Intro to Heroism: What Makes a Hero?

Well, after about three weeks away from the blog (oh life, you never fail to happen) I’m finally back and ready to kick off our new series on heroes.

This probably goes without saying but a hero is constructed differently from a villain. The hero is usually a force for good and the villain a force for bad, to put it in simple terms. But they’re also different in how they react to conflict. The villain creates conflict and the hero reacts.

While the hero starts off in their story having goals and plans for their life, the plot demands that their world be thrown off kilter. This is the classic hero’s journey. An inciting incident launches the story into motion and the hero must choose to accept the calling.

But there are a variety of different conflicts in every story. It is the personality and type of the hero that determines the obstacle they must overcome. Depending on the type of hero, they need a different obstacle to launch them on a journey of character growth. You only see a person for who they are when the world is crashing down around their ears. A hero is defined by their conflict and how they choose to face it.

So over these next weeks, we’re going to look different types of heroes, the conflicts they usually face, and how they must ultimately face them to complete a satisfying character arc and restore order. Know in advance that I could cover so many types of heroes but I’m choosing to stick with twelve basic archetypes. It should be fun so stick around and enjoy! Next week we’re kicking it off with SUPER HEROES!

Also, don't forget to check out HOUR OF MISCHIEF on goodreads and amazon!