Every now and then we read a book, see a movie or even watch a TV show that has a main character that all women love and all men want to be.  What makes these hero's so special that we remember them long after we've finished reading or watching their story?

(To make sure you don’t miss any entries, please consider subscribing by RSS feed or email.  The links are right here on the side  ===> )

Hero Types
I recently discovered a fascinating book called The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, Cara LaFever and Sue Viders.  According to the authors, there are eight hero archetypes (the following definitions are borrowed from The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, pg 2, 2000 edition). 

1. The Chief - a dynamic leader, he has time for nothing but work
2. The Bad Boy - dangerous, he walks on the wild side
3. The Best Friend  - sweet and safe, he never lets anyone down
4. The Lost Soul - a tormented being, he lives in solitude
5. The Charmer - a smooth talker, he creates fantasies
6. The Professor - coolly analytical, he knows every answer
7. The Swashbuckler - Mr. Excitement, he's an adventurer
8. The Warrior - a noble champion, acts with honor

For each archetype, the authors discuss various traits affecting personality such as qualities, virtues, flaws, background, styles and even occupations.  The authors also define eight archetypes for heroines (which I'll cover in my next blog) as well as how all of these different archetypes for heroes and heroines interact.  For example, the Professor and the Seductress.  They clash - each is baffled by the other.  She doesn't understand why he is more focused on her mind than her physical attributes.  On the other hand, they have many points in common - each likes to be in their own head and consider the impacts of their options before acting.  Each changes becoming somewhat more like the other.  He learns that the body can be as enjoyable as the mind and she learns that she is more than just a body.
 
The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden was recommended to me by many published and pre-published writers as a guide to creating compelling, three dimensional characters with believable character arcs and interactions with their counterparts.

Last December, Angela Guillaume of The Pop Culture Divas wrote an interesting blog on the Anti-hero, an extreme version of the bad boy or lost soul archetype.  

Heroes: Contemporary Examples
What's your favorite archetype and can you think of an example in a book, movie or TV show?

My favorites are Lost Souls and Bad Boys and Warriors.  (Hey, I write Romantic Suspense - what did you expect?)

Lost Soul - Gerard Butler's Phantom in Phantom of the Opera.
                Zsadist in J.R. Ward's Lover Awakened

Bad Boy -  Damon in The Vampire Diaries
                Nick Ziegler in Jennifer Crusie's Crazy For You

Warrior - Senior Chief Stanley Wolchonok in Suzanne Brockmann's Over The Edge
              Jake Dolan in Cherry Adair's Kiss and Tell

So of all the above, who's my current all time favorite?  The Phantom of course.  (But Z is a really close second!)



It's your turn now!  What's your favorite hero type? 

I love to hear from you, so please continue to post your comments.  If you have a Twitter account, you can follow me by clicking on the image below.

 

Happy Writing,
Kristine