Why the fine line exists

T.J. and Diana have already given us great posts about reality in fiction, and especially in popular fiction. Face it - you won't read about vampires in literature now, would you?

As writer, crit partner and also as editor, I have come across some instances where the people writing want it to be real. Fine, but you must know there's fictionalised real and utter realism. And that, is the distinction between popular fiction and literature.

The example I am going to take pertains to 2 authors studied in literature classes today. Dickens and Austen. Oliver Twist/Great Expectations versus Sense and Sensibility/Pride and Prejudice. Which one of them would you be more inclined to read? The latter, right? Why? Because Austen never set up her works to portray the drab reality of her time and the utter grit and realism of life in her era. You may argue that Austen writes about big families and nobility and well-to-do people, but hey, Tess of the Ubervilles (Hardy) was also about a big family. Check out the differences between the treatment in the two author's penning.

Austen can be said to be popular fiction, while Dickens and Hardy are hardcore literature. When Austen penned her tales, she didn't do so to impress that her time was hard. She wrote them as a social depiction of women in her position. It was escapist in nature, even though it used aspects of society and reality to put across the situation and plight of her heroines.

Popular fiction is about this - you use an aspect of reality as the foil for enveloping your characters' stories. Imagine a whole fish wrapped in foil paper that you put in the embers of the grill during a barbecue. When lunch/dinner time comes, you open the foil to get to the cooked food. In popular fiction, the foil is the reality and the fish is the story of the characters (whether romance, suspense, drama). It's the other way round for literature - the foil is your characters and the fish is reality, because you're aiming to show reality in all its smaller detail.

Which brings me to another point we have considered this month - how real should your character be? I've often heard writers say they want their character to be as real as possible. That's fine, as long as he is real enough but not a mirror image of the real people out there. Imagine the typical thirty-something male who's supposed to be the hero of your romance. Most real guys in that age bracket live for the trip to the pub, meeting the mates and hollering like a madman over a game of soccer live on the enormous flat-screen that's just above the bar. He almost always forgets birthdays, anniversaries and big dates, and you can be pretty sure that given the choice between cuddling with his girl and playing Fifa 2000-whatever on the X-Box with his mates with a six-pack close by, he'll choose the second option. That's reality - is that the romance hero you want? Fine - not all men are tycoons and millionaires and handsome like Greek Gods. Yet this is exactly what we're looking for, because not all men are tycoons, millionaires and handsome like Greek Gods. Reality, and ultimately literature, is Homer Simpson singing SpiderPig in your front room; popular fiction is Daniel Craig coming out of the water in his tiny-tiny shorts every time you turn in his direction.

Another example - tabloids. Why are they so popular? Because they tell us most often about the downfall of the rich, beautiful and famous. We're not rich, beautiful or famous like them, and it's nice to note that they don't get everything on a platter while walking on the red carpet everywhere. Imagine the chubby gal with the buck teeth and the frumpy hair at your local supermarket, and imagine the likes of Paris Hilton. If you're told, her man ditched her, what will you think? For the socialite, you'll go, aww that's so sad, but inside you'll be like, good for her. Why? Because she's got it all why you don't. I know, bitchy, but that's reality. Same for the supermarket girl. You'll be like, she had a man? While I don't (and I'm ultimately better than she is)??? Face it - we don't want to see people worse off than us with what we don't ahve, and we want to see the ones who have it all fall and come back to our level again. Watch talk shows and check out the happy-happy couples who profess their love for each other at every turn and who look welded together. Half the time, he looks like Elmer from the Looney Tunes and she looks like something the cat dragged in. While we're slathering on the sunscreen, the makeup, enduring torture when waxing our legs and blow-drying our hair every morning, where's our guy? The one who'll stand by us always and who thinks we're the most beautiful creature of the world even as we wake up with puffy eyes and the imprint of our pillowcase on our cheek?

Reality is okay, but we already live reality -our reality- every single day. We don't want to read about it too. Fiction is escapism, fiction is hope for us that we too can make it, we too can be the most beautiful thing in the world to another person, that we too can climb the corporate ladder and break the glass ceiling, that we too can rake in the moolah effortlessly.

Write literature if you're intent on realism. Write popular fiction if you want to bring hope into the world.

I'd love your take on my very long-winded post! Any comments welcome!

Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural Romantic Fiction, With a Twist
Coming out October 2 - Light My World - Eirelander Publishing
Nolwynn Ardennes - The Promise of Fulfilment
Coming out in January 8, 2010 - Storms in a Shot Glass - Eirelander Publishing

Aasiyah Qamar/Nolwynn Ardennes - Romance the world over
www.aasiyah-nolwynn.webs.com

A House Call

This week, we're supposed to be talking about heroes, and how realistic they should be and how they should be portrayed.

This got me thinking about an unlikely hero - Dr. Gregory House (House M.D). Oh yeah, he is sarcastic, caustic, brings irony to a new level and basically you want to sock him one half the time. Why is he a hero then? How can this hateable man be likable, and even sympathetic? Yes, I found him sympathetic, once, and that's when he won me over.

T.J mentioned that one of the biggest strokes of genius when Margaret Mitchell penned Rhett Butler was that she made this Alpha man behave like an Alpha. It's what they did for House too.

Gregory House seems to hate women. Okay, he hates everyone. Sometimes he is seen to 'like' his best friend Dr. James Wilson and he has shown compassion and feelings for his colleague Dr. Allison Cameron and he often portrays a distant attachment and affection for his boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy. This somewhat makes him human, though I do also think the fact that he doesn't hesitate to tell everyone the truth about them also makes him human (come on, wouldn't you want to be so frank sometimes?). But what I'm talking about is when his ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner walked back into the picture. Stacy manipulated it so that House would have an operation he didn't want, and he holds her responsible for the way his life has degenerated (his limp, his enduring pain, the need to drown in Vicodin). So Stacy has moved on, married someone else, Mark, and now she's back at the Princeton-Plainsborough Hospital where House works to be the legal representative.

House still loves her, it's obvious, though it's never shown that he is simpering or whining over the loss of his one true love. It is calmly apparent in his gaze, in how he watches her. Stacy for her part has moved on, but back in close proximity to House, she knows she still has feelings for him. Starts then a limbo between House and her husband Mark, with House doing everything to break them up so he can win her. I know, not heroic at all. Then Stacy and House do end up sleeping together, but Mark has a stroke and Stacy has to go back to his side. While helping her husband recover, Stacy battles her feelings for House, and starts another dilemma. She comes to the conclusion she'll never be able to leave Mark, especially not in the condition he is, but she doesn't want to let go of House either. She wants the milk and the cow, as House so clearly presents it to her.

And that's when he turned into a hero in my eyes - he asked her to leave. He cannot settle for being the other man, the toy Stacy comes running to play with and then discard when real life calls back. Despite loving her - you can see it's breaking him - he asks her to go. And he also leaves.

Gregory House is an Alpha character, and through the above happenings, he is portrayed as the Alpha man, because this is what an Alpha man does and how he reacts. There is consistency in how he is portrayed. The writers stick to who he inherently is and show him as such, without any window-dressing, giving the tortured soul hiding behind the caustic wit.

You may not agree with me, but a man who doesn't accept to be second best or to be the one in the shadows is heroic for me. House shows how real life is and how real life can be, and I think we as writers should not discount this fact. Reality can be portrayed through fiction - and it can be portrayed well. Just make your characters act like real people would.

Any questions, just holler!

Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural Romantic Fiction, With a Twist
Coming out October 2 - Light My World - Eirelander Publishing
Nolwynn Ardennes - The Promise of Fulfilment
Coming out in January 8, 2010 - Storms in a Shot Glass - Eirelander Publishing

Aasiyah Qamar/Nolwynn Ardennes - Romance the world over
www.aasiyah-nolwynn.webs.com

With Love, from Ms. Blush

Hello to you all wonderful, beautiful people!

This week, we're once again stopping to ponder about realism and characters.

What makes a realistic character? Is reality a tangible thing in writing? Is reality driven by principles of logic?

Another question we received and which we decided to tackle this week was- How realistic should the hero be? And how do we make him realistic?

T.J And Z(Aasiyah/Nolwynn) answer this question through the portrayal of Alpha characters such as Rhett Butler and Gregory House.

Also, don't miss the little slant T.J. will bring further into the week - her view on reality in fiction.

Don't forget:

This May, we're scratching at the surface of escapism and bursting the bubble of what constitutes reality in fiction.

This May, we're on the quest:

Searching for an appropriate reality...

The best of us for the best of you, that's our promise as we deliver the full flush of romance.

From now till later, enjoy!

