I have made my current WIP's male MC my version of the perfect man, and am annoyed that my non-fictional husband isn't just like him. 
I think I need therapy.
I think I need therapy.
Ever fall in love with your male mc?
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Every author falls in love with their main character. He or she is always the perfect significant other for the author.
I made the mistake of using someone I knew as the model for my heroine in my first book. During the course of writing the book, I fell madly in love with this perfect person. At the time, I had been married for 23 years and my marriage vows were sacred to me, so I could do nothing about the love I felt for this person. While I was agonizing about it, my sister stopped by my office one day because she had a strange feeling that I needed to see her. After I told her the story about my problem, she told me, "Well dumb ass. Get your head out of the book. You are not the hero and this woman is not the heroine. DETACH!!! In the book, the hero is supposed to fall in love with the heroine, but in real life you have nothing in common with this other woman."
Why she stopped by I don't know, but she gave me the resolution I needed. My wife and I have now been married for almost 46 years. The other woman remains a good friend of mine although she never really knew my wife or other members of my family. She was just a woman I worked with. I did learn not to use any one I knew as the model for my heroine and every time I write a story, I still fall in love with my heroine.
I made the mistake of using someone I knew as the model for my heroine in my first book. During the course of writing the book, I fell madly in love with this perfect person. At the time, I had been married for 23 years and my marriage vows were sacred to me, so I could do nothing about the love I felt for this person. While I was agonizing about it, my sister stopped by my office one day because she had a strange feeling that I needed to see her. After I told her the story about my problem, she told me, "Well dumb ass. Get your head out of the book. You are not the hero and this woman is not the heroine. DETACH!!! In the book, the hero is supposed to fall in love with the heroine, but in real life you have nothing in common with this other woman."
Why she stopped by I don't know, but she gave me the resolution I needed. My wife and I have now been married for almost 46 years. The other woman remains a good friend of mine although she never really knew my wife or other members of my family. She was just a woman I worked with. I did learn not to use any one I knew as the model for my heroine and every time I write a story, I still fall in love with my heroine.
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Of course! Perfectly normal. Happens all the time to actors, too - hence, IMHO, the high rate of turnover in Hollyweird marriages.
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By the end of each of my book, I'm sighing because my heroine has the guy I want.
Damn, Seven, 46 years! That amazing! I thought Jersey Guy and I were doing well - we celebrate 10 years on Thursday. You got me waaaaaay beat!
Damn, Seven, 46 years! That amazing! I thought Jersey Guy and I were doing well - we celebrate 10 years on Thursday. You got me waaaaaay beat!
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Actually, I found out something funny. I'm having issues trying to represent my MC's future boyfriend, and as such, I'm having trouble keeping myself interested in him (he's just not "right" for some reason, I can't put my finger on it) and it's starting to affect my WIP. My main character isn't really feeling the connection either, even though she's supposed to be falling for him. How weird is that? So I think that "falling in love with your MC" thing has to be there in one way or another or the story might not work...
Ninja Bunny, the ever confused one
Ninja Bunny, the ever confused one
I agree, Sassee. A similar thing happening with my heroine. I really liked the hero, and figured she would, too, but the chemistry just wasn't working.
Seems she wanted the villain, which is funny, because while I liked the hero, I looooved my villain...
So, being the nice, accomodating author I am, I let her have the villain instead.
Four years later I'm still trying to iron out the kinks.
Seems she wanted the villain, which is funny, because while I liked the hero, I looooved my villain...
So, being the nice, accomodating author I am, I let her have the villain instead.
Four years later I'm still trying to iron out the kinks.
Nice topic and yep, I can relate I guess. Okay... some of you will think me as nutty as a granola bar for saying this but my experience has been that I think the male MC's in my books are the same man. A man from one of my past lives. I've had several readings done by a friend... a friend that hasn't read even one word from my books... and she would mention something from that past life which I've actually written about in my books. Talk about freaky!
I'm writing a paranormal/past life story loosely based on him right now. (Long story I won't delve into here
).Kristin
I have to be attracted to a "leading man". After all, if I don't want to bang him, my heroine won't either.
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I created my male MC based on someone I was in danger of falling for. I purposely gave him flaws that I could examine on paper.
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Dorothy L. Sayers provided Lord Peter Wimsey with a avatar of herself (Harriet Vane, successful mystery writer) as first love interest, then wife. They had three adorable children. Her own life wasn't all that cute.
I like my male MCs a LOT, but keep a professional distance.
It can get squicky when they're in the sack with their love interest.
It's best for me to think of them as actors in a film, and I'm directing everything. We're all great pals and very close, but at the end of the day go to our own homes.
Which I'm rather happy about--I don't ever wanna find out if my true blue hero has skid marked undies and leaves the seat up on the flusher.
I like my male MCs a LOT, but keep a professional distance.
It can get squicky when they're in the sack with their love interest.
