What makes a romance hero

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. I have read the Lymond series about ten times, and I so agree with you. He is absolutely marvelous — the James Bond of the Renaissance. I think Jamie Fraser in the Outlander series is a close second, though. Awesome Romance Authors May 4, Show all. Who makes a great romance hero? Deserving: Every hero needs to deserve our empathy.

There has to be something about him that makes us root for him, even when he does unlikable things. It may be that he has had a traumatic childhood or gut-wrenching experience in war, or maybe he has a worthwhile goal, or he has a likable personality.

What ever it is, it causes us to empathize with him as he struggles to attain his goal. Mystery: Every character, but especially the hero, must have something hidden in their background — a secret, a horror, a wish — that propels them to act in certain ways and which when it is revealed enhances and explains the core of the person.

Uniqueness: The hero needs a special skill, ability, occupation, heritage, talent, or quirk that makes him stand-out from every other romance hero ever written. Ability to love: Although the hero may start out rejecting the notion of love, the capacity to commit heart and soul to another person must be part of his core values.

Bravery: A true hero takes action to protect what he loves and believes in even if he is terrified or it risks his life or property or future happiness. Sometimes that goal is the wrong one. An Obstacle or Enemy: There is no need to be a hero if getting what you want is easy. There have to be people getting in the way, throwing in monkey wrenches and other annoying things that block the hero from reaching his goal and create conflict.

Flaws: No human is perfect, especially romance heroes. My opinion is that we start with a hero. Let me tell you a story. Years ago, I was driving back to Westcliffe from Pueblo West, along that stretch of Highway 50 that is straight and barren. I zoned out for a moment.

More important, though, I had Nic. What I did in that instance is take a germ of a plot — what if the heroine finds herself behind the wheel of the car, not knowing where she is, how she got there, or even who she is. She needed a hero.

But what sort of hero? In my True Heroes series, I used those in the titles of the five books. And what about the Warrior Poet? So, above all, we want our hero to be a character that catches the imagination of the reader and holds her in place, flipping pages, until that last kiss.

That quality, combined with his rejection of social norms, also leads to a deep sense of isolation. Being disconnected from others could lead to a sense of cynicism or even hatred of people in general, as in the case of Heathcliff. However, this is not always the case. For example, Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice" is an introspective man who feels isolated, but he does not harbor bitterness or disdain for others in general.

The rejection of social norms and the quest for greater self-knowledge go hand in hand with a feeling of wanderlust for the Romantic hero. Many heroes have to leave home on a quest of self-discovery, which is often -- but not always -- depicted in the story. Instead, the journey may be marked by a period of the hero's absence in the story. The Romantic hero is often haunted by some aspect of his past.

He may be haunted by some secret, as Rochester is in "Jane Eyre," or by some tragedy, like Mr.