1. The Boss - a real go-getter, she climbs the ladder of success
2. The Seductress - an enchantress, she charms to get her way
3. The Spunky Kid - gutsy and true, she is loyal to the end
4. The Free Spirit - an eternal optimist, she dances to unheard tunes
5. The Librarian - controlled and clever, she holds back
6. The Waif - a distressed damsel, she bends, but does not break
7. The Crusader - a dedicated fighter, she meets commitments
8. The Nurturer - serene and capable, she nourishes the spirit

Archetype Pairs
Now that we have covered the basic eight hero and eight heroine archetypes, we can move on to the fun part - pairing up our heros and heroines!  To do this, we need to consider the type of story and what sort of character personalities will be needed to drive it.  Regardless of the type of story, your characters will need to have specific traits, qualities, virtues, flaws, quirks that make them unique.  Their occupation will need to be aligned with this if they like their occupation or very contrary to their character if they dislike their work. 

With respect to character pairs, the combination of a specific hero and a specific heroine should result in each character "learning" and "growing" from the relationship in a way that is unique to the pairing.  This is the character arc.  If both your hero and heroine have the essentially the same archetype, you need to ask yourself, how can they help each other grow?  What does each bring to the relationship?  If your characters are too much alike, it will be difficult to show and motivate the conflict between your characters (i.e. what is keeping them from their happily ever after).  However, if they have very different and unique inherent flaws that need to be overcome, then you might have a good conflict and thus a good story to tell.

The Warrior and the Librarian
Let's look at an example from The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, Sue Viders, pg 177-178, 2000 edition.  The pairing up of the warrior and the librarian is very common in action movies and romantic suspense novels.  Why?  Because the inherent conflicts between these two archetypes and their very different reactions to external conflicts can lead to very interesting scenarios and there are, of course, ample character growth opportunities.  In the analysis below, think of the movie True Lies.  Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the warrior, Harry Tasker and Jamie Lee Curtis plays the Librarian, Helen Tasker.

The Conflict
- the warrior is a man of action, he makes decisions quickly and acts on them immediately.  The librarian, on the other hand, is very controlled and methodical.  She suffers from paralysis through analysis and will analyze every situation, every problem from all angles before making a decision.  Interestingly, both these archetypes share the trait of being headstrong or willful although it may be externalized in very differently.  She may be very conservative and set in her ways.  He maybe very stubborn or obstinate.

Initially, the warrior may perceive the librarian as being indecisive whereas she will see him as being impulsive.

The Similarities
- as already mentioned, both archetypes are headstrong or willful.  They are also both loners, leading mostly solitary lives.  Neither wants to be in the spotlight.  They are serious, focused, and perfectionists.  They demand it of themselves and of others which pushes people away but, may be one of the things that attracts each of them to the other.

The Growth
- the warrior will realize that he may be too quick to judge and make decisions in some cases.  There will be a situation in which she, with her focus on the detail, will catch something that he misses.  He will start to think more before he leaps and will try to gather more information before making judgements.
- the librarian will delight in being the focus this man who's personality is strong and dominant.  She will experiment with taking chances and acting outside of her conservative comfort zone.  The pair will be placed in situations where the warriors quick decision making and action will show her that not all details are needed or even relevant and that quick decisions can be made on partial information.  He cures her of her paralysis through analysis.

As you can see, such a combination of archetypes can lead to some very interesting conflicts in the first part of your story.  Each can learn from the other and grow as a character.  And very importantly, especially in romantic suspense, the "flaw" of each character can be transformed into a "quality" that will solve or resolve the main external conflict in the story.

Other Archetype Pair-ups
Let's take a look at some popular movies, television shows or novels and see if we can determine the archetypes of the hero and heroine.



The Charmer and the Boss
Castle - Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is a Charmer whereas Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) is a Boss.  If you recall, the Charmer is a player, he thinks life is a game.  He's all about the fantasy.  The Boss is a go-getter who lives for the job. They are very similar in that they are both very dynamic and both want to win.  However, their methods for winning are very different. 

The Lost Soul and the Waif
Twilight - Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) is a Lost Soul whereas Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is a Waif.  The Lost Soul broods and is highly critical of others.  The Waif is very passive and accepting of the world around her.  They both are very isolated.  He hides himself away and she withdraws into herself.  He is forced out of hiding by her need for protection also forcing him to fight back and become stronger. On the other hand, sometimes she finds that he needs to be rescued by her.  To do this, she too must become more brave and less gullible.

The Bad Boy and the Spunky Kid
Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich - Ranger is a Bad Boy and Stephanie Plum is a Spunky Kid.  The Bad Boy doesn't take anything at face value and he hates rules except for his own.  He's in charge and has his own code of honor. The Spunky Kid, for the most part, believes people are inherently honest.  She is a team player and is willing to help wherever help is needed.  Both are very loyal once a bond of trust is established.  Eventually, he recognizes how special her loyalty is and begins to work with her as a team.  He learns from her optimism and her ability to never let bad luck get her down.

Your Turn!
Now it's your turn.  Do you have a favorite movie or book that was made magical by a fabulous pairing of hero and heroine?  Post a comment and tell us all about it.


 

Get Facebook Buttons

Happy Writing,
Kristine