Calling out for a Hero
Romance heroes need depth, relatability, growth potential, and yes, that all-important aroma.
Today, we’re going to dive deep into one of the most critical elements of romance writing: crafting the perfect romance hero. We all know the hero is pivotal in keeping readers invested in your love story, so let's get right into it.
Let's talk about the key characteristics your hero should possess: He needs depth, he needs to be relatable, he needs room to grow, and he needs to smell good too!
1. Depth : No one wants a one-dimensional hero.
A flat man is no fun to bounce up and down on. Your hero needs to have layers, personality quirks, strengths, and yes, even weaknesses.
How do you balance his strength and weakness? My opinion, he only shows his weakness to the heroine as he begins to trust her.
What is your hero hiding? What softer sides does he show only when he's with the heroine? This is where the intimacy in your story lives.
2. Relatability : Now, perfection may seem like the ideal, but a flawless hero isn't relatable. A little imperfection adds a touch of reality to your romance. And again, it's the heroine who he trusts with his imperfections.
Give him two goals; one inner and one external. When they conflict, that's drama.
His inner goal might have to do with a wound from his past that still haunts him and influences his present day decisions.
His exterior goal, aside from winning over the heroine, will showcase his mastery as something. Romance readers love them some competence porn. What's competence porn? It's a character who is the best at what they do; like their job. That's why we love Alphas and Soldiers and Billionaires and Dukes.
3. Growth Potential : Your hero should have room to grow emotionally. A static character is a boring character. Understand what drives him in life and, more importantly, in love. When he heals or grows from his weaknesses, wounds and flaws, the heroine falls even deeper in love.
4. Physical Descriptions: Let’s talk about looks for a moment. It’s not shallow; it’s human nature to notice the physical. A few well-placed descriptors can go a long way.
Strong jaw. Broad shoulders. Handsome smirk. That'll do it. But wait there's more!
We love to talk about how heroes smell in romance novels -fresh baked bread, fresh cut grass, clean soap.
And tell us about his eyes. Tell me about his steel gray eyes. His endless blue depths. The mischievous twinkle in his hazel eyes. The adjectives, adverbs and other qualifiers you use about his eyes, his hair, his physique gives the readers more insight into his personality.
Crafting a compelling hero is more than just creating a dreamy figure; it's about making him complex, relatable, ripe for growth, and he should smell good too!
Remember, the perfect hero for your heroine is imperfect in the most perfect way.