With love, from Ms. Blush

From Princess to Real-Life Heroine

As women, the first heroines we are introduced to are the princesses of the fairy tales. Who hasn't sighed in bliss and contentment when the kiss of the prince wakes Snow White, or when the glass slipper fit Cinderella's foot perfectly?

We got our first notion of Happily Ever After in such occasions, as well as a glimpse at what a hero should be like - a prince (do you realise they're all called Prince Charming, as if there's one single bloke for all those girls?) or a knight in shining armor who comes riding on a big white horse and sweeps the damsel in his arms and takes her to Far, Far Away where they live happily and have many children.

The damsel - that's what I am trying to get to (you should know me by now - I ramble. Big time!)

Heroines were built off the template of the fairytales damsels and the princesses.

But, is she applicable in our times? Just think back to the movie Enchanted - the princess, Gisele, is pushed by the wicked stepmother into the reality of today's New York, where for the first time she meets a flesh and blood man who isn't a gentleman, and who even curses, and where she calls upon all the animals in the city to come help her clean his apartment, by singing from the terrace! She also sings at every given opportunity.

The realm of fairytales, right? Exactly! A fairytale princess cannot exist in the world as we know it. She cannot simply meet the prince and accept his wedding proposal 2.5 seconds later, get married the next morning and live happily ever after while giving birth to many children throughout the scope of her reproductive life. Where's the realism here?

Nonexistent. And that's a big mistake where penning heroines is concerned - the lack of realism. T.J. touched upon this in her post on Tuesday.

Now, if you are writing a fairytale, this princess would work for you, but we have to face the fact that most of us write about real women who are facing real situations albeit in a fictitious setting. But fiction has to be as close as possible to reality. Even in a realm such as fantasy, where your world is wholly fabricated, there needs to be a semblance of logic that grounds your characters.

This logic is what you need when you pen a heroine. Why is it more important for the heroine? Because she is very much the strongest pillar you need in the foundation and construction of your romance story. There is no romance without a heroine, and most romance, while featuring a good deal of the hero, is based on the love story that touches the life of the woman.

I'll slither a side post here about heroines. On the blog Pop Culture Divas, there is a list of the strongest movie heroines of the past decade. I'm sure all of you must've seen those movies, or at least, have heard of them. Catch a glimpse of the wide variety in women and personas that grace the collective mind where strong heroines are concerned.

Take a glimpse at these heroines, and look very hard at the thread of logic in your heroine's behavior. This is ultimately what will help you create a superb character that leaps off the page and who will stay in the minds of your readers for a long time to come.

As always, your comments are more than welcome!

Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural romantic fiction, with a twist

With stories set amidst the rainbow nation of Mauritius, a multicultural island in the Southern Indian Ocean, author Aasiyah Qamar brings you tales of today's young women battling life on all fronts and finding love where they least expect it. Indo-Mauritian culture wants to stifle them in traditions, customs and antiquated morals while the world is opening its arms of modernity and globalisation. Where do these women belong? And more importantly, with whom? Find out more about her first release, The Other Side, here.

A man of substance

A hero...

The word itself is enough to send our hearts aflutter.

He is a worthy man, a handsome man (though he needs not be picture perfect), he is an honorable man. He is someone we can easily fall in love with.

In short, he is a man of substance...

But what does this entail when you're writing your hero? How do you bring substance to this persona?

Throughout this month we have brought you tips and tricks about how to create a hero, how to shape him, how to mold him to your story's specifics.

Today I'll go over them again, and add a few little hints too.

First, know who he is - what is he supposed to do in this story?

What sort of story is it? Dimensions of the hero explained how you need a 'different' man for every genre.

Then you go into how he is - archetypes come in handy here, to keep you in line when shaping him.

Next, you start fleshing him - physical appearance, among others, comes here. You can work off a picture/movie star/celebrity/your own man, whatever, as long as you know he has sandy hair when the story starts and he doesn't end up with hair like a raven's wings by the end.

You also decide whether your hero is a caveman or a metrosexual, or where along those 2 extremes he fits in. Depending on this definition, you'll know how he dresses (from Gap or from the runway shows of Armani, with a little bit of Prada thrown in), how he carries himself (is he blissfully unaware that he's got a hip movement to die for, or is he elaborately conscious that everywhere he walks is akin to a runway ramp?), what sort of lifestyle he has (stale pizza and beer at his place or the latest order from the hippest sushi bar in town?)

