Monday, July 13, 2009

What makes a hunk?

He stared at her from across the room, feeling like his breath was caught in his throat butterflies in his stomach. The brown t-shirt clinging to his shoulders like a second skin as he moved as quick as the crowd would let him towards her. His ice blue eyes seeing nothing but her face as she stood near the band.

....okay and now what? Yes once again I have writers block. My latest novel is a semi-typical romance novel. Only, it's kind of bordering on chick-lit (or something like it maybe even guy-lit) with my lead being a man and not a woman.
Which actually as of late with all the Austen spin offs and remakes happening, more focus is being put on Mr. Darcy (looking forward to Mr. Darcy Vampyre) Mr. Bingley, Mr. Rushworth, Mr. Crawford etc. (all the Austen heroes/villains are getting their own "stories" seems the men of Austen's books are having their time to shine)
So then what makes a hero? Or in this case a hunky hero?
All you little Twilighters out there just sssshhh. I do not consider Edward Cullin a hero. Jasper on the other hand he could be a good runner up for hero. Why? Well, because he's actually dealing with something. And yes I know, Twilight is based on Pride and Prejudice, I knew that before I read the Twilight Saga.
See I am digressing again.
Frankenstein's monster was the hero in Mary Shelley's book. People refuse to remember that as it's been watered down so much with it's connection to Hallowe'en. But what do you think Richard O'Brian was pointing out with Rocky in Rocky Horror Picture Show ? (don't say sex. Forget the sex for a moment.)
The first Harlequin Romance I ever read was Bachelor in Paradise by Elizabeth Oldfield. A slim 187 pages published in 1986, with one of the original plan white covers with just a small cameo styled covershot of a couple embracing. Sigh Yes I still have that book. I still flip through it every once and a while. It has that old used book smell, you know that combination of sunblock-coffee-incense smoke/cigarette smoke-and dusty basement. The smell of real books.
Sorry, got dreamy for a second. It was also back when you could tell the category of a book just by looking at the cover art. Now, it's a crap shoot.
I have been seeing tons of book covers as of late with extreme close ups of a woman bearing her neck wearing a cross. To me that says romance novel, but when you pick up the thing and read the back it's suppose to be horror.
How?
Just because you add a vampire or a werewolf does not make it horror.
Now where was I, and what was the point of my post today? Or right, what makes a hunky hero?
Does the mentor have any influence? (Louis in Interview with a Vampire switches mentors from Lestat to Armand, and after doing so, he realizes how much like Lestat he truly is) in Hard Core Logo Buckey Height is Joe Dick's mentor, and Joe inturn is Billy Tallent's. But in the scene when they go to visit Buckey , we find that Billy has more inline with Buckey then Joe (this is vocalized in the movie version by Buckey giving Billy the guitar and saying he wished he'd found him first)
The character of Dean Moriarty in On The Road by Jack Kerouac is a hero, even though he is played out as a cad, he is the embodiment of courage and sex appeal. So does sticking to your guns no matter what make a hunky hero? There has to be more to it then just a set of dreamy eyes, deshevled hair and great shoulders?
And why is all this an issue right now?
I used to write just horror stories, with vampires and werewolves who would tear your head from your shoulders without even blinking an eye then proceed to drink from your decapitated body. They did not need alot of gloss. They were brutal and verging on the animal.
Now I am writing about normal everyday people. And Damn It Janet! they need gloss. Lots and lots of gloss.

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