While traveling back and forth to the chapter meeting last week I listened to Suzanne Brockman's "Ladies Man". And the first thing that hit me was she in many places used the same word or wording three times in a row. Which I found irritating. Since I've not read anything of hers, I don't know if that is her style or it was just the character. I can't at the moment remember if she only did it in one character's POV or in both. But I'm always cutting repeating things when I edit, unless I use it for a specific reason and that would be only once in a whole book.
The thing that made me feel validated (since she is a big name author) was her hero didn't have any flaws. Yes, he had a back story that was haunting him a little, but he was a good guy who's worse flaw was calling the heroine "Babe" which she didn't like. And I liked him. He reminded me a lot of my heroes who I don't flaw to unbelievable.
So my question today( and I've asked this before, but it fascinates me)- What do you consider flaws in a hero or heroine and how much is too much?
8 comments:
I consider flaws in a hero or heroine to be things like not trusting, doing things behind the other's back or omitting things, something from the childhood that's affecting them now like a fear of committment - things like that.
I think it becomes too much if one of them cheats on the other or if they lie about something big and unredeemable. But it's hard to make a blanket statement because in one of my favorite books, the hero slept with someone else and it didn't bother me a bit because the way the character and story was set up (a paranormal...).
Great topic!!
Paty, that's an easy one! And only because I know this answer thanks to a workshop I attended by Alicia Rasley years ago. One sentence has solved about every writing snafu I've ever come up against. You've heard it before, but here it is again:
Your hero/heroine's greatest strength is also his or her greatest weakness.
So a flaw may not be instantly recognizable, but it's definitely there.
Examples:
Strength/Power of Convictions
Weakness/Righteous
Strength/Self-assured
Weakness/Arrogant
Strength/Determined
Weakness/won't give up
Strength/Spontaneous
Weakness/Unpredictable
Strength/Daring
Weakness/Unreliable or rash
I could go on and on, but if you get out your self-image worksheet from our story magic session, you'll find them all there, including the emotional drive for each which I've found really helpful.
Interesting question! I also like to use Karen's definition of greatest strength/weakness for a character flaw that generates the main conflict and is what the character needs to deal with to earn their happily ever after.
However, my characters usually have smaller "flaws" (maybe just bad habits like drinking too much coffee) that make them more human.
What's too much? Someone who is mean or that ever-subjective "unlikeable." A heroine I find annoying might remind someone else of a beloved cousin.
Maybe it boils down to intent. Is the hero intentionally mean? Or does he have a good heart and love animals (you'll always hook me in with that!) in spite of being chauvinistic in other ways?
This is a topic I could waffle to death. LOL! So I'll stop now. :)
Somehow you stumbled on the one Brockmann I haven't read!
As you probably know from all my fangirl gushing on here, she's my favorite. I have noticed the repeating wording thing, and it's very noticeable from book to book. Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie do the same thing. The key seems to be in not having your characters be cookie cutter, even if your wording is similar.
And its funny that you stumbled on this particular Brockmann, because many (most?) of her heroes are deeply flawed--former addicts, former killers, former seducers-of-married women, with serious trust, commitment, honesty, and communication issues. Not to mention that she loves playing the bad childhood card. Like REALLY bad childhood trauma card.
I've noticed this among other authors too, in an effort to create multidimensional, flawed characters. But, sometimes I grow really weary of this trend. I LOVE characters with happy, large families, that create a fun cast of secondary characters. And it seems unfair that this dynamic often shows up only in cozies and inspirational or very light contemporaries. Why can't we have more suspense with characters with good families. And enough with the Orphans. No more orphans.
Rant over.
Great topic. Personally, I like to see heroes with a majority of redeemable characteristics, who are likeable from the outset, but just need some reforming to become HEA material. I like to see conflict stemming from areas other than just personality flaws. And this, IMHO, is what Brockmann is the master of. If you use Jennifer Crusie's conflict box method to dissect her books (which I've done), you'll see that each and everyone has a true conflict where it's impossible for both Hero and Heroine to meet their external goals.
Lisa, That's part of my problem, I guess. I don't think they need to be that nefarious to be an interesting character.
Karen, I do have that list, but to be frank- it to me is like finding theme in my story- over my head because I don't see one and then the other. I don't know how to explain it, but when I try to find strengths for my characters, most of the time I don't agree with weakness. I guess they just don't fit with my characters and then I second guess myself about the strength. ~sigh~ I'm so lost so much of the time. I think I write better when I don't worry about that stuff.
Genene, I agree, I think the flaws are something that may be a flaw to one person and not to another and clearly must be something to cause conflict between the H/H.
Wavy, That's me too! I would rather see the family dynamics and how each character handles what comes at them. Not dwell on the past that can't be changed, but that they have the power to overcome.
Thanks all for commenting!
Great topic, Paty. I'm late in responding because I was traveling yesterday.
I think I'm with most in that so long as the flaw eventually builds character, or that the H/h figure out how to overcome or redeem themselves, I'm good with it. I know the book Lisa's talking about, and before I'd read that I'd have said the same thing...no cheating in a romance. But that one worked, so I can't say that anymore. The hero in my current wip is a detective, but he walks a very fine line and he's done some stuff that might be considered "unheroic." (I can already see the reviews...LOL) And yet, I love him.
Right now...the main "flaw" in romances I can't seem to get past (and I know this is NOT PC, but there ya go) is a hero or heroine who is either struggling with his/her own sexuality or plays for both teams. That's not romantic for me. If I pick up a "romance" - not a gay romance or an erotica - I'm going to assume it's a romance between a man and a woman and that's all. When authors throw in this flaw it makes me wonder what genre I'm really reading. And how it got categorized as mainstream romance. A couple of my favorite authors have disappointed me with this lately. In fact, I read a book last week on vacation that left me feeling the same way. Sure, it ended with the guy and girl and an HEA, but that's one flaw I just can't seem to get past.
Eww, seriously, Eli? I've never heard of such a thing in a romance. Mainstream fiction, of course, but romance? Ugh.
Which books do the "is he/isn't he" dance now?? Inquiring minds want to know.
I don't mind gay secondary characters (Brockmann does this a lot as do others), but ambiguous sexuality is something I DON'T want to see in a romance novel. Unless it's the evil Ex lurking in the shadows. Because, really, I don't want to see any of the "marriage busters" as character flaws--no prior adultery, wife-beating, child neglect, wicked temper, or curiosity about what the shortstop would look like out of his uniform. I don't want flaws that have me seeing how the hero will ruin his HEA down the road.
Emma Holly has done some books that have bisexual men and the HEA has the heroine ending up with BOTH men, and while I LOVE her writing, I just prefer a monogamous HEA.
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