Developing Heroes and the Heroinesby Karen Rose Smith The following article first appeared in New Jersey Romance Writers' newsletter, The Heartline Herald. Permission to reprint is granted to sister RWA Chapters with proper credit to author and chapter. I write deeply emotional books. I'm often asked "how do you that?" The answer is easy. I choose heroes and heroines-or they choose me-who have emotional conflicts. My characters drive my books and tell me what the plot will be. When writers ask me how I develop my heroes and heroines, I realize the process is instinctual now, not entirely conscious. I do remember how I began. In the first book I wrote, my heroine was completely perfect. In my second book, my heroine had too many problems to count. And somehow through the years, I've realized heroes and heroines need flaws as well as the virtues that make them true heroes and heroines. But not so many that they can't find answers and solutions in the course of the book. So where do I begin? My story idea sometimes begins with the conflict. Usually my hero or heroine comes to life when I think about that conflict. Where does the conflict come from? Usually from the hero's or heroine's past. What type of background will emphasize the conflict and give it the most punch? Your character's background makes him/her think a certain way, act in a certain way, speak in a certain way. All are unique to that character because of his/her background. If your hero was raised in an orphanage with no sense of belonging, he will probably not know how to love-unless he remembers his mother's love before she died, unless a mentor taught him values, unless a catastrophe changed the course of his life. I build a background step by step, considering future story events and the way I want my characters to react to them-and grow. The growth is all-important to a satisfying conclusion. Motivation-enhanced by background and stimulated by growth-propels conflict which makes the romance strong. That motivation springs from your character's background. I've used character charts on occasion, but usually would rather invest my time in simply writing my heroes and heroines and getting to know them that way. I begin with short bios. If I find I need direction while writing, I have a few questions I answer as if I were my hero or heroine. To make them memorable, a writer must be inside their heads and hearts. If I have trouble getting into either, I use the following list of questions to help. Finish these phrases as if you were your hero or heroine.
The point of the exercise is to get to know your hero and heroine-inside and out -so you can speak, think and act for him or her-so you can be him or her. Once you have the first part of your couple, you work on the second half. What type of person will contrast the best or complement the best? What type of background will cause the most conflict between the two of them? What will keep them from their goals? What will eventually show them they are better together than apart? What can they teach each other? How can they heal each other? What is the one gift the hero can give the heroine that she will cherish the rest of her life and vice versa? Is it trust? Compassion? Understanding? A home? A sense of belonging? Developing multi-dimensional heroes and heroines will give your romance vibrant texture, intense conflict, and a satisfying resolution. If you build each aspect of their lives carefully, they will take over and write their own story, and you can sit back and enjoy what they become! To make characters memorable, you must know them. You must be inside their heads, you must be them. You must get to know your hero and heroine more intimately than you know yourself. Great heroes and heroines can develop great books when a writer gives them voice, conflict, and depth. I learn with my characters and I learn from my characters. If a writer can find the key to the hero's and heroine's emotions, she/he will unlock a deeply emotional story. Karen Rose Smith has published over fifty romances and is a winner of the NJRW Golden Leaf Award as well as the Desert Quill Award. A former English teacher, she writes full-time and can't imagine doing anything else! Visit Karen's website at www.karenrosesmith.com.
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