While I admit the metrosexual doesn't win my vote of favor, he can have his redeeming traits - up to you to make him lovable if you are using him (think David Beckham in an underwear ad).

Attitudes and values will also play in. What has made him who he is? Get yourself a well-compiled file on his backstory, and be sure to find his impact moment, which will define him for a lifetime.

And, if you are writing a romance, figure out how this man loves. I'm not talking only bedroom theatrics (though you do need to know how he fares and acts in the bedroom - room for lots of writer fantasies here *wink*). What does this man do when he loves a woman? Bring her flowers? What sort of flowers? Roses? Are they all of the same color or does he choose one flower by every color in the bouquets he brings? Does he bring a bouquet or a single flower?

Always, always, ask yourself questions. The hero is a man YOU need to fall in love with first. Treat him as any man you meet in real life - if this bloke captured your attention, what would you do? How do you think of him? Imagine you are sixteen again and start imagining your life with him, what it will be like, what he will be like.

Do this for this imaginary man, and you will end up creating a 'real' man that jumps off the page and grasps your reader's heart.

That's your aim - to make him memorable.

You have the tools. You have the knowledge. Use it.

As always, I welcome your comments! How do you go about creating your hero?

Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural romantic fiction, with a twist
With stories set amidst the rainbow nation of Mauritius, a multicultural island in the Southern Indian Ocean, author Aasiyah Qamar brings you tales of today's young women battling life on all fronts and finding love where they least expect it. Indo-Mauritian culture wants to stifle them in traditions, customs and antiquated morals while the world is opening its arms of modernity and globalisation. Where do these women belong? And more importantly, with whom?Find out more about her first release, The Other Side, here.

With Love, From Ms. Blush

Hello to you all wonderful, beautiful people!

A world of heroes... A world without those special men... A world where fiction and reality hover close to each other, with a thin line separating them...

This has been our topic for the month of February. And for the last week of the month, we'll pretty much be rounding up our discussion and views on the elusive ideal hero.

Catch T.J. on Tuesday to get her full scope on this man.

On Thursday, Aasiyah/Nolwynn will bring you her overall take on heroes - who is he, and what is he made up of?

Little aspects such as naming your hero and where to parachute him (what sort of hero for what sort of story) - this is what you need to look forward to in the coming days.

And, on Friday, Prudence Tempest will be back again. Remember, in our last instalment, she came face to face with the hunky Malcolm's slightly loony future ex-wife. What will Malcolm do now in the aftermath of this disagreeable encounter?

Tune in on Friday for the latest instalment of our online free read.

Don't forget - This February, we at Royal Blush are sending the hormones flying high.

This February, we're taking you on a quest:

Searching for The Perfect Hero...

The best of us for the best of you, that's our promise as we deliver the full flush of romance.

From now till later, enjoy!

With love, from Ms. Blush

Dimensions of the hero

Last week I spoke about the cultural hero, and what makes him and breaks him too in many cases.

This made think of another issue pertinent to heroes - the many dimensions involved in this word.

What am I getting at? Well, look at it this way.

What makes a hero?

In a mystery, he's the hero if he solves the puzzle.

In romance, he's the hero because he is a worthy man the heroine needs to fall in love with.

In fantasy, he's the leader, the one going for the quest.

In sci-fi, he is the commander.

All these men are heroes, but they are heroes in their own right.

Why? Because of the many dimensions of the hero.

We won't argue that there is a basic thing that makes a character a hero. He is inherently good, he gets the job done, he is worthy. Yes to all these.

But you cannot take this 'lumping' of characteristics, drop it in your ms and expect to have a hero.

This is where the archetypes play in (T.J's posts - archetypes, Creating a hero using archetypes, Back to basics: What breaks a hero) and where personalizing comes into play (Diana's post).

So now you've created a distinguishable hero for your ms. Good. Are you done yet? No.

A hero is 'different' for every genre. He 'looks like' something, 'acts' like something, 'thinks' like something depending on the genre of your story.

Let's take, for example, a mystery hero. A bloke you would've found in a Sidney Sheldon novel, for instance.

Looks - he can be gorgeous, average, non-descript. Every way he is, there is not much detail about his looks. You have a general idea but not a very clear picture. The hero here can be 'the kind of handsome man who has every woman sighing when he enters a room." We gather that he is handsome, but we don't know if he looks like Clive Owen, Daniel Craig, or Patrick Dempsey.

