Crafting the Romantic Hero––Part V
We’re writing a romance and crafting the heroine and the romantic hero. Tovah, a nice Jewish rabbi with rejection issues will fall deeply in love with Judah, a successful businessman from Israel. Let’s look closely at Judah’s weaknesses, and how during the romance, he’ll overcome them to the point where Tovah and he can finally get together. Overcoming obstacles, personality quirks, and emotional wounds is the skeleton of a romance. Click to Tweet #amwriting #writingromance #donnalhsmith #CraftingtheRomanticHero
Let’s look at what we’ve already come up with for two weaknesses for Judah.
Superstition
He’s a conservative Jewish businessman, but he reads the Torah daily. Every time he passes a mezuzah, he kisses it with his fingertips. He’s afraid not to do these things because of taking Deuteronomy seriously about blessings and curses. Although sometimes, maybe he thinks it’s a curse to be so stuck in legalism.
Forgetfulness
Why is he forgetful? He’s forgotten her birthday, the anniversary of their first date. He’s even confused about where and when they first met. Why? Let’s explore it.
Loses track of time—well, yes, he could. He’s a busy man, after all. Running the U.S. division of his father’s corporation crowds his brain with so many details. Even though he uses a calendar app on his smart phone, he still forgets to enter certain aspects of his personal life into the app.
One-Track Mind on Business—especially in the beginning, this could certainly keep them apart.
Head Injury—he was in the army. He’s performed his service in the Israeli military service. What could we make of this? How did he get his injury? How serious was it? How long has it been since it happened?
Questioning your characters will yield interesting and surprising answers. Interviewing is a great way to build the different aspects of your characters. Play God with your characters. See how much fun He had when creating you. Click to Tweet #amwriting #writingromance #donnalhsmith #almostanauthor #CraftingtheRomanticHero
Donna L.H. Smith 