Shannon here: Stacy Monson shares how she creates loveable heroes. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for a chance for two winners to receive a free copy of the anthology, Birdsong, which includes her short story, Misguided Devotion. Deadline: April 26th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Stacy:
Falling in Love with Characters
I’ve always been a character-driven reader and writer. If I love the characters, the plot hardly matters (when I’m reading, anyway!). Real-life characters draw me into the story and make me want to be part of the action. And real-life romantic heroes? They’re the best!
But honestly? It’s not the swaggering, Alpha male that gets my attention. It’s the “real” guys, the ones who succeed despite the odds against them, that I fall for. Not Beta males, but not the in-your-face Alpha males either. I guess I’d call them alpha with a small “a.” (Just made that up!)
Don’t give me some namby-pamby guy who can barely put one foot in front of another, who stumbles through life because he doesn’t put his God-given gifts to work to save the day (or the damsel in distress). I go for the guys who may not be the strongest physically yet are solid in who they are and what they’re called to do. They do what needs to be done, looking out for the little guy, without drawing attention to themselves. They’re comfortable in their own skin and aren’t out for attention.
Of course, they need to have a great smile (dimples help), be smart and independent, and love a good laugh. They see life through a lens that looks for the best in people, and they work to bring that out in whoever they encounter. They might be tall and dark, or midsize and blond. No matter the size, shape, or color, they succeed because they’re genuine, focused, and brave, no matter what they’re facing.
I’ve written heroes that encompass most of these traits—Peter, a floundering aspiring singer; Kurt, an ex-con who needs a fresh start; Sam, a carpenter hiding from his past; Jackson, a world-renown photographer without a family; and Finn, a young man searching for purpose. And the funny thing is, they often show up when they aren’t part of the planning!
For instance, I started writing “When Mountains Sing” as women’s fiction—no hero needed, just a young woman on a search. Not too far into the story, this guy popped in. He was cute but unnecessary, so I told him that and wrote him out. Remember I mentioned they’re comfortable in who they are? Dawson Dunne sure was. He wrote himself back in. Not sure what I’d do with him in the story, out he went. And back he came.
Yup, he won that battle. And he turned out to be one of my favorite heroes in all of my books! He ended up getting his own short story (a prequel), and several follow-up stories. He wormed his way into my heart as well as the heroine’s (who was NOT looking for a love interest) and the hearts of my readers who said they needed to know more about him!
In my latest short story, “Misguided devotion,” I needed both a hero and heroine. No preconceived ideas of who he might be, so I started writing and voila – meet Liam Warner. Owner of a flower shop (seriously??), single dad raising his 8-year-old daughter after his wife died, struggling to keep his business going and his daughter under control. While he’d inherited the flower shop from his parents and was hands-on in both the creative and physical aspects of the business, he was working in a predominantly female world. He had to be comfortable enough in his own skin to deal with jittery brides and demanding customers, while helping guys apologize to their girlfriends with flowers!
Yet again, I had planned to tell the story from the heroine’s perspective only, but the flower shop owner, dad to one of the heroine’s students, was too adorable to ignore—for both me and the heroine! Once these characters wiggle into my heart, the gig is up, and they become a major part of the story.
I’m excited for the world to meet Liam Warner (along with Julia Emerson). I suspect their story will continue in a future Mosaic Collection anthology. Yet another set of characters I want to know more about!
Question for Readers: Who are some of your favorite characters? What makes them unforgettable?
Stacy Monson is the author of the award-winning Chain of Lakes series and is a founding member of The Mosaic Collection. She lives outside the Twin Cities metro area with 15 chickens, an old dog, and lots of wildlife (which includes 7 grandchildren). Learn more & connect:
Stacy’s Website Stacy’s Facebook Stacy’s Instagram
Stacy’s Pinterest Stacy’s Goodreads Email: stacy@stacymonson.com
The Mosaic Collection will release “BirdSong,” our spring anthology, on May 7. “Misguided devotion” is one of many fabulous stories in the anthology.
About the Collection – Birdsong:
When life gets flipped upside down, what will it take to turn it right side up again?
From unexpected journeys into the future and the past to a life-changing weekend, a spontaneous road trip, family trauma, the birth of a bookstore, and a potentially disastrous wedding, the men and women in these stories must deal with everything life is throwing at them. Which is a lot.
❁ The Weekend – Sara Davison
❁ Aloft – Deb Elkink
❁ Misguided deVotion – Stacy Monson
❁ Rainbow Valley – Cathe Swanson
❁ Once Upon a Parlor – Chautona Havig
❁ Call Me Birdie – Eleanor Bertin
❁ Sunday Best – Milla Holt
The turmoil and craziness challenge each of them to believe the promise of God’s timing—that every winter, no matter how dark and cold, will be followed by a season of birdsong.
BirdSong is a collection of seven stories about finding promise and hope in a world that’s often topsy-turvy.
About Stacy’s story – Misguided Devotion:
Julia wants to get her last sister married by Christmas so she can finally focus on her own life. Liam is focused on raising his young daughter and keeping his flower shop afloat. Their worlds collide when the wedding faces potential disaster at the same time strange men start dropping into Julia’s life. Can the handsome florist save both the wedding and Julia’s reputation by Christmas?
Pre-order is available now for only 99¢!
Come back April 25th for Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup!
Thanks for having me on to share what makes a great hero, in my opinion, and what can make them interesting to write.
Stacy gave an INCREDIBLE description of what the perfect MMC should be!!! The only thing I’d add is that the perfect MMC has to be good with kids (cause it’s adorable)!
I don’t have a favorite character!
I have a winner! Shelia Hall won the drawing. I appreciate Stacy for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.