Cora here, or if you prefer Electra that’s fine too!
So if you want to make a Hero huh?
*Cracks Knuckles *
Heroes are the second most important after Imagination. Heck, without the hero there wouldn’t be no story or a villain to tango with at a Wild West bar.
You don’t just want any hero right? Of course not! Your heroes need to have superman (yeah that’s right the man in blue spandex) asking for his/ her autograph. Maybe even have wonder woman do his or her laundry on the weekends because he/she is just plain awesome.
Making a Hero involves character building at its finest; there are also lists of rules you have to follow when it comes to making said Hero.
1. Nobody likes a power house
Power house, what does Cora that mean? Well, my friends this is one of the things I hate the most, When you have a main character that’s the hero of _( Novel name here )_. When it comes to fantasy, some things such as magic, superpowers, or even paranormal abilities need limitations. Why? Because who in their right mind has infinite magic properties or can see the future for hours on end without getting a nose bleed. Give your hero limitations, don’t make them just blast crap because apparently they have a large quantity of fire inside their bodies….NO, JUST NO!
Limitation Example:
1. Max couldn’t bother to force another electrical current through his hands. He could already feel the side-effect kicking in. The warm liquid oozing from his nose told him he was out of juice, powerless and overall ready to pass out.
2. Nixx couldn’t see any more vision as his eyes began to burn as the sun poked at his pupils. He could only see seven visions a day and now it was over, he couldn’t help the others until he had a good night’s rest. That’s was all he could do for now and he hoped he was a little bit of use to his friends.
Bam! That’s what I mean by limitations, magic can only be used a certain amount of times as well as natural gifts. People get tired of reading about someone who can do things with the flick of his wrist without getting tired (I know I do), that’s not original and lacks imagination.
2. A Hero doesn’t always need a love interest
Yes, your main character (Hero) doesn’t not always need a love interest, It’s overused to many times when a female lead tend to have a male companion who…..SUPRISE! She’s in love with * Jazz hands* same with male main characters. Love doesn’t always make Heroes stronger, they can go solo and if they have a companion he/she doesn’t have to rip off his boxers and or panties for them. Just don’t make them a love interest, they can still be friends and save the world without the over used cliché in fantasy novels or in general.
3. A Hero is never perfect at EVERTHING!
Yes, they don’t need to be perfect at everything, give them flaws, something to make them stand out for once.
4. Heroes aren’t always SEXY or Attractive in general
Yes, I went there (also guilty in this aspect). Your female doesn’t need to be a sexy gunslinger with huge boobies nor does your male hero need to be so sexy and yummy. I want to see a pimple faced geek take the stand once in a while. I want to see a fat kid become a freaking knight instead of a skinny farm boy. I want to see a short kid as the next supreme wizard with a mole the size of a thumb on his face. Heroes don’t always have to be SEXY or ATTRACTIVE, it means you are lingering toward something cliché, not Original and different.
Finally, Villains:
Every hero/heroine needs a villain or four. The easy part about a villain is they can by anyone but to make a villain there are also rules you have to follow. Just three simple rules:
1. Not all Villains have to have a tragic past.
This particular one is a snore fest. Its use in comics and books a like and frankly it is getting old in my opinion. Think of something else then a tragic past, maybe they just don’t want to be good anymore?
Maybe they feel they can run the country or universe better?
Maybe they have so much pride they just assume the world needs them to function?
Last my personal favorite: There just completely insane. ---- This one is used less people complain it’s not enough points for us to get an understanding of why the villain want to hurt people. You don’t need to understand a villain, hell in the real world people murder others for no reason, people get shot by a gun because they gave that person a dirty look. THERE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A RESSON TO BE EVIL, I cannot stress this enough. Humans are just born wicked; who ever said all human are born innocent is crazy and obviously never watches the news. Villains are Villains, not every villain needs a reason.
2. Villains don’t need to always be Demons, Ex-husbands or Boyfriends or jealous best friends
I hardly ever see a villain is not of the four I listed. Why can’t a villain be a little deranged sister, a former teacher maybe? Hell, your grandmother? Mix your villain up a little; it doesn’t always have to be a boyfriend, Ex-husband or even a demon. Think outside of the box; pick someone no one would ever think could be the bad guy of your novel.
Last but not least …..
3. Villains don’t always have to be focused on the Hero
Yes, I always see the villain trying to foil the heroes’ plans and for once I would like the villain to go in the opposite direction. Maybe instead he could be busy building a robot army until you reach the third check point. I’m tired of reading the bad guys who constantly worry about the heroes, give me some villains don’t give a rat’s ass about the Hero and is more focused on his master plan for once. Let the henchman do all the dirty work and maybe later confronts the hero.
That concluded this article on; Character Building: How to make a Hero/Villain- The Right Way!
Hope this helps,
Next week I will discuss the topic; Mythical Lands & Creatures--- the Do’s and The Clichés
YOU ARE READING
Heroes Insider Weekly
RandomDo you find yourself staring blankly at your computer screen or notebook, your mind completely blank; in desperate need of inspiration and direction? Well help is on the way! Heroes – Insider Weekly consists of a dedicated team of Wattpad authors...
