What is He Like?
He will be tall, about six feet, at least. He’ll have sexy eyes. Maybe the color of forest moss. His hands will be broad palmed, his fingers long and callused from hard work, and clever. His lips will be full and sensuous, maybe he’ll have a heavy bottom lip the heroine can nibble. He’ll have a strong jawline and high cheekbones. His shoulders will be broad, his chest tapered, his abs chiseled. He’ll have long muscular legs. Everything about him will be the personification of masculinity, testosterone, and sexy male. His voice will be deep and rumble through our female protagonist, making him all but irresistible.
He’ll be funny, but arrogant and overprotective. Maybe he’ll annoy her no end. Perhaps he’s too cocky for her liking, but for some reason she just can’t stop being around him. Maybe she just likes looking at him. Maybe she just wants to kiss him. Just one taste, she tells herself. Then after that first kiss, somehow, the man she couldn’t stand days before becomes more appealing than he’s ever been. Now, what does she do? Is this really her hero? Why is she falling for a jerk? Maybe he’s not really a jerk, she thinks when he does something kind for her, brings her something she likes a lot, or holds her why she cries her heart out over something or someone. She finds herself in a conundrum. And it’s all that writer’s fault. You know, the one who created this complex man, the heroine initially thought was one dimensional. You know that arrogant beast, who thinks he’s God’s gift to women, and is set on one broken record of misogyny. Yep, he was supposed to be this big oaf that was going to make her life a living hell until she could find a way to get rid of him. Only, he’s turned out to be this wonderful man under the arrogant and cocky exterior. Now, that she’s gotten to know him, and so has the reader, there’s a spark. There’s hope for more. Now, we’re cooking with gas, and let’s cue up Katy Perry’s Roar, because now we have our hero. He’s a brute, but he’s a loveable one.
Whenever romance writers sit down to write, we often ponder what our hero is going to be like. what’s his name? Is it a strong confident name or something odd the heroine will find fascinating or too hard to pronounce and give him a silly nickname, so she won’t have to keep calling him this weird drawn-out name no one can pronounce except the hero and his parents?
We have an investigation to go on. What’s his backstory? What made him cocky? What contributed to his arrogance? Did he come from a loving family? Is the arrogance there to cover up some old hurts? What does he do for a living? Is he a good guy, a criminal turned good, or is he just pure evil with some redeeming qualities? If he’s just pure evil, how do I make my heroine and the audience fall for him anyway?
One of my favorite antiheros is Joe from You by Caroline Kepnes. He’s so smooth. The way he talks in the novel makes me root for him even as I know that what he’s doing is wrong. A part of me hopes he gets what he wants and never gets caught getting it. Yes, Joe is an interesting hero, but he’s also a villain. What to know more, read the book. It’s a good one.
One of my favorite heroes is Gabriel Slater from True Betrayals by Nora Roberts. As many people know, this is not only my favorite novel; Nora Roberts is my favorite novelist. So, remember I’m bias. In any case, Slater is a wonderful mix of cocky, sexy, strong, smooth talking gambler. He’s funny, arrogant, protective, handsome, and fiercely loyal. He can be annoying, scary when he gets mad, and completely jaded. The thing is that he has redeeming qualities.
Remember when you’re creating your hero that he has to have flaws. He’s going to occasionally piss your heroine off and make her weak at the knees simultaneously. Heroes don’t always have to be built or macho, but they have to have flaws. They can’t be one-dimensional creatures like cardboard cut outs. If they are, your audience will not only be annoyed, they’ll be more than a little bored, not to mention not really invested in what happens to this character. Your hero is your leading man. It’s good when your reader is annoyed by and falls in love with him along with the heroine. Have fun creating him and don’t forget to make him sexy in whatever you deem necessary to hold your heroine’s attention.
So, tell me, who’s your favorite antihero and hero?
Thanks for dropping by and spending time with me.
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Till next we meet, stay well and keep creating!
CSA
Nell Anthony 
One reply on “~ Who’s Your Hero? ~”
Women like nibbling on a guy’s lower lip? Hahaha. And I thought some couples’ thing with ear nibbling was weird.
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