Behaviour - a mystery hero in a Sheldon book is often a man who isn't in the spotlight. He doesn't need to spotlight. He exists on a side fringe where you would probably not notice him without a second glance, and that too when you know what you're looking for.

Thinking - he is rational, logical, able to make deductions and has a terrific gut instinct. He needs all this to unravel the mystery.

Now, let's look at a romance hero.

Looks - he is usually handsome, and the more detail you give about his appearance, the better. Reading a romance, we know if he is tall or not so tall; dark or blond; square-jawed or not; well-shaved or sports a stubble; wears suits or jeans and a flannel shirt; whether his nose looks like Pierce Brosnan's nose or whether his voice resembles that of a crooner.

The reasoning here is - women need to fall in love with him. You cannot exactly fall in love with a man who could easily be mistaken with a hundred others in a crowd.

Behaviour - he is always honorable. He can be logical, rational, impulsive, headstrong, stubborn. He can do whatever he wants, as long as he can be redeemed/excused. He can be a show-off with a big heart, or he can be the loner who lives like a recluse. He is also a man who stands out of the crowd through his actions.

Thinking - he has the heroine's interest at heart. He wants to do right and do good. His motives are always pure. He can be a little warped (say he smokes like a chimney), but it's his heart that matters.

Am I saying that mystery heroes cannot make good romance heroes? No, and no for vice versa as well.

The point is, the same man has to be portrayed differently depending on the genre you are writing.

It's just like for an actor. The same actor can play 2 very different parts, but he will not be alike in the two movies. Think of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Same man, right? I'll leave it up to you to decide.

As always, I'd love to get your comments.

Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural romantic fiction, with a twist
With stories set amidst the rainbow nation of Mauritius, a multicultural island in the Southern Indian Ocean, author Aasiyah Qamar brings you tales of today's young women battling life on all fronts and finding love where they least expect it. Indo-Mauritian culture wants to stifle them in traditions, customs and antiquated morals while the world is opening its arms of modernity and globalisation. Where do these women belong? And more importantly, with whom?Find out more about her first release, The Other Side, here.

With Love From Ms. Blush

Hello to you all wonderful, beautiful people!

What's a world without heroes? A pretty dreary perspective, wouldn't you say?

Or would it be a blessing in disguise?

How do we reconcile to the idea that heroes are not exactly the men we meet day in, day out in our regular existence, and vice versa? Can reality meet the imaginary? Can we as writers build this bridge to connect these two perspectives?

Last week we shifted our focus to this aspect.

Angela Guillaume posted about the worthy hero, and what makes him 'real'.

Aasiyah/Nolwynn gave us more about the cultural hero, what makes and (mostly) breaks him in the world of fiction.

T.J. Killian gave us an insider peek into the basics of writing a hero.

This week, we continue in this same vein.

Catch T.J. again as she tells us more about the basics of the hero - but this time, what makes him as opposed to what breaks him.

Diana Castilleja will chime in about her view on this whole topic. Catch her on Wednesday.

Aasiyah/Nolwynn will go into the many dimensions of the hero - is there one 'template' for every story?

Don't forget - This February, we at Royal Blush are sending the hormones flying high.

This February, we're taking you on a quest:

Searching for The Perfect Hero...

The best of us for the best of you, that's our promise as we deliver the full flush of romance.

From now till later, enjoy!

With love, from Ms. Blush

Culture and its respective hero

Everyone who knows my stories under the name of Aasiyah Qamar knows I write culture-base fiction.

You would then expect me to write cultural heroes. Right?

True and False.

I'll start with False, because it is my heroines who are the ones who hail from a different culture, while my heroes are the regular, European/American/Australian guy.

True, because there's a distinction between the European, American and Australian hero.

Whatever origin you give your hero, his country's culture will shape who he is and how he should be portrayed.

Culture is something intricate and pertinent to a region, a country, an ethnic origin, a family environment. Each of these, as well as all of these together, give you a different canvas on which your hero is painted.

So, how does this affect your hero?

Imagine you are creating a hero.

Who is he? Say he is a modern guy.

Where does he come from? Say England.

Is he urban or not? Let's say urban.

Easy, right? You're done? No!

Depending on where in England he is from, he will be different. A region has its own accent. A region has its own manner of speech. Depending on his family origins (Irish, Welsh, Scots, Londoner, immigrants from India or the former eastern European block), he will operate in a certain way. Depending on these origins too, his values and definition of life, responsibility, love, all will vary.

