5 Tips for Writing a Non-Cliché Hero

So . . . you’re creating a hero. First, let me say, congratulations! Writing a book can be a

daunting task. Hopefully, you’ll read something today that will help you on your literary journey.

Every story needs a hero, and every hero needs to be memorable, relatable, and realistic (to some

degree at least). However, crafting a hero who fits into your story can be difficult. Below, I have

outlined tips for writing a hero who will keep your readers enthralled in your story.

Understanding What a Hero Is

Before we get into the tips, let’s talk about what makes a hero. Contrary to popular belief,

the hero doesn’t always have to be the protagonist. In Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary,

protagonist is defined as “the principle character in a literary work.” However, hero is defined as

“a mythical or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability,”

“an illustrious warrior,” “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities,” and “one who

shows great courage.” As you can see, a hero covers a broad range of definitions. For example,

in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, we see courage from many of the supporting

characters. Neville, Ron, Hermione, and many more show themselves to be courageous and

noble. However, Harry is still the protagonist of the story (and is a hero as well).

For these tips, we will be discussing writing characters who are both heroes and

protagonists.

Tip #1—Having Heroic (and Some Not-So-Heroic) Traits

One of the main characteristics of a good hero is just that. They are good. But what about

them is good? It isn’t enough for a character to simply be good. In order to really create a good

hero, you must first understand what makes your hero good. Is he kind to his siblings? Is she

selfless in giving of her time? Is he good at cheering people up? Is she hopeful? Compassionate?
Courageous? Thoughtful? Patient? Empathetic? Not every hero needs to have superpowers, but

they do need to have traits that make them good and admirable.

Along with these admirable traits, your hero should also have a couple of traits that are

still good, but maybe a little less heroic. Is he sassy? Is she sarcastic? Is he a rule-breaker? A

terrible dancer? Reckless? Distracted?

Once you have decided on these traits, write them down by the hero’s name. When you

have a situation where you are unsure how the hero would react, go back through these traits and

let them guide you through the characters psyche and emotions. Going through this process can

not only help you understand your character better but can also help you keep your character

consistent.

Tip #2—Making it Real

Most everybody roots for the good guy, but sometimes the good guy can be too good. If

heroes come across as perfect, they will be hard to relate to. Everyone has flaws, which means

your hero needs to have flaws as well. Flaws will help readers feel connected to your hero, which

will in turn keep them engaged in your story.

Making your hero more relatable will help readers connect to your overall story and make

them really care about what is going on with your hero. However, a hero needs to have more

than just some virtuous traits and some ignoble traits. A good hero needs to have a personality.

Some authors use the Meyer’s Briggs personality test to help them understand their characters’

strengths and weaknesses. Taking this test as your character can also help you flesh out ideas of

how they would respond in certain situations.

Take the time you need to really develop your hero. What is it about his experience that

makes him human (even if he is superhuman)? What is it about her personality that shows us
she’s kind of quirky? Adding these details to a character guide, even if the details don’t all make

it into the final book, will really bring your character to life for your readers.

Tip #3—Asking the Important Questions

When writing your hero, there are three critical questions you must answer about your

hero: “What does she want?”, “What will she do for it?”, “How will she change over the course

of your story?” Asking yourself these questions will help you develop your hero’s goals and

motivations. Developing these goals before setting your hero loose in your created world is

integral to your overall story—a hero with a powerful motivation makes it easy for readers to

empathize with your hero. Like many heroes in our favorite books, we’ve all wanted something

so badly that we were willing to take a risk in order to obtain it.

Your hero’s motivation will also push the story forward and can serve as a conflict for the

hero in the future. Aside from the hero’s main motivation, having smaller, less important

motivations will help your character feel more engaging. Overall, your hero wants to save their

kingdom, but maybe they also want a warm place to sleep or to go have fun with their buddies.

These smaller motivations can serve multiple purposes. They can tempt or distract your hero,

guide your hero toward their main focus, or simply serve as another dimension of your character.

Without these motivations, why is your hero going on their journey? And if your hero doesn’t

want anything, why would readers want to go on the hero’s journey with them?

Tip #4—Choosing the Unlucky Path

In ancient Greece, many plays concluded with what is called deus ex machina, which

means “God from the machine.” In essence, deus ex machina is when some unexpected power or

being comes and saves the day. While this plot device may have worked in ancient Greece, using

this tool in novels often leaves readers feeling cheated of a true ending.
 Instead of some miraculous, lucky circumstance, your hero may be more believable if

fate is against him. In The Lightning Thief, we see fate versus hero again and again as Percy

Jackson attempts to understand his life in the mortal world and the immortal world. Fate

constantly works against Percy, but those experiences only make him stronger as a character.

Don’t be afraid to make circumstances hard for your character. I learned this lesson at a

writing conference where I heard a bestselling author say, “I ask myself, what is the worst

possible thing that could happen to my character right now. And then I make it happen.” Bad and

unlucky circumstances are situations that allow your character to grow and develop their own

merits, thus making them more relatable to readers who also have to go through hard situations.

Tip #5—Exploring the Past

One of the most important parts of a hero is the part that the reader might not get to see—

the hero’s past. Everyone who has ever lived has a past that has helped shape them into who they

are today. Your hero should be no different. Your hero has a father and a mother (regardless of

who actually raised them). Your hero went through hard things and had to learn hard lessons.

Maybe they were bullied. Maybe they were their parents’ golden child. Maybe they lost their

sight at a young age.

The possibilities are endless. However, giving your hero a backstory will make them

more real not only in your eyes but in the eyes of your readers as well. Think about Spider-Man.

He’s raised by his aunt and uncle, who teach him to work hard. When Spider-Man’s uncle dies,

Spider-Man determines to honor his uncle’s legacy and help his aunt. All these things happen

before the Spider-Man stories really begin.

As readers, we don’t need the whole backstory of your hero, we just need enough to

remember that the hero is human and has some baggage that came with them from their past.
Conclusion

We need more good heroes. We need people we can root for and emulate. These heroic

characters can give us hope and courage and help us feel like we can be heroic as well. While

you want your hero to be likeable and inspiring, don’t be afraid to make them a little bit quirky.

Using the tips in this article, you can create a multi-dimensional, relatable hero whom your

readers can love.