… imaginary but he’s also boring. He’s always doing the right thing, putting other people first, never has any bad habits or crazy quirks.
(Yawn)
Interesting heroes are imperfect. They might be strict rule-setters as Nate is in Breaking All The Rules. They might be terrible dressers as Hawke is in Sinful Rewards (releasing in July). They might not be morning people. They could be a bit selfish or focused on their own goals. Heroes should be human and real.
3. A Hero Must Be Good
Readers should (eventually) fall in love with the hero. Some newer writers think this means the hero must be perceived as being a good person on page one. He must never do anything bad, always be noble, a great example for others.
I have a big challenge, as a reader, believing in the good hero. I often feel that if he’s such a good man, he likely would have loved and been loved already. There’s not a lot of story. He’s a good man. The heroine would be a fool not to love him.
I prefer the not-so-good hero, especially the villain turned hero. Darius, the hero of Assassin Mine, is a cold-blooded assassin, working for the perceived-as-evil Balazoids. He does and says some terrible things but readers understand why he does and says these things. They see that he’s redeemable, that he will eventually become a male worthy of love, and read to find out when and how this transformation/character growth will happen.
4. A Hero Must Be Handsome
Tall, dark and handsome is the fairy tale description of a hero. A handsome hero can be interesting. Unless he’s intellect-challenged, he’ll know he’s handsome. He might be a bit vain or cocky or tired of women liking him only for his looks.
But an ugly hero can also be interesting. Henley, the hero of Flashes Of Me, is an ugly hero. It takes a special type of heroine to find an ugly hero attractive and that is important—that she find him attractive. There should be some sort of physical attraction between them, some chemistry on which to build.
5. A Hero Must Be Strong
We’re all independent, capable women but I think many of us do want a man who can, when necessary, protect us. It is much easier for our heroines to save the world when she has a strong man by her side.
But this doesn’t mean the hero has to be physically strong. There are all types of strength. He could be highly intelligent, lead a team of people, or have a special talent. Flopsy aka The Godrabbit is a bunny shifter so he isn’t physically strong. However, he has his minions who are completely loyal to him and he’s very competent with a gun.
Which characteristics do you like in a romantic hero?
Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ chief financial officer, is known as the Iceman. He conducts his personal and business affairs without emotion, never allowing himself to become involved with anyone. When Nate sees something or someone he wants, he negotiates, paying a simple, set monetary price.
Now he wants Camille, the company’s green-haired intern.
Camille Joplin Trent never expected to be paid to pleasure the man of her dreams. She can’t quite figure out why this is a bad thing. Nate is intelligent, handsome, sophisticated, everything she’s ever wanted in a lover and never thought she could have. Their contract is for a month, thirty lust-filled days of making every sexual fantasy they’ve ever had come true. At the end of this month, the rules state their relationship will end.
Of course, Camille has never been good at following rules.
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