Posted by Bethanne Strasser on Feb 2, 2010 in
Writing The Daredevil, a close relative to the Bad Boy, think Bohdi in Point Break–one because who doesn't want to think about Patrick Swayze? And two, because he kind of fits the bill. Not only does he have this extreme surfing, devil-may-care scenario, he's decided life just isn't interesting enough and becomes a thief, too.
So, let's move our Daredevil into the romance novel. He's the hero who isn't going to think twice, who might hurt the heroine before they reach the Happily Ever After, but somehow can be forgiven. Taking extremes is part of his nature. Actually this reminds me of a story of a MotorCross [I think] racer who died, leaving his family behind. So, right… that doesn't actually represent the romance novel, but I think if we spin real life to fit into our make-believe, this is the guy you'd have. And when he dies, everyone says, "He died doing what he loved." As if that makes it better… then again, maybe it does. See [I'm going to get philosophical on you], we all die. If you think about it that way, why not die doing something you love? Like surfing or bike racing or pirateering–okay, that one's definitely from a romance novel. As a matter of fact, read The Iron Rose by Marsha Canham. It is one of my all-time favorite romance pirate stories. The opening scene in that book IS daredevil. It's a hero with a flare for style who takes ships as a hobby… until he unwittingly takes the heroine's ship!! 
ONE MORE DAY! Join me either tomorrow or Thursday at Penny's blog as I wrap up my series on HEROES talking about the warrior. Thanks for being here.
With Love,
Bethanne
Mother of FIVE smarty-pants and married to her Love for twelve years, Bethanne spends her time writing stories that always--without a doubt--end happy.
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Tags: characters, daredevil, hero
Posted by admin on Apr 7, 2008 in
Writing Everyone loves an alpha hero. They’re strong, sexy, charismatic, and they tell us to do whatever it is they want us to do. Be it washing their dirty socks, cooking their dinner, or taking care of their children.
Wait.
Is that an alpha hero? Sounds more like a male chauvanist to me.
What is an alpha hero?
He is someone who takes charge of any situation and one who can make a woman faint just by looking at her with his soulful eyes. An alpha hero can make or break a romance novel. From fantasy to ancient Rome to future human settlements on Planet X, everyone looks up to that alpha hero and when a meteor or some other catastrophe looms on the horizon, everyone looks for him to save the day.
They also look for him to snag the girl who, in all honesty, probably doesn’t want to be snagged and has girl power written all over her face.
So…what makes a heroine fall for a hero?
His sexy bod. His thoughtful comments. His smoldering smile. His six pack.
And the way how he can make love ALL NIGHT LONG.
Okay, I maybe sounding a little sarcastic and snarky about the typical alpha hero, but what if a hero in a romance isn’t exactly alpha material?
What if he doesn’t have a six pack, can only do it once every six hours (and you know what I’m referring to), and starts to stammer when he gets really, really excited?
Would that still turn people on? Would he still make women faint in droves?
What do you look for in a hero when you first open a romance novel?
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Tags: alpha hero, hero, romance novel, Writing
