The Truth About Heroes Even in Christian Fiction

Creating heroes can be a lot of fun for a writer. Or it can be as fun as cleaning the bathroom. It all depends on if you know your hero, know his motivation, where he came from, what his beliefs are. Where does he stand on certain issues? I've seen a few beginning writers create perfect heroes. They had no flaws at all.

The character came across flat and unrealistic because men (and women-I'm not male bashing) are human beings. Without the flaws that make them human, no one can relate.

I see this more often in Christian fiction than anywhere else. The men are created to act like superheroes, breathe through life untainted by the trials us mere mortals have and save the day.

No, no and no! A hero MUST be flawed. That doesn't mean you have to make him a dirtbag, but people have to be able to relate. How do you create realistic heroes? Research what men struggle with. Even Christian men. Yeah, it's not always pretty, it's not always accepted in Christian fiction, but it IS the truth. Where did writers start to believe that Christian men didn't have the same faults? True, God's grace is sufficient to help overcome struggles, addictions etc. but they do exist. Creating heroes that are flawless gives out the expectancy in some readers that somewhere 'out there' the perfect male is waiting for her.

I remember author Francine Rivers catching flak because of her Christian fiction books depicting flawed characters she'd based on stories from the Bible. The characters weren't always likeable, they didn't always do the right thing. But they came across as real.

When you create your hero, don't be afraid to let him fail. Pick him up, dust him off and THEN let him succeed.