By Michelle Griep, @MichelleGriep
I love England. Everything about it. The people. The land. The rich and lustrous history. The big hunky knights and suave aristocrats. Okay, so maybe it’s the men. I love me an English man, especially one who’s not only handsome but chivalrous. A real hero.
Which begs the question, what makes a great hero?
- Fear
Yeah, you read that right. To make a believable hero you’ve got to give your character some kind of fear, whether it’s of the future or his past, or something more tangible such as in the case of Indiana Jones who feared snakes.
- Strength
Sure, six-pack abs are hot, but sheer physical manliness isn’t the only strength your hero should possess. The dude’s got to have strength of character. Maybe his is a strict adherence to always telling the truth, or maybe he’s got strength of endurance. Give him something besides muscles.
- Flaws
Your hero must have a flaw. Maybe he can’t balance his checkbook. Wait a minute…that’s my flaw. Maybe he can’t break his yogurt habit, or he’s got a reading in bed at night with the lights out quirk.
- A Secret
What makes a hero intriguing is his secret. What secret? I don’t know. Make one up, and don’t let the heroine or the reader know what it is until well into the story.
- Depth
Add layers to your hero, good and bad, and reveal them slowly. Maybe he has compassion for kids. Show it. But don’t explain why until later, when you reveal that as a child someone had compassion for him, saving him from a brutal situation.
- Passion
This is a given, but not in the way you’re thinking. Yeah, your hero’s going to be passionate about his heroine, but give him something deeper than that. Maybe his passion is justice or freedom.
Package all these qualities up and you’ll have one sweet manly man. He may be a tortured soul or a bit rough around the edges, but he’ll be a loveable hero nonetheless.
Even if there be monsters, there is none so fierce as that which resides in man’s own heart. Enchanting Regency-Era Gothic Romance Intertwined with Inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, and A Heart Deceived, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.