Tags
baronness emma orczy, bbc merlin, brian jacques, c.s. forester, horatio hornblower, madeleine le'engle, redwall, story dynamics, the scarlet pimpernel
One thing that a hero will always, inevitably have to face, is an emotional high, in which they either go into a berserk rage and completely destroy the villain, or finally turn their back on to coldly insult him and ultimately defeat him. It always happens. The climax is always very emotionally charged.
The reason why? It’s necessary. No one wants to read a story where the hero is an ice block with no emotions. No one ever wants to read a story where they are never shown that the hero has emotions.
A hero is always at his best when he’s stressed out, exhausted, angry, disturbed, or lonely.
In short, a hero is always at his best when either 1) completely wrung out or 2) on an emotional high.
You know why. We always love a hero more after seeing them at their best and worst, and a person who is never upset or joyful never reaches either. We always love a hero more after seeing them carry on, even though they’re exhausted or wounded or drained, or apologize to someone they insulted in anger.
Why?
Because then we know they’re human.
Just like us.
So have your characters feel! We’ll all love them the more for it. 🙂
Like these people:
Merlin, in The Last Dragonlord.
Arthur, in The Darkest Hour. (Both part one and part two.)
Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Marguerite Blakeney, Percy’s wife.
Matthias in Redwall.
Meg Murry in A Wind in the Door.
Martin in Mossflower, Martin the Warrior.
Hornblower in… well, every Hornblower book.
And so many more!!!
People feel. They may deny it in themselves, but they like seeing it in fictional characters.
Have fun tormenting the people who live in your head!
“A plot is something I use to get revenge on the people living in my head.” –ErinKenobi2893
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