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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Making of a Hero

Molding your main character's personality.

The MC must have some heroic attributes.

Yesterday I asked who your heroes were and what makes them a hero in your eyes.

Think of these qualities.
Now assign them to your MC.

As I said in yesterday’s post, my heroes are reluctant, never asking for the job. They doubt themselves and their abilities. But their conviction is there from the beginning.

Assignment:

In the opening scene that introduces your MC, give an attribute that shows your definition of ‘hero’. It can be in a small way but compose a short sentence. Write NOW. Do it.

Every hero starts out somewhere. But remember, the formation of their character is already in place. They had an opinion but didn’t or wouldn’t act on it.

In The Hunger Games, Katniss wants nothing more than to fade into the woodwork. But on the first page, she exhibits fierce will and strength of character. (a heroic quality)

She must survive and to do that she becomes more than a girl who creeps under the radar to avoid trouble. Katniss grows and hardens. She may not like the person she turns into but she will do anything to save her family.

Your Main Character has heroic qualities. Show them in the first scene.

Reminder:

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4 comments:

Angela Brown said...

Oh the hero...without them, what would we have in the story? Hmm...

Tara Tyler said...

my hero is cynical and pessimistic due to tragedy, but he also perseveres. his strongest quality. despite all that happens to him, he wants to help others.

thanks for making me vocalize it!

mshatch said...

most of my main characters are females and they are all pretty ordinary (or at least they think they are) until...something happens. I'm not sure if any of them are very heroic, at least not in a BIG way.

Anonymous said...

Loving your blogs. Thanks to Stina Lindenblatt for her recoomendation!! My heroes/or heroines are more often than not, someone who doesn't want the job,and often goes about making mistakes while doing so, but in the end, comes into their own.