Romance Writing: Heroes

It’s essential that the hero be fascinating—someone the reader wants to get to know better—someone who the reader can fall in love with because if she doesn’t, she isn’t going to care if your heroine falls for him either. But what is it that makes a hero that memorable character that touches your reader so deeply that she won’t want your story to end? Well, let’s look at that.

By their very nature, the heroes are larger than life, save the day, and always end up doing the right thing. They are good guys with a stubborn streak and a dash of wickedness thrown in to make them interesting. They are sexy, charming, successful, and passionate about the things that motivate them. They never do anything halfway. Whatever they do, even if they start out as tyrants, they always have a noble reason for the things they do. They aren’t perfect, but their flaws just make them all the more endearing, dangerous and irresistible.

Here is the foundation for creating the perfect hero:

• He must be well defined by the author to the reader.
• He is strong whether it’s obvious or subtle.
• He acts with integrity.
• If his actions are bad, then he has a good reason to act so.

Basically, there are two types of heroes, and it doesn’t matter which one you choose, because both are equally popular in today’s romances.

The classic romance hero is the Alpha hero. He is driven, powerful, and usually has a very take-charge attitude. Very much the lord of his domain, he is protective of what he considers to be his and he takes that responsibility seriously. He rules with an iron fist and rarely shows any sign of weakness. He’s the one whom everyone is afraid to stand up to or cross—that is until the heroine comes along.

A relatively new breed of hero is the Beta hero. He is playful, relaxed, and usually more compassionate than his Alpha counterpart. His personality is that of a nice guy; someone people like to be around him. But don’t ever mistake him for being weak, because he isn’t. He still has strong character, but he’s not so “in your face” with his strength. He’s the one who understands heroine better than anyone else, even herself.

Whether you decide to use an Alpha hero or a Beta hero, or some hybrid combination of the two, you must make the reader empathize with him. There has to be a reason for everything he does, says or thinks, and that motivation has to make sense to reader. Because he has to have a reason to grow during the story, love and circumstances have to make him a better person and reach beyond his self-imposed boundaries so he can share in the happily ever after with the heroine.

The hero also has to fit in the background in which he’s set. He has to have a past that has molded him into the man he has become and that colors the way he views his world. Emotionally, physically and temperamentally what he does, where he lives, and how he reacts has to move the story forward and be completely believable, not to mention compelling. He has to have a purpose for being a part of the story that goes beyond being the love interest.

But most of all you’ll find, all heroes have two things in common, they have a virile appeal that draws the heroine to their sides, and they need the heroine to fulfill their destiny and complete their lives. After all, what’s the point if his life is already truly full without her?

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