Who’s your hero?

ByKristen Koster
Hero or Zero? The Greatest American Hero (Ralph Hanley) played by William Katt.
Hero or Zero?
The Greatest American Hero
(Ralph Hanley) played by William Katt from 1981-83.

I got the Workbook that goes with Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. I read the main book a while ago, and I haven’t had a chance to read much beyond the first chapter of the workbook yet, but what I’m seeing looks like a lengthy, but worthwhile endeavor.

The first exercise asks, “Who are your personal heroes?”

I have to admit I sat there dumbstruck for the longest time. This isn’t something I think about on a regular basis. How am I supposed to come up with someone off the top of my head. And just one person? C’mon, I’d much prefer to say all those single mom’s out there who make it look so easy (heck, any mom out there that makes it look easy!) than narrow my answer down to a single person.

Besides, won’t it matter who I pick and which protagonist I’m writing about? Won’t different characters require different heroic qualities to be focused on? Shouldn’t it matter who I name based on if I’m looking at a heroine or a hero for my story?

These are the questions I wrestled with yesterday. So did I arrive at any answers? Sorta.

You see, I’m going to run with the idea that it’s going to matter which individual I pick as a personal hero based on which character I’m trying to focus on. Juliet Gordon Low isn’t going to fit for every heroine I write. Jim Henson won’t work for just any hero or even likely ever more than one I write.

The other thing is, someone I see as a hero, no one else ever will. Things I see as heroic qualities may be no big deal to someone else. I think the series, The Greatest American Hero covered that quite well since much of the time they focused on every day situations instead of save-the-world type scenarios. Not everyone can be superman. Not everyone can afford Batman’s toys. Not everyone lives in such dire straights.

I can’t wait to see what other thought provoking questions the book holds in store. I mean, really, how often have you thought about who your personal heroes were since you had to write some corny essay about it in school?

Who would you name today? Why? Do you even remember when you first realized this person had that particular heroic quality?

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4 Comments

  1. What a great topic. I sit here stumped also. For some reason – Steve Martin sounds shallow. But he keeps popping to the top of my list. He had a cross genre career (stand up, tv, movies, and books) he kept pushing himself, and he brings brilliance and laughter (thats key to me) to everything he does.
    and that’s something I really can look up to.
    But is that a Hero?

  2. WAIT! One? Oh no no no no – there’s no way i’m able to pick just one.

    I’m working mine now and have personal ones, “classic” authors, contemp authors, childhood heroes, fictional heroes….um….hmmm….one?

    btw – believe it or not I’m walking on air! I blame you gggggrrrrr

  3. Andi, I think those definitely qualify as heroic qualities. You said it yourself when you said they’re things you can really look up to. They’re actually very similar reasons for why I picked Jim Henson. Unfortunately, Henson’s pushing himself lead to the bout with pneumonia that killed him. 🙁

    Yeah, Bria, just picking one was too limiting for me too. Next thing you know, you’ll be walking on sunshine… 😉

  4. lol, when I was a kid I picked Robin Hood–I was Robin Hood obssesed. It was the hat. I used to crawl around in the bushes (back then Hawaii had lots of bushes) and swash my buckle.

    Now days my heroes are people like that mom who went back into the burning house after her daughter even though she knew she’d die, and that kid who distracted the robbers so his sister could escape. A person who goes through bad times, and comes out whole and sane.

    It’s Little John sitting up with Robin while he died. Maybe it was Little John the whole time.

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