Over the summer I was looking through photos for my new website and I came across photos of the veterans I interviewed for my novels for Moody Publishing. As I looked at the photos of these elderly men, all now in their 80s, one word came to mind. Heroes.
I believe a hero is someone who is willing to serve his/her country. A hero is willing to put his life on the line for the protection of others. To consider others above oneself. To understand that ideals are worth fighting for. Someone who has both the strength and smarts to fight well.
When I started writing fiction, soldiers, pilots and even prisoners of war were the heroes in my novels. Why? Everyone loves a man or woman in uniform! More than that, readers love to connect with people who are willing to answer the call of duty. Also, since most readers have no experienced the military themselves they love experiencing military service through the characters’ lives. Not only do they get to read a good story, they learn more about history and about military service, too.
So what characteristics are necessary for a military hero in fiction? These are the ones I settled on: Boldness, a call to duty, honor, and a sense of justice. They also must be decisive, courageous, and seasoned. Sometimes the "seasoning" happens in the course of the book, but by the end of every novel the hero knows what he’s fighting for—not just with his mind, but also with his heart.
Do you know a hero? Tell me about him/her in the comment field and I’ll draw a name for a free book!
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1 comments:
Unfortunately the only war hero I know of was my grandfather, but he passed away last year. I received two purple hearts during WWII.
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