And here you thought you were taking a Joe out of nowhere and planting him in the picture.

Another important aspect of culture is when writers pen foreign heroes. Oftentimes, someone from inside that culture knows the hero is not sketched properly, as many (and unfortunately, most) writers rely on stereotypes to pen a foreign man.

A foreign hero is probably what makes readers' hearts beat faster in the realm of romance. But painting him right is not as easy as it looks. You cannot simply read a few travel guides and check an online translator to find out what he'd say in his native tongue, to get this man down accurately.

I'll list some examples here.

French men are charming.

True. They are usually very gallant and almost always have a smile on their face when they deal with a woman.

But, French men are not sweet talkers. They don't add a 'sweet' word or name in every sentence. The ones who do that are the cads!

One thing that irks too is when writers do not get the speech pattern right, literally translating from what an English-speaking hero would say. British men say 'dear' as a love word. Translated to French, literally, it becomes 'chère'. Still sounds normal? Here's where it hurts. In French, you never say 'chère' by itself. It's always 'ma chère'. And where it hurts even more, is that it is a stuffy, 'old man' way of calling someone, especially as a endearment. No way will a man under sixty call his woman 'ma chère'.

Another one who is often represented in awry ways - the sheikh.

In fact, it can even be said the sheikh has evolved into a completely unique category in itself in romantic fiction. Why? Because an Arab man would never really act like that. Arab men are the ultimate Alpha, and monogamy, as it is interpreted by the Western world, is not something they really consider. An Arab man is allowed 4 wives simultaneously, and since he is little, he has been taught that as long as he isn't to cheat on his wife, he has a way out - he marries the other woman who catches his fancy. A single partner is almost inconceivable in this setup. Another aspect not touched upon is that the Arab society is mostly driven by women, namely the mothers/matriarchs in the household. An Arab mother will never allow her son to take a foreign bride. He may fantasize about the foreign girl, but he will rarely make her his wife, and also his only wife.

If you look at other emerging heroes, you will notice too how culture plays in.

The Indian hero, for example. Most Indian men are brought up to be male chauvinists. Extended families, with a grandfather, his wife, his three sons and their wives and each son's children, live in the same house. Each couple has its own bedroom, but that's the extent of privacy you have. Familial pressure also plays in a lot. A man will rarely go against his family for his wife. This culture is a collective one, and men and women still marry in arranged alliances without even knowing their partner before the wedding night.

You may say I'm reaching to the far corners of the world to illustrate my point, but consider this as well.

A Yankee is not a Southerner, and vice versa. A Briton is not a Scotsman. An Aussie is not like an American or a Briton.

Each is different. Each is unique.

Pay attention to your hero's culture. In the end, your readers will thank you for it.

I'm curious to know about your take on the cultural hero. Feel free to elave me your comments.

Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural romantic fiction, with a twist

With stories set amidst the rainbow nation of Mauritius, a multicultural island in the Southern Indian Ocean, author Aasiyah Qamar brings you tales of today's young women battling life on all fronts and finding love where they least expect it. Indo-Mauritian culture wants to stifle them in traditions, customs and antiquated morals while the world is opening its arms of modernity and globalisation. Where do these women belong? And more importantly, with whom?Find out more about her first release, The Other Side, here.

Who Can Resist A Worthy Hero?

by Angela Guillaume

I firmly believe that in order to create a "perfect" hero in a fictional setting, we must first endeavor to create a "real" hero—one that could appear as comfortable in the pages of a book as he'd be crossing Main Street on a busy April afternoon.

According to Umberto Eco, the famed Italian literary author (among his works: The Name of the Rose, which was adapted into film), we should ask the question, "How can fiction help us to attain a severe and correct definition of the truth?" I heard the man ask this very question a few months ago at an Emory University lecture series in Atlanta, Ga. I think this is a valid question, and it does have some application to this month's RBA theme: Searching for the Perfect Hero.

From what I have garnered speaking to different authors, every hero is perfect—perfect for the book he was written into. Why? Because he is a creation of the mind of the author. Yet, to think of Eco's question, can a hero reflect that which is true? I believe he can—because a hero, for all intents and purposes, is a REAL man. A fictional hero is as real as a flesh and blood person in his own context—that is, in the novel.

