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.

Stereotypes: Written and otherwise

"The dark alpha type..."

"The smarmy blonde villain..."

"Onyx eyes of passion and immortality..."

Stereotypes. In writing, they are everywhere. In our heroes, heroines and our villains. Even in the sub-characters.

But how do you know what kind of character to use? How do you decide how they look? How they act? Talk?

I might be a minority here, but I can't use real people as the inspiration for my characters. They usually come to me as their own people. Dark, light, short, tall. Rather than using (as an example) the expected norm such as all vampires are dark and brooding, I like to know a little bit about where they come from. Such as with Diego in The Eternal Kiss. He's a Spaniard. A warrior. A fighter. He's dark, fierce, commanding, but not because he's a vampire. Because of the man he was before he became a vampire. Those lessons piled on top of his condition make him doubly hard on the outside-or so it seems.

So how often do we use stererotypes? Considering the above, without knowing about the character, he sounds like several of the same vein (no pun intended) that we've all read. Alpha, dark, brooding, mysterious, a tad dominant.

Believe it or not, those traits belong as much to that character as to my own husband, although he's not quite so mysterious these days. Stereotypes are found in written fiction-but they are found just as much in real life. The mold of every character we write began as a kernal of some teeny bit of intriguing information and it was then layered like a delicate truffle dessert. Each layer bringing a new surprise, a new facet of that character.

Some authors know all those layers before they start to write. Some *cofmecof* don't. So while characters can and are often a shadow of a recognizable stereotype, they are just as likely a version of some person in real life. Which is where knowing real life habits, accents, quirks and interests (back to Z's post) can make a character come alive.  And no matter how that one character came to be, we all want him to be "alive" for the story.

So the next book you read, or write, think about the characters. Think about people you know that share the same traits. Personalize the character and they will always be alive, and memorable.

Add water, stir, voila - a hero

Continuing on with the 'back to basics' is the topic of this post.

There are certain aspects of the archetypes that cannot be denied, but what happens when you veer away from them.

The answer is it depends. When we look at the archetypes, we don't necessarily see a fully fleshed hero. That's not uncommon. The archetypes are extremely lineal. It's pretty hard to see a character who is always the Chief or always the Loner. First and foremost, some heroes can turn jerk-esque if we writer their archetype to an unnerving degree. Who wants to get with a Chief who is always a chief. Not many women.

This is where character blending comes in. Instead of having just one archetype, you have different aspects of archetypes.

Primary – The Chief
Secondary – The Swashbuckler
Tertiary – The Charmer

The mix is as follows --

Since the Hero is a Chief most of the time, he'll be a decisive alpha male. Going against the Eight Archetypes as discussed earlier, I find that most real life Chiefs are also extremely logical or logistical. (See how the blending is beginning).

The Swashbuckler always works well with a Chief Archetype. Blend him in and you have a faithful and logical captain who is always on the go. These are the main heroes found in Quests or Outer Space Adventures.

The Charmer. Captain Kirk was a Charmer. Except for the archetype says a charmer isn't reliable. Mix him with the above and he will be.

Always feed the main archetype with the secondary and tertiary traits. Find a moment to let the underlying traits shine, it makes the hero appear more real.

This doesn't mean the hero will be invincible. Every character has to have at least one flaw. Normally the archetypes can help you there. Don't go the cliché path. This has gotten old and tiresome. Instead think of how what we see as a benefit in an archetype can actually be a deterrent.

Don't go too far with Archetypes is always a good rule to follow. Get the character moving and working for you, but keep them on a short leash. In the end, know your hero. This always helps the process.

So tell me, do you think the archetypes are outdated, overused, or just plain stupid? Which do you prefer? A blended character or a firm archetypal hero?

Until next week – cheers and happy writing,

T.J.

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

Ongoing Free Read

I froze on the spot, my gaze never leaving Malcolm. He had stilled too, but a riot of emotion danced onto his features. Surprise made his eyes widen, before anger stormed in and his jaw tensed. Deep lines appeared on his forehead.

Time stood still for a moment before I made myself turn to look at the woman who had spoken. My eyes encountered a sight that left me quizzical. You see, she didn’t look like a real, live woman. No, she resembled one of those perfect, plastic models in bridal shops. Carved out of alabaster, with perfectly smooth cheeks, big blue eyes and a wide, very red mouth. Her hair was dark and severely pulled back from her face, accentuating her perfect forehead.

“I’m calling the police,” Malcolm said, as if through clenched teeth.

Those words startled me and my gaze darted to his to see him already bringing his cell phone to his ear.

“This is still my house,” the doll said. “And I asked you who that whore is!”

“I would control my tongue if I were you,” he replied with a warning glare.

