I blame LOST. If it weren’t for the last two nights of catching up with Sawyer and the gang, well I might have gotten my blogging done! But really – who is the man in the coffin? And, why is everyone so upset about getting back to clean laundry and a ready supply of toothpaste? Hmm….it’s going to be a good season!

How I long to write great epics….so, let’s continue our hero’s development today with the LAST element of a Heart Throb Hero. I promise, once we figure out who he is, it’ll be SO much easier to craft his journey!

We’ve talked about Noble Cause, Flaws, Fears….and today, we’re going to talk about COURAGE. What is courage? Big muscles and Heroic speeches? The ability to fight foes? To stand up for what we believe in, against all odds? Maybe, to make the right decision, even though it’s gonna cost?

Yes – a little of all of the above. We want a hero that will inspire us, make us into better people, help us see our own potential. That’s why heroes have to be human – so when they become heroic, we take a little piece of that into our hearts to give us strength for our own battles.

(warning: mini-spoiler for 3:10 to Yuma movie! Just so you know. *g*)
Take, for example, a recent movie I saw- 3:10 to Yuma. Great movie – such a portrayal of beta and alpha heroes, and how even a bad person might have something worthwhile inside him. Our beta hero, Christian Bale, is less than heroic in many ways – He’s been wounded in the Civil War, and his noble cause is his family, of course. However, his flaw is that he sacrifices standing up for right for the good of his family (a great values dissonance!). His fear is not being able to complete the task of bringing bad guy Russell Crowe to the 3:10 train. At one point in the movie, Russell Crowe offers him a solution to all his problems…cash for freedom. Remember – CB’s flaw has been to sacrifice right for his family. And, he has reason to fear (thanks to his bum leg and a few other factors) that he won’t make it. Take the money and run! says the family sitting on the sofa watching the movie. Yet this is where CB becomes heroic. He overcomes his flaws, and his fear, and says – whatever it takes, I will stay the course. This is courage.

In the end a hero should confront his flaws, and his fears, and make the right decision, despite the cost. And here’s the secret…there must be RISK involved with his heroic act. It must be something that feels impossible to win. And sometimes it is.

So, ask yourself…
1. What is your hero able to face in the end, that he can’t face in the beginning?
2. What lessons has he learned that equips him for this?
3. How does this act overcome his flaw, and his fears, and show courage?

You get a double dose of My Book Therapy today – later I’ll be posting some of the great entries of our favorite movie heroes and their fears, so stop back! And be sure and stop over at Voices and share your hero’s courageous moment! See you there!