HOW TO CREATE A HERO
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Mixing the list of villains can be a lot of fun, and it also helps to get a clear sight as to where your story is going. I am about 70% done with the third book in a trilogy which means that I’m about 90% done with the actual trilogy itself!
I say that because I intend to start working on the plans that I have for another series almost immediately after these three books are done, and in order for me to get my villains right, I am going to play around with the mix-and-match approach of the different combinations of villains.
Kristel even suggests using three or more combinations to make the villains even more intriguing! I’m going to look into that option for my next series as well.
But enough about that. What I’d like to address is the other side of the coin: the hero! We all know about main characters / heroes / good guys / protagonists, but sometimes we have trouble expressing the right kind of good guy.
Do we want her to be powerful and strong or weak and frail?
The first step to finding your hero type is to think about what you are trying to portray to the reader. What emotions do you want the reader to feel? Do you want to show the power of overcoming adversity, or do you want to show the thrills of upholding justice?
Let’s think about it from a perspective that most of us are familiar with: DC Comics vs. Marvel Comics. A friend of mine was right when he said that DC Comics heroes are more the duty by calling types while the Marvel heroes are the duty by circumstance.
DC Comics would be your superheroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman, while Marvel comics are the characters like Iron-Man, Spiderman, and Wolverine.
If I were writing a Superman type, then I would express the importance of justice and upholding the law. If I were writing Wolverine, then I would show some of the darker sides of the hero while letting the reader see that even those with problems have the ability to solve problems.
What kind of hero are you writing about?
We’ll look at some specifics over the next few days.
William Stadler 
I like ordinary people who find themselves faced with extraordinary challenges. My favorite hero finds latent talents and strengths that are as much a surprise to the characters as they are to the hero. Dean Koontz’s The Husband comes to mind.
The hero in my wip is a child who discovers a terrible secret while searching for his missing father. He must decide whether to abandon the search or reveal what he has learned.
Those types of heroes are always fun to read about. It really gives the reader a sense that she is growing up and learning with the main.
Your WIP sounds pretty impressive and you’ve only given a one line snippet about it. How much farther do you have to go before you’re done?
I’m about 70% finished with the actual writing. Then comes the edits…
ahhhh….the edits… but 70% is really good! that must mean you’ve just entered the “act 3” kinda’ area. pretty cool. are you going to look for a publisher or self-pub?
indie for me.
nice!
That’s a fantastic achievement! You should feel very proud of yourself 😀
I definitely go for the more Hero by Circumstance character. I just find it more interesting.
Thanks, Layla! It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and now to think that it’s almost done is just insane.
I’ve tried to be aggressive about finishing, and it’s made me be a little less active in the blogosphere, which disappoints me. I wish I had like 3 more hours in a day, then all would be well.
I do like the Hero by Circumstance kind of character too. I think that is becoming more of a theme worldwide — the idea that people are forced to become heroes. Thanks a lot for the comment.