I suppose the police picked up on the other end, because he started talking, mentioning a case of breaking and entering.

This was her house? Oh God. It was Malcolm’s wife.

Ex-wife actually. Or, more precisely, future ex-wife. Their divorce wasn’t final yet.

“I asked, who is this?” she spat as she took a step forward. Fire burned in her blue irises, and I could smell danger as she approached. She stopped a hair’s breadth from me, and before I could figure out what she wanted, her hand had viciously closed on my upper arm.

“Oww.” The pain was staggering, but then she started shaking me. Who knew a slim, bony woman like her could pack such strength in her grip?

Malcolm stormed over and grabbed her arm, jerking her none too softly. “Let go of her.”

“Why? So you can cheat on me?”

“Elise, it’s over between us. Has been for a long time.”

She released me and I stumbled back a few steps. I had never been the recipient of such violence before and the shock propelled me into a misty world where perception was a little warped.

“Prudence?” Malcolm asked. “You’re okay?”

I nodded, noticing he still held her arm in his firm grip. She tried to shrug away but he jerked her back.

“I’ve had it this time, Elise. I’m not gonna let you get away with this.”

The sirens of a police car broke through the quiet, the sound going in crescendo until the engine stopped right outside the house. Two uniformed officers entered the hall and Malcolm handed Elise over to them.

“Breaking and entering, violation of a restraining order and assault on the person of my colleague,” he said.

She started to scream and fight when the officers tried to handcuff her, but they restrained her easily and led her away to the patrol car.

“Sir, we’ll need your statement.”

Malcolm nodded. “I’ll be right there.” He watched them leave from the doorstep before he turned and stared right at me. In a few strides of his long legs, he was by my side where I had slumped on the first step of the stairs.

“You’re okay?”

I blinked, the sudden silence in the house registering on my mind and bringing me out of my stupor. “What was that about?”

Malcolm sat on the step next to me. “That was my ex-wife, Elise. She doesn’t get it that it’s over between us and she’s been hounding me for the past months. It’s the second time she’s broken into the house in my absence.”

A loon as ex. Not exactly a pretty situation.

“I’m sorry.”

He gave a small, sardonic smile. “Come on,” he said as he stood. “We need to go to the station.”

I stood too. “It’s okay. I’ll call a cab and head back to the office. The work day is nearly over.”

“No,” he replied. “You’re coming with me, because you’re pressing charges too.”

“I am?” What was he getting at? I wanted nothing to do in his conjugal disputes. God, why did I not know life close to a man like Malcolm Gainsborough had to be a roller coaster?

“She assaulted you, and I’m gonna see if you cannot even press charges for defamation.”

“Wait.” This was real. He meant what he said. “I don’t want to be involved in all that.”

“Too late. You already are.”


To be continued in a fortnight…

Back to Basics - Those Darn Heroes

A few people know me as a writer, but they don't know I am also an editor and a publisher. After years of working in the industry, I've discovered a few things that can kill a story right from the start. Some of them actually deal with our subject of the month – lol.

Let's take a look at those mistakes with our beloved heroes.

1.Girly-men—Alphas are back in style. Those adorable, and well-stepped on doormats known as Beta Heroes are out. Look to the Warrior stereotype and the Chief. These are hard Alphas. The Loner can be, but watch he doesn't start crying on the heroine's shoulder. Examples from books – Julie Garwood almost always writes a Warrior. Judith McNaught is the queen of the Chief. Johanna Lindsay often, but not always, writes a Loner.
2.Get-your-head-out-of-your-pants Heroes—This type of hero is getting old. Three dimensional heroes with firm back story and true motivation will take you a lot further. The whole, wet dream hero is definitely out and ew.
3.Logical and logistical—This throws authors anymore. I blame the prerequisite coming out of some (note- I said some) e-publishers to rush everything to sex. This attitude of 'we don't care about their motivation, but about getting the story hot', is losing steam. The GMC is back in style for major players.
4.The Hero's Journey—A book I think every writer should read is The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Campbell. Not only is this story the template for Descension/Ascension plots, but it is a great tool for those who don't understand the Hero's Journey. Any time you are writing a Hero's Journey, use your Impact Moment to your advantage. They will start changing from that point on.

There are a few more but these are the predominant offenders. The strength of a hero can make or break a story. If you are writing a Warrior, he better be tough. A Chief, he'll control the situation. A Loner, keep their tough exterior in place unless you are working on a pivotal moment. Loner's are often prideful too. Keep this in mind.

What do you think? Is it time to get our heroes out of the stratosphere and back to making sense? Do you have any pet-peeves when it comes to heroes?

Until next time, cheers and happy writing,

T.J.