Whenever I start a new book, I need some serious inspiration. A roadmap, so to speak. I get out my favorite writer handbooks, start thumbing through the pages, and wait for inspiration to hit.
One of those handbooks is “The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes & Heroines – Sixteen Master Archetypes” by Tami Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders. Originally published in 2000, the archetypes are described as they have been written in fiction through the ages, helping writers develop characters that are well-motivated, believable, and are remembered long after “The End.”
The book divides the archetypes into two groups of eight – heroes and heroines – and then describes archetype interactions to bring characters to an even deeper level.
For the purpose of this blog, I’ll concentrate on Hero Archetypes, because we all love our heroes, right?
Here they are:
- The Chief
- The Bad Boy
- The Best Friend
- The Charmer
- The Lost Soul
- The Professor
- The Swashbuckler
- The Warrior
TRACE, Book 1 of the Bachelors & Babies sweet romance series
Trace McQuade fits the “The Lost Soul” archetype since he has lost everything he is closest to – his ranch and his younger brother, only to have his losses cut deeper when he accidentally shoots the woman he intended to marry (Emma) after she betrayed him and joined an outlaw gang.
He learns later that Emma gave birth to an outlaw’s baby. After Emma’s death, that little girl named Harriett ended up on his doorstep (literally) with Emma’s plea that Trace take care of her.
Trace struggles with trusting women since Emma had lied about her love for him. He sees the baby as everything he’s failed at – not seeing through Emma’s lies and not having a child with her, like he’d wanted. He also fails at capturing the man who killed his brother.
Of course, Trace works through his losses and turns them into new goals for himself. Can you see how being a Lost Soul really builds layers of conflict for Trace’s character and makes him stronger?
Connected with . . . HARRIETT, Book 1 of the Cupids and Cowboys sweet romance series
Cord Brennan is the “Warrior” archetype, my favorite of the eight. As a US Deputy Marshal, he was an easy fit for the archetype, as are most lawmen, soldier, bounty hunter, etc., occupations.
Years later, Cord must escort the same outlaw in TRACE from Texas to the McQuade ranch in Kansas. The outlaw is deathly ill, and due to some blood research being done by a doctor who needs Harriett’s blood, Cord bears the responsibility to keep the outlaw safely incarcerated until Harriett is convinced to cooperate. Of course, a run-in with the outlaw’s old gang who breaks him out of jail forces Cord to not only protect the outlaw in his charge, but also the doctor and Harriett, too, along with her family. Failure to do so will destroy all his careful plans to return to Texas, get a new and perfect job with the US Marshal’s office, and to care for his handicapped father, most of all.
Naturally, this responsibility and the outlaw’s shenanigans war with Cord’s goals, and falling in love with Harriett, sympathy for her predicament, and the eventual dread of returning to Texas without her gives plenty of conflict and layers to his Warrior archetype.
Connected with . . . ARMED & MARVELOUS, Book 8 of the Pink Pistol sweet romance series
Since this book is set in 1955, a time period I’d never written before, Roan Bertoletti proved to be a character I loved as the Charmer archetype. A former movie-star heartthrob who suffers through a scandal invented by his former actress co-star, Roan escapes Los Angeles to the Brennan ranch in Kansas where he finds new happiness and a simpler life as a cowboy.
Harriett and Cord are the heroine’s grandparents in this story, and they hope Roan will someday take over the ranch alongside Rexanna, their only grandchild, who has no intention of settling down in Kansas. Roan is well-liked in the community, and when the Los Angeles scandal follows him back to the ranch, he fears he will lose the happiness he’d worked hard to earn. Throw in a troubled relationship with his father and the dread of Rexanna’s impending departure from the ranch, and Roan turns into a Charmer with layers of conflict.
Which of these archetypes would be your favorite kind of hero and why?
Do you prefer a more alpha type of hero like the Warrior or the Chief?
Or more of a mild-mannered, down-to-earth guy like the Professor or the Best Friend?
TRACE, HARRIETT, and ARMED & MARVELOUS are now in Audiobook!
TRACE on Amazon
HARRIETT on Amazon
ARMED & MARVELOUS on Amazon
(Note: Amazon has reduced the prices of my virtual voice audiobooks to $1.99 with the purchase of TRACE and HARRIETT ebooks, a 60% savings. My ARMED & MARVELOUS audiobook (human narrator) is reduced to $4.82, a savings of 68% with purchase.)
A bad boy-lost soul hybrid is one of my favorites.
