Writers who thrive on creating mystery, suspense, and thriller novels often assign a character’s career based on what is needed to survive an ordeal. And they are highly successful at weaving exciting stories with the expertise of their chosen job. The reader knows from the beginning the protagonist will struggle, sacrifice, encounter injury, stand up for what is right, and/or face down death for truth and justice. They win and we hope a new story about them is in the works.
I’ve read and reread powerful novels that implore these traits. Heroes Jason Bourne and James Bond were equipped to take on incredible danger with unpredictable outcomes. Readers enjoy the whirlwind ride that keeps them turning pages from the first sentence to the last.
But what if a character’s career isn’t a police detective, private investigator, federal agent, or any of the other law-enforcement type jobs? What if the protagonist is a regular guy or gal who has skills in other areas but is extremely motivated? What if the character has no clue they are made of heroic stuff? Is this your next hero?
- Indiana Jones did quite well as a history professor. His keen knowledge of antiquities set the stage for amazing adventures.
- Luke Skywalker stepped out of a farmer’s life to acquire skills and help right the injustices of the Galactic Empire.
- Katniss Aberdeen took her sister’s place in Hunger Games and became a hero by using the skills needed to keep her family from starvation.
What about your story’s protagonist? Is he/she willing to walk into the fire of deadly opposition? Does the character have the needed skills, strategy, intelligence, and motivation to counter whatever the antagonist tosses their way?
Are you considering raising a hero from the dust of the mundane and least expected? The potential for everyday heroes exists all around us: mothers, fathers, teachers, social workers, EMT workers, 9-1-1 dispatchers, coaches, and more. Some view their work as a job; others invest their hearts, minds, and souls into a career that identifies who they are on the inside.
What’s needed to create a realistic and unexpected hero?
- A dynamic personality that has the potential for leadership, courage, sacrifice, tenacity, intelligence, and passion about a cause or causes.
- A character who has flaws and weaknesses that establish a platform for growth and change in the story.
- A character who discovers a problem to solve or a goal to reach and nothing will stop them. Motivation is the key that unlocks the psychology, driving them into action. It shows why the character will risk his/her life to ensure truth and justice are restored.
- A highly developed backstory that focuses on what happened in the character’s life before chapter one, line one, and empowers who the character is today. The backstory, although revealed in snippets, pertains to the goal of the scene.
- A character who has the most to lose and the most to gain by accepting a challenge that has a huge potential for failure.
- A belief in something or a system that prioritizes the welfare of mankind.
- Examine yourself. What would you give your life for? Why? What event or events would trigger the hero in you? Could any of your personal convictions be massaged into a character’s personality for a novel?
A character’s career often defines their behavior, yet a true hero excels in their profession plus leverages their expertise to enrich the lives of those they encounter.
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels with threads of romance. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and International Thriller Writers. 
DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.
DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn or her website: diannmills.com
