Waterstone’s Romford welcomed us for a special signing – and the launch of two new romantic novels – The Bachelor And Spinster Ball and A Glimpse At Happiness. Thank you everyone for making us so welcome.
It was a cold, wet evening outdoors, but inside we were warm and dry and talk turned to heroes.
Here are our thoughts on writing heroes.
Janet
It’s not enough for the hero to be handsome or rich or strong or just plain wonderful. He needs to have some special quality that makes him – above all the other men in the world – perfect for your heroine. It might be something his past that makes him understand her hopes and fears and dreams. At the same time – there must be something about your heroine that makes her – of all the women in the world – right for him.
Juliet
Most romantic fiction is written by women, which makes writing the hero’s point of view a great challenge! Get a male perspective on what you write – either direct from the man in your life (when he’s stopped falling about laughing) or from so-called men’s fiction and magazines, and of course TV programmes. Do a reality check - filter out anything that’s not consistent with the type of hero you are writing, both in terms of the time period, situation and character. An example that worked for me was my husband’s suggestion that the hero, alone in his hotel bedroom, would flick through the TV channels – just a minor detail but extra authenticity!
Jean.
What is a hero? A hero can be any age, stature or colouring but what he must have above all other things is integrity. He must strive to do the right thing even though it might cost him dearly. He is honest and truthful but tempers that with compassion. He is never cruel, vindictive or abusive to those in his control. A hero will step forward to protect the weak and vulnerable in a dangerous situation and will willingly sacrifice himself so that others might live.
Victoria
Your hero is the gateway to your reader’s heart. He has to be charismatic and compelling and – in romantic fiction – handsome! Your reader will want to fall in love with him and, as a writer, you should too! My heroes are also very modern – Tom in Molly’s Millions is a single dad. I like heroes who are strong but sensitive too like Gene Kelly and James Stewart who play some of my favourite heroes in films.
