Finding Your Hero

What or who do you think of when you see/hear/say the word 'Hero'?

A knight in shining armor, brandishing a sword, his blue cape waving out behind him?

A little boy who overcame his fear of the school bully and gave that big kid a good punch in the nose?

Why is this person the Hero of your story? 

That man must have gained his knighthood on his own - no one could have done that for him. Maybe he had an amazing mentor, but he still went out and proved himself worthy of that sword.

And that little boy probably had a good pep-talk from his dad, but he was the one who eventually had to stand up to the bully. His dad couldn't very well step in and do it for him!

However...

Some Heroes are just along for the ride. To put it nicely, they are dragged along behind the other characters, pulled through mud, over mountains, and through ice cold streams. They can't do anything for themselves, but need constant help and teaching - someone to hold their hand. I just described a baby. Do you want your Hero to be seen as a helpless little baby? I didn't think so.

This is why the readers find themselves rooting for the Ally over the Hero. The Ally is so much more mature, and smart, and everything the Hero is not. In this case, the readers will think the Hero is just some dumb character who needs way too much help and is constantly being saved by the Ally.

Whoa. Stop right there. Don't let the Ally steal the spotlight. The Ally should only exist to befriend, encourage, and aid your Hero (with the little things).

This is the Hero! And whether the Hero is male or female, rich or poor, happy or could use anger management, he/she is still the Hero of your story. The readers want to see the Hero succeed. The Ally won't always be there for the Hero. How can a baby Hero possibly survive without the Ally there to hold their hand? Well. He/she would probably die of fright or get lost.

"After the Ally left, the Hero decided to take the path into the dark forest, never to be seen again. He won't be missed." It's rather sad, really, but there it is.

Find your Hero, not your Ally. You should spend much more time developing the Hero than any other one of your characters.

Here I shall present five ways to recognize a good Hero.

1. A good Hero is well-written

When I say "good" I don't mean "basically good". We all have our faults.

Now, a well-written Hero is a good Hero. He/she is real, not perfect. But a good Hero knows to do what is right no matter the cost. Sure, he/she may stumble and make some pretty horrible decisions, but that is what makes him/her real.

What is your Hero willing to sacrifice to do what is right and defeat the villain no matter the cost? (i could get into the whole other subject of morals right now, but I'll save that for a later post.)

2.A good Hero is unique

It is impossible to create a unique Hero. There is nothing new under the sun. But you can give your Hero personality quirks or odd traits to make him/her original. Everyone is different.

A unique Hero sees things differently. He/she is either loved or hated (or given weird looks) for the way he/she looks at, reacts to, or uses things. I think it is pretty much inevitable that your Hero will reflect at least a little bit of your personality. That's a good thing! Ask yourself how you would react to what the Hero is experiencing.

3. A good Hero learns

Everyone has a teacher. Your Hero may be sloppy with a bow and arrow at first, but he still wants to learn. The Mentor will help with this. Why? Because the Hero will probably have some time in his life where he finds himself alone.

What?! No Ally to come up with some amazing plan? No one there to shoot the enemy for him? No horse to gallop him away from trouble?

Sorry, Man. You're on your own.

But wait...what were those words your Mentor always used to say? *insert inspiring phrase*

A good Hero learns. He whips an arrow out from the quiver at his side, places it on the bowstring, and bends back. This is your Hero's moment to remember all that he was taught. He may suffer injury or find himself captured, but at least he gave it his all. He didn't run away.

4. A good Hero is genuine

Your readers want to be able to relate to your Hero.

A genuine Hero is not fake. He/she has fears, loves, skills, and frustrations. He/she acts and reacts. He/she has a brain. Don't be afraid to go inside his/her mind and write about what he/she is thinking (if it's relatable). Your readers should never have a moment when they're thinking, "Umm...why is the Hero standing there like a zombie? What is her reaction to this?"

5. A good Hero perseveres 

In my stories, I want to have God represented in my Heroes' lives. Without Him, I would be terribly lost. Likewise, my Hero would be lost without the same God (portrayed by a different name in my writings) guiding her every step of the way.

To return to the beginning of this post...Heroes do not stand by while the story goes on without them, and there aren't dragged along behind the plot. A good Hero is there participating, figuring things out, helping, and fighting at the front of the battle. He/she is part of everything that happens. A good Hero persists to the end, accomplishes the story goal, and defeats the evil.

No Hero left behind!

Questions? Thoughts? Plain old (much appreciated) comments? By all means, share!