Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Restrained protectiveness

Watching my black Labrador lunge outside to protect our property from an approaching feline, "restrained protectiveness" popped into my mind.

Tippy was being anything but restrained while pounding on the patio door, begging for release. I watched the grey and white cat saunter across the winter barren field behind our property. As she reached the bottom of our hill, she must have heard Tippy's attempted release because she began bounding toward the neighbour's hill. I released the protective hound, who leaped full-speed ahead to investigate her land. Sniffing the property line, her spine slowly softened. Satisfied, she returned to the door for reentry.

Isn't that what most heroines want from their hero? Only, more subtly.



Do you weave an element of protectiveness into your hero's character?

How can you use your hero's protective nature (or lack there of) to create conflict without losing integrity?

As you write or edit today, if romance is your genre, see if you can incorporate some manner of protectiveness within your crafted scenes. Does it add a layer? Does it achieve empathy from the reader?


Blessings,

Eileen

6 comments:

Jessica Nelson said...

I love a protective hero! I'll have to think about incorporating this. :-)

Eileen Astels Watson said...

I bet you already have elements of it in place. Of course I'd know better if you'd ever send me something to read! ;) ;) I'm anxiously waiting, can't you tell.

P.S. My word verification is "taxes". Think it's telling me something?

Sherrinda Ketchersid said...

Nice post. My hero is a protective one, though at times can be a tad bit overbearing. :)

Eileen Astels Watson said...

That's why I added the "restrained". Isn't funny how we woman want something, but we want it OUR way, only. No wonder men have trouble figuring us out.

Jessica Nelson said...

Hmmm, taxes? How about the fair tax? Wouldn't that be nice. Oh, wait, you live in Canada. What's it like up there anyway?
I promise, I am working hard at editing this story. Yuck.
You know, if you want me to send you the first three chapters, I will. But I also sent them to the editor, so I can't fix them yet.

Eileen Astels Watson said...

Very High taxes! But we do have good medical insurance and good schooling for it. But the politicians and government workers have way-too-good pensions and pirks, too, in my opinion. If those were more reasonable then our taxes would definitely be more bearable.

Since you've sent out already, I'll wait until my feedback is needed. I'll pray they request a full soon.