I’ve been thinking about characters a lot during the last two weeks since I’m working on a new paranormal story - something completely new. This means making up characters from scratch, a blank canvas so to speak. It made me think about what characteristics I like in a hero and heroine and the things I dislike, ones that you’ll never see in my characters.
I’ve read JR Ward recently - all four books back to back. I just loved the heroes in these books. Some of the heroines I liked better than others. I liked the heroes’ fatal flaws -they’re huge and yet by the end of the book they’ve managed to live with them, even though they can’t rid themselves of the flaws totally. I like the camaraderie between the brothers, the joking and laughing and the fact that they’re there for one another, united in their race surviving.
I like my heroes big and tough - alpha, if you will. I like my heroes to have honor and integrity. They need to be well motivated (that’s the writer’s job) and they never, ever think of rape or forced sex. They’re usually the stereotypical tall and dark. Handsome isn’t necessary because to me it’s the character that makes a man attractive - the way he handles himself in adversity.
My heroines are never stupid. They don’t go down into a basement when they know something bad is down there. They’re capable, intelligent and maybe a little quirky. I mean let’s face it, they sometimes need a weapon to penetrate the armor of the alpha male, and quirk does it nicely. They can be any size, looks don’t matter because the truth is - I’m the heroine in every book I write. I want my readers to be able to slip into the heroine’s skin easily and go on the journey, wooing and besting the stubborn alpha male. After all, we know what’s best for him!
I like to have secondary characters. Friends and blood relations work well in this position, but not too many that they’re difficult to keep straight. I’ve enjoyed many Jenny Crusie and Sherrilyn Kenyon books but a couple of the recent ones I’ve read had so many characters they lost me. No offence meant - this is a personal opinion. They both write great heroes and heroines, which is why I keep reading their books.
The secondary characters can have all the bad characteristics that perhaps it isn’t wise to give our main stars. The villain slots in here. He or she can do terrible, horrible things but once again, they must have good reasons otherwise readers are likely to throw the book at the wall.
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Tell me what specific qualities you like and dislike in a hero.
What specific qualities do you like and dislike in a heroine.
Are character looks important to you?
Anything else you’d like to mention in relation to characters - the good or the bad.
It’s fine to mention specific authors in your examples but no nastiness please.
I like my heros and heroines to be attractive and strong individuals. The men are more alpha and and the women too can be kick-ass characters.
I dislike characters that just giveup and take any abuse or crap.
by Lisa W June 16th, 2007 at 10:54 amTell me what specific qualities you like and dislike in a hero.
I like flaws, I do not want a perfect hero. I like a hero that is alpha but not ultimate alpha where he will not listen to anyone else’s ideas.
What specific qualities do you like and dislike in a heroine.
I like a heroine that can stand on her own. But the “act first think later” gets on my nerves.
Are character looks important to you?
They are in the sense that I cannot see me enjoying a book with a hero who has a beer belly and man-boobs. But as far as features, he or she does not need to be perfect on the outside, love lets you see beyond that.
Anything else you’d like to mention in relation to characters - the good or the bad.
by Kris June 16th, 2007 at 9:09 pmOne thing that always gets me is the logistics. When you have a 6′5 hero and a 5′3 heroine there are some logistics in sex that are sometimes ignored.
Kris - good point about characters with a big difference in height. At the very least, they’d both suffer from sore necks when they kissed!
Lisa - I agree - no floor mats need apply for positions as hero or heroine.
by Shelley Munro June 17th, 2007 at 4:29 amI like a hero/heroine that are smart, good looking but also compassionate.
Wimpy characters in both a hero/heroine I don’t like.
by Deborah June 17th, 2007 at 7:51 pmAISLYN looks great Shelly!
by Tehya June 18th, 2007 at 6:06 amI like an alpha hero who’s protective, but not too pushy and demanding.
by Ali June 18th, 2007 at 9:11 amIn a heroine, I’d like her to be strong and know her own mind. That doesn’t mean she needs to be fearless… heck, I think I’m strong, but I’ll still scream if I see or hear a cockroach, lol
Character looks aren’t too important for me, they don’t need to be perfect… except for when we’re talking about the cover. I don’t like it too much when the cover looks nothing like what the author has described.
I like the hero/heroine to be strong (body and mind), ethical, moral, sincere, decisive.
by Jodi S. June 18th, 2007 at 11:55 pmI don’t like wimps or whiners. They have to be able to stand up for themselves and not be “walked over.”
I like it when the characters have imperfections, because there are no perfect people in this world!
I totally agree with you about what you like in your characaters…when you say ” my heroes big and tough - alpha, if you will. I like my heroes to have honor and integrity…and My heroines are never stupid”
by Shuck Ying June 19th, 2007 at 9:28 amI like my heroes to be strong and hunky and have a code of honor. They are protective of women and children and believe in taking care of their own. The women are spunky and pretty. I dislike a heroine who ends up being a liability to the hero. For example, hero tells her to stay benind while he takes care of the villians She decides she knows better, gets herself captured and the villian uses her as a hostage or as bait. I hate it when heroines are pig headed or even worse stupid. Heroines that will sleep with just about anything on two legs really bug me too. Show some discrimination ladies. I bedlieve that flaws are fine in a character but when a character has so many that you begin to lose respect for them than it is a serious problem.
by Cherie J June 19th, 2007 at 11:02 amTehya,
Thanks very much. Aislyn was my first published story and the heroine is very strong and determined
by Shelley Munro June 19th, 2007 at 1:16 pmDeborah - yes, compassion is very important in a character.
Ali- it’s easy for alpha to bleed over into bossy if the author isn’t careful since it’s all a delicate balance. And yes, I’d squeak if I saw a mouse! the character should know their limitations because when they ignore them they’re in danger of crossing into the TSTL category.
Jodi - I agree that characters should have imperfections. IMO characters that are perfect tend toward boring. The imperfections make the stories interesting.
Shuck Ying - Thanks! I’m glad we agree
Cherie - I agree - pigheaded heroines are just as bad as TSTL ones. I think heroines to be able to work out/question the hero if they don’t agree with a situation rather than ignoring good sense!
by Shelley Munro June 19th, 2007 at 1:34 pmLove tortured heros who are still mentally strong. Hate indecisive heros. Love strong, independent heroines but don’t mind if they are the soft, timid kind who needs a man to take care of them as long as they are not those who goes hysterical.
Love Tall and Dark. Handsome is just a word on the page if the writer can’t give me a good picture. Though having the face put onto the cover is usually not a good idea since they seldom live up to the image of the hero in my mind. Think that’s why Sherrilyn Kenyon’s first cover for Dance with the Devil won, you have a hazy glimpse of the hero but not sharp, so can build him up to your own specification.
Hate adultery, unless under extreme cases or a good author!
Hope that helps!
by Teoh June 21st, 2007 at 2:49 am