Holding Out for a Hero

I’m a sucker for a hero, I’m always holding out for a hero, especially one I remember whenever I’m thinking about books that have appealed too me. The book appeals to me because the characters do.

Does anybody remember Bonnie Tyler’s song Holding Out for a Hero? If you’re too young to remember this 1980s song, view it on youtube.com. The first time I heard the song, I knew it was written for me. Who doesn’t want a hero?

This is what I try to write in my novels?a man who is strong and maybe a little rough around the edges, even if he’s a sophisticated billionaire, but story is all about character growth so rough around the edges works well in a romance novel.

When I read a book where the hero meets my requirements, I can’t help but read and reread every scene relating to the hero. I study how the author made this hero be my hero, his description, the way he acts, what he says. Some authors are very good at making these heroes seem so real, or at least real for my world.

What’s important about writing is how the writer makes the reader feel. If the reader is drawn to the character, and in this instance, the hero, then the writer has succeeded. Not all readers are looking for the hero I’m writing, so I hope I’m writing the character that the reader likes, but when I write the hero that resonates with the reader, I’m overjoyed.

Writing a hero the reader will remember is first on my list, because after all writing is about the reader. Writing is about emotion. I write books for readers and I want the reader to put down the book and smile and be happy she met someone memorable. We all have memorable people in our lives. Characters should be memorable, too.