A recent article on yahoo gives a little insight into certain male types. The not-so-attractive ones. The article is called, 10 Turnoffs that Make Great Gals Wave Goodbye. Think of this as a yahoo outline of what a romance novel hero should not be.
The article got me thinking about certain male types and characteristics/stereotypes in romance novels that make me lose the loving feeling for a book. Now, all of these can be done well and have been done well. I’m talking about those other times and what doesn’t (usually) work for me:
1. Heroes who are anti-commitment for the sake of being anti-commitment. [eyeroll here] These are the guys who never want to settle down…just because. There’s no logical reason for this lifelong decision other than, I believe, the Y chromosome requires an anti-commitment stance. Without something more, these guys cry out for a good shake.
2. Heroes with a military background where this history is mentioned only to telegraph to the reader that the hero has a sense of honor and duty. We have military and former military backgrounds all over romanceland. I know I’m supposed to have the “oh, I get it” reaction when the tidbit is dropped in a sentence and never related to anything or mentioned again. Instead, I always wonder: if a guy picked up garbage or served bagels at one point in his life, would we get to know that as well?
3. Heroes who were forced to leave town in their youth due to some indiscretion (usually having to do with getting the young and future heroine naked) and are now back with fat wallets and lots of power. This plotline may or may not include a secret baby. Either way, can you hear my head exploding? See, I grew up in farm country in Pennsylvania. I know small towns. I don’t remember any young men being run out of town by the wealthy family who lived at the top of the hill. I certainly don’t remember it happening on a weekly basis.
4. Heroes who break the law…but not really. This has a very Les Miserables feel (ie, he stole bread because his family was starving). It’s the idea that bad guys aren’t really bad guys. It’s noble and all but kind of boring on the seventieth read.
5. Heroes with ex-wives or ex-girlfriends who pop up for the sole purpose of throwing a wrench into the hero’s budding relationship with the heroine. The poor thing’s only job is to ruin everything. We know it. The ex knows it. Why doesn’t the hero know it? Does he not have caller ID like everyone else in America? Don’t answer the phone or otherwise let this gorgeous, flawless, bitchy creature into your life again.
6. Any combination of the above.
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Hmmmm…having known a whole lot of real-life military heroes, it’s an experience that changes people. Profoundly. Most jobs don’t have that effect, so yeah, I’d buy that as important character-shaping information. Although I would hope the characterization wasn’t so cardboard that it didn’t SHOW that influence on the hero’s behavior, priorities, decisions, etc.
by Charlene Teglia November 14th, 2007 at 10:39 amFor me, the worst plotline from your list is #5; it simply SCREAMS Harlequin for me. The hero is supposed to be an intelligent man, so why does he first have to fall for the red-nailed, bloodsucking bitch vamp who likes sex? I can suffer through a lot, but female antagonists that are only invented for the big (anti) climax’s sake and to show the dichotomy between slut and virgin make me puke.
by Katie November 14th, 2007 at 11:31 amAmen!!!
by Estella November 14th, 2007 at 1:36 pmThese were too funny! Love #1
Katie, I can assure you my Harlequin never have a #5 : )
by Jill Monroe November 14th, 2007 at 1:38 pmCharli – That’s exactly my point. A military career affects a person. Just saying this background tidbit and not showing it in the characterization is what bugs me because it is the perfect inroads to drawing a deeper and more complex hero.
Katie – An author who has perfected #5 is Diana Palmer. There is always some nasty wench former girlfriend lurking about somewhere. Kind of makes me afraid to let my husband ever go to Texas…
HI Estella!
Jill – I’ve read #1 so many times that I am now convinced the anti-commitment thing is considered a must-have male trait. Makes me wonder why these women keep falling for these dopes.
by HelenKay November 14th, 2007 at 2:35 pmJill Monroe: I am sorry, I have never read your romances but I do know that not every Harlequin story involves a bitch vamp
However, I do quite a number of editorial reviews on Harlequin books for the German “sister” of the company and thereby have encountered more #5 plotlines than I dare remember *g*. If I come upon such a plot when I read for pleasure (and not work) I usually discontinue reading and blacklist the author on my personal excel spreadsheet. I simply don’t have the energy or the time putting up with nonsense like that.
I have to confess, I have a weakness for small town stories where the hero or heroine comes back after years of living in the big bad city or [...fill in...]. However, I prefer the stories having a good plot , preferably without any secret baby lurking around and no shocked and deflowered 30 year old wannabe virgin.
Oh, and Helenkay, I have never read Diana Palmer. I have been warned about her plots LOL and therefore decided not to try her out.
by Katie November 14th, 2007 at 2:54 pmI think these rules are silly and I totally agree with you.
by carolyn overholser November 14th, 2007 at 5:20 pmI’ve read several different genres and have fun toying with the ideas of “Mr. Wrong”. Have I written such in the past? Probably. Have any of those been published because I submitted those? Heck no.
I’ve read the Diana Palmers and yes those are wall/head bangers of the worst sort. However they also give perspective on what you might’ve been considering and can change your mind.
It is all in the eye of the reader, critic, beholder, and what have you…
by B.L. Foxxe November 14th, 2007 at 8:34 pmThese are hilarious–thank you for the laugh, HelenKay! And I do really hate the secret baby thing… argh!
by Fedora November 14th, 2007 at 11:45 pmPersonally I would love to see reason #1 used for the heroinne for a change.
by Ilona November 15th, 2007 at 12:25 pmRe: #3. UGH, I hear you. I grew up in the Coal Regions of Pennsylvania and sure, PLENTY of people left, but they weren’t run out for such indiscretions. You could do a great story in a place like my hometown about a character coming home to her roots, but not many people capitalize on the story type’s potential. Unfortunate.
I’m turned off by the aloof romance hero. This is more common in fantasy novels with a romance subplot. Reluctant hero off on quest to buy shoes or save the world, whatever, ragtag team forms, “falls in love” with the princess, or member of team, or the shoemaker’s daughter or something, but the character remains aloof and reluctant the whole novel, and you want to smack the heroine and be like, “Why do you like him?” Of course, this is a plot/characterization problem that’s not contingent on the genre itself, but ohh if it doesn’t piss me off.
by Jess November 15th, 2007 at 1:48 pmOh, yeah, the secret baby thing is so overdone. You just get so tired of a man coming back to town to find out he left a little bit of himself behind “x” number of years ago. What’s worse is when he doesn’t see the resemblance and thinks the heroine cheated on him all those years ago…lol Too funny!
by Robin Snodgrass November 25th, 2007 at 4:20 pm