Indeed, another of Eco's comments was, "While historians evoke real ghosts, novelists create real characters." Thus, a fictional hero can be as true and real as a historical one. For example, Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle's hero starring in many tales, was real, and he really lived in Baker Street and had a sidekick called Watson… in the novel! His identity is unmistakable, and he is recognized by many, still today. So essentially, the difference between reality and fiction could be seen as a very blurry one, and each is true in its own dimension.

Another hero we have all heard about is Superman—and another thing we also know to be "true" is that Clark Kent IS Superman. But, as Eco continues to say, true assertions such as this may not always be found in history. For example, to say that "Hitler lost his life in a Berlin bunker" may possibly be true, yet, it is not proven beyond the shadow of a doubt.

So, once we have created an "irrefutably real" hero, how do we make sure he's PERFECT? What, indeed, is perfection? I think that the moniker "perfect" is often misused—some say that nothing ever can be perfect. I disagree, and I think that perfection is not necessarily something that is completely great, precise, faultless and wonderful; rather, something that is where and how it should be. Something that is fated, that is truly meant to be in the world that surrounds it.

My view of this is when both the author and the reader can identify and understand the character, as well as the character’s fate and goals—when the reader empathizes and FEELS for this hero—then that same character becomes, essentially, both real and perfect. I have a different take on this—perfection to me does not essentially mean the complete absence of flaws; rather, it means the capacity to be and act "human", therefore, "real". Thus, reality and perfection are a sort of superimposition, one over the other, creating the amazing mélange that constitutes what we define a compelling character.

James Bond is the perfect hero. Why? Not because he is picture perfect, but because despite all his skills and savoir faire, he also gives us glimpses of humanity (See "Casino Royale"). He probably wouldn't make a great "Gandhi" type character and he would probably suck as Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights) but we cannot deny that he is perfect in the very role for which he was conceived. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) is the perfect hero because, despite his pride, he also displays a kind and compassionate heart. Jason Bourne (The Bourne saga—Robert Ludlum) is a perfect hero because he is tortured and wonderfully flawed based on his past experience. He is an extraordinary man, a lethal killer, who refuses to be a machine and strives to find himself.

It may therefore be stated that perfection lies, peculiarly, amidst a universe of failings. The reader is thus allowed to sift through these human failings (therein lies the fun of discovery) and find that which lies beneath—the hidden gem that unveils this hero's innermost core: one that is worthy and honorable.

In essence, to break all of this down and apply it to the realm of the romantic novel, I think that a perfect hero is, above all else, a worthy one.

~ Angela Guillaume ~
Where love is more than history
Website: http://www.angelaguillaume.com
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"Mile High to Heaven"--Xtra hot!!!--Contemporary short. Available March 2009 at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.
"Mr. & Mrs. Foster"--A toasty warm holiday tale. More info at: www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid

With Love From Ms. Blush

Hello to you all wonderful, beautiful people!

Heroes make our hearts beat faster. Heroes make us believe in love. Heroes make us rise above the drudgery of everyday life.

Do you agree? Or don't you?

Last week, we started our discussion on this theme. Sandra came up with a very pertinent post about the search for a perfect hero.

This week, we continue in that same vein.

What is the basis for a hero? What makes him heroic? Is there a way to take any man and make him a worthy hero? Or is it that taking a toad and changing him into a prince is easier?

Catch us this week as we ask and attempt to answer these questions.

On Tuesday, catch T.J. as she takes us further down the path of hero archetypes. Tune in here for explanations about what actually constitues those definitions.

On Wednesday, Angela Guillaume wonders whether reality and fiction meet where heroes are concerned. This promises to be a very dynamic thread.

On Thursday, Aasiyah/Nolwynn brings you a bit more about the specifics of a culture-based hero. (Yes, culture plays into how a man is).

And on Friday, catch Prudence Tempest again. Remember, last fortnight, the divine Malcolm took Prudence to his house for a work meeting. But once inside the dwelling, a woman questions the integrity of Prudence... Who is this mystery woman? Stay tuned, it will be revealed this week!

Don't forget - This February, we at Royal Blush are sending the hormones flying high.

This February, we're taking you on a quest:

Searching for The Perfect Hero...

The best of us for the best of you, that's our promise as we deliver the full flush of romance.

From now till later, enjoy!

With love, from Ms. Blush

When cliches take a life of their own

I was supposed to blog about the cultural hero today, but Sandra's post got me thinking in a completely different direction, about how we perceive heroes. The cultural hero will come next week, promise!

So, when cliches take a life of their own...

He was tall, dark, and handsome...

No need to tell you who this refers to - the hero, of course!

