Heroes and, ahem, “self-love”

[stacia_kane]

I’m curious.

This is something I’ve wondered about for a while-a long while, actually-and a discussion elsewhere has finally prompted me to go ahead and ask. (I want to emphasize that this is all just hypothetical/what ifs/conjecture; I’m not strictly endorsing any of these ideas, just thinking aloud and providing talking points.)

How do we all

Comments

[jezebellydancer]

Ooh, I can't wait to see what others have to say about this.

I've been working on a story with a male co-writer set in the middle ages or thereabouts. For certain scenes, I've written from the heroine's POV and he's written from the hero's POV. Let me tell you, this has really helped me to learn more about writing male characters and what goes on in their heads.

This scene was an early encounter that might or might not be leading to sex as far as the reader is concerned. In my co-writer's version, the hero ended up 'spilling his seed' while she was giving him a bath. When I read it the first time, my initial reaction was 'EW.' But thinking about it, it actually made sense and tells you a lot more about his character.

The hero is generally very much in control of everything. he has all the power...except where it comes to this woman who has him 'thinking and acting like an unschooled boy' or words to that effect. This sets up things that happen later that show when it comes to this woman, he is reckless and very much not in control of himself.

[stacia_kane]

Yeah, I actually see that as a plus/kind of a hot idea, that just her bathing him has him so hot he can't control himself. But yeah, I think the initial reaction of "Ick," or especially "How embarrassing" would definitely be there.

There are more comments at my website blog: http://www.staciakane.net/2012/03/02/heroes-and-ahem-self-love/