It's best for me to think of them as actors in a film, and I'm directing everything. We're all great pals and very close, but at the end of the day go to our own homes.
Which I'm rather happy about--I don't ever wanna find out if my true blue hero has skid marked undies and leaves the seat up on the flusher.
I'd probably fall in love with my main characters, but they usually wind up getting disemboweled, or something.
I write horror.
I write horror.
I always love my heroes!! My hubby and I will hit 24 years on Monday. Some of my heroes have hubby's characteristics, especially his sarcasm.
I agree that the male mc has to be delicious. I want every woman reading my book to fall in love with him, so I have to fall in love with him first.
And I do!
I agree that the male mc has to be delicious. I want every woman reading my book to fall in love with him, so I have to fall in love with him first.
And I do!I absolutley fell in love with the hero from my last novel. Adam was tall, dark and handsome. Not to mention filthy stinking rich. What I loved most about him--other than his blue-green eyes--was watching him turn into a total sweetheart with a sarcastic sense of humor. I swear, if my heroine hadn't already been in love with him, I would have gone out looking for him myself.
Boy, I think I should take my meds now.
Boy, I think I should take my meds now.
Of course, this gets really interesting when you write m/m and thus have two heroes to fall in love with (which is half the point of m/m romance for straight women, really...).
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When I'm writing, I BECOME the heroine--so of course I fall for the hero. Really, I'm not me at all. I'm Cara or Becky or Tahira. I think like them, plan my life on their past history. It's sort of freaky. But when the book's done, I'm Cathy again. No lost love syndrome. I just step out of the other person's skin and the desire is gone.
Really, I'm not me at all. I'm Cara or Becky or Tahira. I think like them, plan my life on their past history. It's sort of freaky. But when the book's done, I'm Cathy again. No lost love syndrome. I just step out of the other person's skin and the desire is gone.
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Now this is interesting, you need to see Saratim on this. She knows all about past lives--and although not in my book I've had same experience. Of course, when the reader told me out of the blue, not relating to your reading..but you should know this... you and this person will have to cross paths again. Anyways...Saratim says it could be a boss, father figure, or even in come in the form of female.
Okay... some of you will think me as nutty as a granola bar for saying this but my experience has been that I think the male MC's in my books are the same man. A man from one of my past lives. I've had several readings done by a friend... a friend that hasn't read even one word from my books... and she would mention something from that past life which I've actually written about in my books. Talk about freaky!
I'm writing a paranormal/past life story loosely based on him right now. (Long story I won't delve into here
Kristin
But I know we crossed recently and it took a lot to rid myself of this past...ok I'll be nuts with you
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Now this is interesting, you need to see Saratim on this. She knows all about past lives--and although not in my book I've had same experience. Of course, when the reader told me out of the blue, not relating to your reading..but you should know this... you and this person will have to cross paths again. Anyways...Saratim says it could be a boss, father figure, or even in come in the form of female.
But I know we crossed recently and it took a lot to rid myself of this past...ok I'll be nuts with you
Well it's nice to know I'm not alone.
Not to get OT, but it began when I was 6 or 7. I saw his spirit at the end of the bed, smoothing the covers at my feet. It scared me to death, of course, but I was also largely confused b/c of his strange hairstyle and weird clothes. Now I know he's from the Renaissance. (Or Medieval I suppose). He wore VERY fancy clothing. I've even created a pretty extensive website all about trying to solve the 27-year-old mystery. It's REALLY opened my eyes to things I used to be very close minded about. Even after seeing him, I still didn't believe in past lives until decades later. Hopefully he's helping me write my most recent book. If he is I sure wish he'd help me with one of the male leads! "Iain" is talking my head off, but the other is quiet as a mouse.
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When I'm writing, I BECOME the heroine--so of course I fall for the hero.
I always think about some of the psych theories on personality formation I teach my students. Some revolve around "masks" that we wear to show people what we think they want to see. I think of my heroines that way. They are a each mask I can wear for a while, then I can be me again.
That's hilarious. If my male MC were real, I'd totally want to "bang" him, too.
I absolutley fell in love with the hero from my last novel. Adam was tall, dark and handsome. Not to mention filthy stinking rich. What I loved most about him--other than his blue-green eyes--was watching him turn into a total sweetheart with a sarcastic sense of humor. I swear, if my heroine hadn't already been in love with him, I would have gone out looking for him myself.
Boy, I think I should take my meds now.
I hear ya! If I ever got divorced, I'd be searching the earth for my current MC. Save some of those meds for me!
Well it's nice to know I'm not alone.
Hopefully he's helping me write my most recent book. If he is I sure wish he'd help me with one of the male leads! "Iain" is talking my head off, but the other is quiet as a mouse.
That is freaky and cool. I wish I'd have an experience like that. Have you seen him since you were a kid? They say that children are more prone to see those sort of things than adults.
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