Many a novice reader may believe that every protagonist is a hero. While technically true in that we are all the heroes of our own tales, these "heroes" aren't always on the side of the good and righteous. However, that's a story for another day. Today, we focus on your garden-variety, "do-gooder" hero.
For the sake of brevity, we're going to lump our heroes into two different categories. Your willing heroes, and your unwilling heroes.
This entry will focus on the willing heroes.
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| He's a new breed of hero... |
Now, what comes to mind when you read "hero"? Is he handsome? Fit? With a rugged jaw line? Eyes that smoulder like the heart of a dying star? Does he have a charming smile? A broad back? Chances are, he might look a bit like Superman.
Our willing hero trope is likely to be eager to jump into the fray. He might have an ego-complex. Everyone loves him, or at the very least, he believes they do. He's Captain Hammer (portrayed by Nathan Fillion), from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. He's Captain America, from Marvel's Avengers.
But not every "willing hero" is willing.
That's not to say that he can't be confident. He surely can. But there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Don't make your hero arrogant, unless you intend for him to fail. Character developpement tends to be crucial to our protagonists.
Let's take Thor, from the Marvel-verse. He starts off as a trigger-happy 3 , and eager to prove his mettle, even at the detriment of others. If he had remained on that plateau, I doubt he'd be so popular, if only because he'd be insufferable. He is forced to change, and through trial and error (and a bit of love), he becomes a more worthy hero. Is he willing? Yes. He choses to save that little town in New Mexico, and he choses to try his best to get Mjolnir back. But he's not perfect, which makes him a much better hero.
To reiterate what will inevitably become a mantra in this blog: "let your character breathe". Don't let him become nothing more than a living and breathing bundle of brawn and testosterone. Allow him to have flaws. Allow him to doubt himself. Allow him to fail. Allow him to be human.
And most of all, remember that not all heroes wear capes.
1 This is done in an effort to keep pronouns in check. Heroes can be female, too! They can also be genderless blobs. It's your story. You decide. ↩
2 For more information on what makes a willing hero, feel free to visit http://crimsonleague.com/2013/07/22/creative-writing-and-characterization-what-makes-a-willing-hero/↩
3 This turn of phrase works only if one pretends hammers have triggers, of course. ↩Our willing hero trope is likely to be eager to jump into the fray. He might have an ego-complex. Everyone loves him, or at the very least, he believes they do. He's Captain Hammer (portrayed by Nathan Fillion), from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. He's Captain America, from Marvel's Avengers.
But not every "willing hero" is willing.
"What on earth could you mean by that, oh great and powerful blogger?"Well, a willing hero is essentially one who makes the conscious choice to do something. He might not be happy about it, but, darnit, he's going to do it anyways, because maybe no one else will, and maybe no one else can. 2
That's not to say that he can't be confident. He surely can. But there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Don't make your hero arrogant, unless you intend for him to fail. Character developpement tends to be crucial to our protagonists.
Let's take Thor, from the Marvel-verse. He starts off as a trigger-happy 3 , and eager to prove his mettle, even at the detriment of others. If he had remained on that plateau, I doubt he'd be so popular, if only because he'd be insufferable. He is forced to change, and through trial and error (and a bit of love), he becomes a more worthy hero. Is he willing? Yes. He choses to save that little town in New Mexico, and he choses to try his best to get Mjolnir back. But he's not perfect, which makes him a much better hero.
To reiterate what will inevitably become a mantra in this blog: "let your character breathe". Don't let him become nothing more than a living and breathing bundle of brawn and testosterone. Allow him to have flaws. Allow him to doubt himself. Allow him to fail. Allow him to be human.
And most of all, remember that not all heroes wear capes.
1 This is done in an effort to keep pronouns in check. Heroes can be female, too! They can also be genderless blobs. It's your story. You decide. ↩
2 For more information on what makes a willing hero, feel free to visit http://crimsonleague.com/2013/07/22/creative-writing-and-characterization-what-makes-a-willing-hero/↩
I love this post! Your opinions are delivered in such a manner that it I find my self laughing in one paragraph, then feeling my heart strings being played in the next. Not only was it beautifully written, but your use of a variety of references also makes this post all the more enjoyable and easy to read. I absolutely love the idea of a more human hero, its so inspiring (who needs tropes anyway?). As for now, I'm patiently awaiting the day when I can read the adventures of a genderless blob of a super hero.
ReplyDeleteHonestly Siri, I always look forward to reading your blog because I feel like I'm a pre-schooler, sitting in a class room and my teacher is so passionate about her job, that it makes learning fun again. You express your points of views in such a way that makes everything just so fascinating.
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