But, have you noticed how all romance heroes seem to fall under this description?

Let's try something else.

The best friend whose shoulder you'll always cry on is all the time boyish, maybe with a mop of curly hair, who half the time, is red or blond.

Or, the guy's shoulders are a mile wide.

Or, his hair is luxuriant.


Are you seeing a common thread here? All this is expected. You close your eyes and you picture this kind of description all the time.

Why? Because it's a cliche!

All the men in romance tend to look alike, a carbon copy in a sort.

I ask, aren't you fed up with men who all look, sound, feel alike? Why do we read romance? For escapism, for the HEA, but a major part of it is - to fall in love with the hero!

How then do you fall in love with one same man all the time? Isn't there scope for a variety of men out there? Women in real life aren't all attracted to the same kind of men. There's got to be someone who rocks everyone's boat but who won't rock yours. Case in point, I can't for the life of me drool on Johnny Depp. Throw whatever you want at me, he does absolutely nothing to me. Yet, women the world over would sell their souls to be with a man like him.

This kind of thing doesn't happen just to me. It happens to you too. Think of that geek you found cute. Or that hulking man who peopled all your fantasies once you set your eyes on him. Think of this fellow who caught your eye and you have no idea why coz he's a regular looking guy, nothing striking about him.

Heroes are supposed to be a transposition of real men to the fictional world. Why then would all heroes look like clones if we took them and placed them in the same room in the real world?

Kill the cliche. Emerge with a man who's unique. Why is he unique? Because he's different, and that's why and how your heroine falls for him. At the same time, this novelty is what will make women who read your work fall in love with him too.

Don't think a man has to be tall to woo. Think of Brad Pitt. He isn't a beanpole, is he? Same goes for Andy Garcia.

He doesn't need to be dark to be drool-worthy. One of the men women would die for and men would kill to look like is blond. His name is Daniel Craig.

Don't think he needs a mop of luxuriant hair that would make every woman envy him his locks. He doesn't have to be Patrick Dempsey and he can also be balding like Jason Statham.

Imagine a new hero. The world will thank you for it, because you brought a real guy to life in your story. And, nothing beats the real guy where love is concerned! We don't want a fantasy, or a world like the soaps which is filled with guys one so hunkier than the next we throw the towel in at the level of high-maintenance expected of us to just be able to stand next to them proudly.

No. We want a real man. Someone we could bump in at the corner store.

I'd love your comments. Feel free to tell me what sort of un-cliche man rocks your boat.

P.S. If ever all the guys you bump in at the corner store look like they come out of a soap opera, let me know. I'll relocate ASAP.



Aasiyah Qamar - Cultural romantic fiction, with a twistWith stories set amidst the rainbow nation of Mauritius, a multicultural island in the Southern Indian Ocean, author Aasiyah Qamar brings you tales of today's young women battling life on all fronts and finding love where they least expect it. Indo-Mauritian culture wants to stifle them in traditions, customs and antiquated morals while the world is opening its arms of modernity and globalisation. Where do these women belong? And more importantly, with whom?Find out more about her first release, The Other Side, here.

With Love From Ms. Blush

Hello to you all wonderful, beautiful people!

Jane Austen said that it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a fortune must be in need of a wife.

We tell you that she's right, and that it works the other way round too.

Every girl needs her hero. (The money doesn't hurt either.)

Heroes... Ah...

These are the men we love, the ones we hate on certain days, love to hate, admire, respect, want to smack on the head on many occasions, drool on, gaze at, fantasize about,

Fall in love with...

Heroes. They do all that to us.

So, is this intro tied in to what we're bringing you this month? You can bet your knickers it is! Our topic this month is Heroes. What better than love for a worthy man to fuel our drive in the month that features Valentine's Day?

Catch us throughout the next 28 days as we bring you heroes viewed by our perception. You'll also glean a tip or two about how to shape and mold your hero.

Catch T.J. tomorrow to learn a bit more about the archetypes behind the construction of every fictional hero.

On Wednesday, Sandra brings us her quirky and offbeat take on the quest for the perfect hero.

Thursday, Aasiyah/Nolwynn will tell you more about the cultural hero.

This February, we at Royal Blush are sending the hormones flying high.

This February, we're taking you on a quest:

Searching for The Perfect Hero...

The best of us for the best of you, that's our promise as we deliver the full flush of romance.

From now till later, enjoy!

With love, from Ms. Blush