That’s a great combo, Denise. It smacks of conflict, which I love in stories. There’s a reason why a “bad boy” is bad, right? He’s acting out from something in his past, and the same for a lost soul. A lost soul doesn’t have to be a bad boy, or even a good one. He just feels lost and troubled for some reason, and that gives both archetypes something to work through by the end of the book.
I prefer a more down-to-earth type of guy.
I think that is a common type of hero in sweet romances, Bonnie, especially where the books tend to run shorter in word length. Often, there is less conflict as well.
I enjoy reading about all types, but in real life I think more of a warrior type.
Ah, my fave, karijean. Warriors are fighting for something, and that makes for good reading for me, too!
I enjoy all types.
All types work in archetypes, Barbara, as long as the hero is well-motivated and the author writes a compelling story!
Good morning Pam! I kinda like the loner Warrior lost type. But, I also the charmer who has that mischievous amusement twinkle in his eyes. I so like humor in books. And not many writers seem to have them. I like when she is so proper it’s amusing or she is a klutz or she is even kinda of a tom boy. I don’t mind a good cry, but I like a really good laugh when the characters meet for the first time. I think I even like when the man is tough and grumpy! I’m married to one of those! Actually our only grandson calls us Grumpy and Gram! Heh.
Well, I kinda missed your “types” of heros, Pam. And I did enjoy Armed and Marvelous! And your other two books sound good! As always, best wishes to you Pam!
By the way, I just got Trace! I loved your blurp on it!
You are so right about the humor, Tracy. It’s hard to find humor in stories because it’s so hard to write. What one thinks is funny, another might think is dorky. 🙂
And THANK YOU for ordering TRACE! In his book, Harriett is the baby left on his door step, and in ARMED & MARVELOUS, Harriett is the grandmother. So there’s a few decades of time between the two books, which was fun to write.
I really like the Best Friend, because my boyfriend and I were friends for 2 years before we started dating! He was widowed and I had been through a terrible divorce, and neither of us were looking for love, but it found us anyway!
Aw, love it, Kim!! I’m so glad you both found happiness with one another!
Honestly, you can’t have a relationship with anyone if you can’t be friends, right? There needs to be that companionship, laughter, and shared likes of things before we’d even want to spend much time in the company of that person. Without those, what’s the point, right? 🙂
I like all, though I must admit I have a weakness for the Bad Boy ones!
Oh, yes, Trudy. Bad Boy ranks right up there with Warrior for me! 🙂
Good morning, I love reading all types, but my favorite is the Warrior because they fight for whatever they need to fight for at the time. I enjoyed your post. Have a great day.
Exactly, Alicia. Warriors are fighters, which mean they are leaders and they’re tough. They have a sense of right and wrong, too, and tend to protect the vulnerable. What’s not to love, right? 🙂
I enjoy reading them all! If I read the same types of books, I get bored.
Great point, Carrie!! Which is why throughout the ages in fiction, there have always been 8 different archetypes just for heroes. Storylines are infinite!
Pam, I think I’ve used the Bad Boy in a lot of my stories. I seem to be stuck on that. I love the Lost Soul too and have used that quite a bit. Those archetypes just speak to me. I used to refer to that book you mention quite a bit but I haven’t in a long time. It’s a great resource though.
Good morning, Linda! Yes, back in the day, so many of us had Tami’s archetype book. She did an online class through Kiss of Death on Villain archetypes, which I just loved. I asked her if she was going to publish a book on the Villain archetypes, and she said no, which made me super glad I took the class.
I am more the lost soul type reader although I do enjoy a good bad boy also.
Hi, Quilt Lady. Both of those archetypes are perfectly set up for conflict, which I believe every story absolutely needs. Otherwise, they get a bit boring without it. Good choices for favorites!
I’m not sure which one I prefer.
As long as the story is worthy of your time and pleasure, you really don’t have to think about it. 🙂 🙂
That’s the author’s job!
Although, I could go for just about any type, I’m definitely more drawn to The Professor archetype, probably because I married one of those and Son is definitely a strong cross between Professor and Charmer. I use this book, too, Pam and love how it can help me frame characters as he/she are developing.
Thx,Nan! The book really is a treasure for me. 🙂 Glad you like it so much as well.
My favorite is the wounded hero/heroine. I guess that makes them a combination of the Warrior and The Lost Soul. So often the Lost Soul/Mild mannered one has a Warrior buried in there somewhere and just needs something to draw the Warrior out. We can all be a bit of both. Lost if we have lost much or have nothing to look forward to. At the same time, that same person can turn into a fierce defender when there is something to fight for and protect. As for the Warrior, we all know there is a soft spot hiding in there somewhere.
Wow, Pat. You should teach a writing class!!! You are spot-on!