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Margaret Ronald
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It’s
'from the backlist' time again – and we love this post on writing heroes / romantic others from Margaret Ronald.
Tall, dark, and handsome isn't going to cut it
by Margaret Ronald
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"Let's face it: tastes differ. Especially when it comes to romantic leads.
I
know my tastes when it comes to fictional men are a little . . . off.
I'm more likely to crush on the hero's sidekick rather than the hero
himself, I'll skim through thirty pages of stuff blowing up (okay, maybe
I'll slow down for the explosions) to reach two pages of awkward
infatuation, and I'd ditch Neo in a heartbeat for some quality time with
Agent Smith. I imprinted on Tom Baker's Doctor early on, and so I've
got a weakness for expressive eyes and a goofy grin. (And long coats
and scarves, but that's another matter entirely.) Ten minutes with
Miles Vorkosigan would probably drive me insane, though it would
undoubtedly be an interesting madness.
In short, my fictional
crushes are usually not the sort that would look good in a photo shoot
-- or, at the very least, wouldn't express what I find so endearing
about them. And that's okay.
What it means for writing is that
I've learned to separate out what qualities get me interested and see
where they overlap with what interests my heroine. Sure, I like a tall, skinny guy with glasses, but would Evie? What's more likely to sweep her off her feet? (Does she want
to be swept off her feet?) And, more importantly, does that aspect of
his character fit with everything else I've envisioned for him?
Still,
I'm slowly learning that there are some common factors that I really
like in romantic leads: wit without cynicism, the ability to be stoic in
the face of overwhelming odds, a habit of introspection even if those
thoughts are not shared. (And, for some reason, cyborgs. I just really
like cyborgs. Go figure.) I don't know yet that I can adequately turn
these loose associations into a character, but examining my reactions
and understanding them makes it easier for me to figure out how to
provoke a similar reaction.
Granted, tastes in fictional romantic
leads don't necessarily translate to the outside world, nor the other
way around. The darkly brooding type might be quite a draw while he's
safely between the covers of a book, but off the page he's more likely
to be the Darth Vader Boyfriend. (And, as Captain Awkward so succinctly states, you do not want to date this man.) Or, as Kate Beaton shows, dude watching with the Brontes
has its limits. But this is fantasy -- as is, in a way, all fiction --
and so we're free to dream up a few things that can stay safely on the
page.
..."
To
read the full post and the comments, click here.
To find out more about Margaret and her writing you can visit her blog or search on "Margaret Ronald author" -- you'll get some hits. :-)
