Heartthrobs and Heroes

...What is it about someone that pulls on our heart strings or makes the knees go weak...there is a strength of character and the way he looks, but also something more...be it a chivalrous act, a kind word, a smile...

In my page header named "Heartthrobs and Heroes" I have created a page where I capture pictures of guys that could represent or inspire male characters in a novel. As I discover pictures, I will add them to this permanent page.

One of my favorite pictures is this one of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the late Heath Ledger. To me, this photo exudes "good friends" with a hint of mischief. I love the photo-booth style of the composition. In one of my novels (In process of course!), this picture inspired the relationship between a lead character's younger brother and the brother's best friend. (Please note: I am in search of the photographer's website to give them proper credit. If you have a link, I would appreciate the update.)

Click here for the guys that inspire our novels...

Friends: Joseph Gorden-Levitt and Heath Ledger

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken (photo courtesy of quotespictures.net)

The Road Not Taken

BY ROBERT FROST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Developing Character Traits

While it is important to provide enough character traits that make a character become more than a cardboard image, it needs to be seamless with the story. As a reader, the following are a few of my personal pet peeves:

Pet Peeve #1: You don't have to download all of the physical characteristics of a character the minute they appear in your book. Fill the character in as you go along.  The same goes for a character's emotions as well as their personality traits. Let the reader get to know your character gradually. Weave the information into the story; don't bombard them with everything in one long paragraph.

Pet Peeve #2:  Unless her closet is a pivotal plot point, don't fall into the trap of spending the entire book on your heroine's closet. This is a book, it isn't an ad, you do not need to provide a detailed description of what the character is wearing in each of the scenes she appears in. Plus, you don't need to drop designer labels for every article of clothing. You are not writing Sex in the City and your character is not Sarah Jessica Parker, aka: Carrie Bradshaw. 

Pet Peeve #3: Do not use Hollywood actors and actresses to provide your reader with what your character looks like. This is lazy writing. Don't tell me a character looks like Gwyneth Paltrow. Weave into the story that she has classic blonde looks. When you tie your character to an actor or actress, you can also have the reader identify character traits from the actor that aren't part of your characters' personality. You're a writer, show some ability to describe your own character.

Pet Peeve #4: Accents are dangerous in the hands of the unskilled.  Yes people have accents but you have to be very careful how you "write out" what they are saying. If your reader is spending too much time trying to decipher the accent you are trying to convey, they are not enjoying the story.

Pet Peeve #5: Learn when to use contractions and when not to in a character's dialogue. Most people say "I'll go to the store." versus "I will go to the store.". Of course, if are you trying to convey a very formal person, then you may not want to use contractions. In the same line of thought, I hate reading dialogue where the author constantly drops the "g" from words. It absolutely drives me crazy. An example would be waitin' versus waiting. And last, but not least, please do not use "wanna" instead of "want to", unless your character is a two year old or extremely uneducated. This may just be my #1 cringe worthy "word".

Pet Peeve #6: How many times have you read about a petite heroine with unusually long legs? This falls into my mismatched body part pet peeve. As a reader I develop an image in my mind that represents the character that the author has described. If an author makes descriptions that don't happen in the real world or changes the descriptions of their characters as you read a book, it makes it hard to visualize, personalize and connect with the characters. Odd descriptions can often pull you out of a story. I've read books where the hair or the eye color of the character has changed and its not from contacts or hair dye but from lack of attention by the author to the characteristics of their characters. I also have a hard time when the authors select a cover photo for the book which doesn't look at all like the character they describe. Above I referenced petite heroines with unusually long legs. I know we often give females long legs for the men in the book to admire. But the combination of petite and long seems diametrically opposed unless the petite woman has no torso which doesn't sound attractive at all. In this instance, I would recommend to give her shapely legs. 

There are plenty of other pet peeves, but these are some that make me cringe or roll my eyes when I am reading.