(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO.
Hellooo everybody! Big news! You guys already know that in honor of the presale of my number
one best-selling dark fantasy novel The Savior‘s Sister, I am posting two videos or live streams
a week. However, come the release week, I will be posting one video or live stream per DAY!
That means one week of non-stop content! You guys better be excited, because it's probably gonna
kill me! I'm making that sacrifice for YOU. Tune in to the TSS release week for daily content and
be sure to pre-order The Savior‘s Sister for the chance to win a bunch of awesome prizes!
Speaking of pre-order, you guys already know that I am hosting a massive TSS pre-order giveaway!
Everyone who pre-orders a copy of TSS in any format whether it's hardback, paperback,
or ebook will be eligible to win one of over 35 amazing prizes! I am handing out one of
those prizes today! The winner will be walking away with a signed copy of 10 Steps to Hero by
my good friend and best-selling author Sacha Black. Sacha Black is an incredible author,
she also hosts approximately a bazillion podcasts including The Rebel Author podcast. I have all of
her information listed in the description below, definitely check her out! I will be announcing the
winner of 10 Steps to Hero at the end of today's video, but first, in honor of the release of The
Savior’s Sister, I will be listing my 10 all-time FAVORITE hero tropes. Leila, the main character
of TSS is a heroine in her own right. She battles grave dangers and fights the good
fight for what she believes is right, and I think it's time I talk about what I believe is right...
when writing heroes. If you'd like to hear more of my gushing or rants when it comes to tropes
in fiction, be sure to subscribe to my channel and ring that bell! I post content on Wednesdays
with bonus content on Mondays, and we have a good time here! Once you finish subscribing, pull up a
seat and get ready for my 10 all-time favorite hero tropes in fiction! Disclaimer: this topic
is in regard to heroes, heroines, and every gender in between. However, I am going to be referencing
heroes throughout the entirety of this video for the sake of keeping shit simple. Let's get to
it! Number One (1): Rich Friend, Poor Friend. I'm listing this first because this is my ultimate,
long-standing favorite hero trope of all time. It also happens to be the most niche, and I'm not
sorry! My life becomes full and worth living when the hero is poor and their friend is wealthy, but
somehow still manages to be jealous of said hero. Why? Because the hero knows how to appreciate
life! They've had to work for everything they have, so they understand respect and gratitude.
Rich friend has never had any struggles, so their life is empty and meaningless. Lately,
there's been a switch in fiction where the rich, arrogant character becomes the hero and I don't
like that shit. Take us back to when working for accomplishments mattered! When the hero
was humble and tenacious. There's a scene in The Count of Monte Cristo - one of my favorite movies
growing up - where the poor humble Edmond Dantes is betrayed by his wealthy, established friend
Fernand. And he asks Fernand, “Why?” Fernand says, and I quote, “Because you're the son of a clerk,
and I am not supposed to want to be you.” This is what I came here for! All I want to see are the
moral implications of how a life of privilege can corrupt not only your ethical code, but also your
mental health and outlook. Is that too much to ask? Number Two (2): The Vulnerable Action Hero.
There is absolutely NOTHING exciting about a hero who has no weaknesses. Show me someone who
is real, raw, and vulnerable and you have my attention. I want to see a hero who when they
get shot, actually has to go to the hospital and recover. I want a hero who fights the bad guys,
then suffers from PTSD. I want a hero who struggles with the fact that they've killed
someone, even if it was in self-defense or for the greater good. And most importantly, I want
a hero who actually has to STRUGGLE when fighting the bad guy. Nothing about the hero's journey is
interesting if there's no challenge. Give me a vulnerable, relatable hero, or don't give me
the book at all, ‘cause I won't like it. Number Three (3): The Almost. The best literary climax,
especially in heroic adventure novels, involves an ‘almost.’ The character ALMOST loses. They ALMOST
fail. They ALMOST die. This is my absolute favorite part of the climax, not because I'm
a sadist. Okay, maybe a little bit because I'm a sadist. It's because it's SO gratifying to see the
hero come back from such a low point! We all want the encouraging story of seeing a character fall
flat on their ass, coming SO close to failure, and then somehow STILL defying the odds! This
is inspiring! It's uplifting to pretty much anyone who's struggling with anything in their life. Plus
from a literary standpoint, it makes the win feel justly earned. The hero had to fight for this win!
They almost lost their life in the process, and that's what makes the ultimate takedown
all the more satisfying. Number Four (4): Cue the Awkward. I am so sick of heroes who
are perfect at the art of seduction. So they get to be a lethal weapon AND a fuck factory?
Unfair! I'm calling the police. I find the juxtaposition between being able to say, easily
murder a band of assassins versus tell your crush that you like them, extremely endearing. For one,
it humanizes the character! They are not endlessly indestructible. They're a real person. Two,
it's very obnoxious for a character to be good at all things, seduction included. I think it's
sweet to see them fumble with something so many people struggle with. It takes a character with an
uncommon strength like heroism and makes them instantly relatable. Number Five (5): Personality.
This isn't even a trope, it's just a basic request. A plead, if you will. Can we have
more heroes with personality? I don't think that's too much to ask. I'm really sick of the brooding,
gravelly voiced, monotone, one note hero. You can claim they have emotions, but that note
hasn't reached their facial expression or tone of voice. I enjoy heroes that, you know, are people
with feelings and stuff. Give me a hero who's funny or awkward or really angry. Give me a
hero with SOME kind of personality. I'm tired of the Batman voice and the same tired backstory.
Speaking of backstory... Number Six (6): The Tragic Backstory. Unless it involves a dead wife,
‘cause you neckbeards have done that one to death. I talked in the past about how I don't
always enjoy a villain who has a tragic backstory. Give me a hero with a tragic backstory, however,
and I'm intrigued. Psychologically speaking, there have been links between trauma and struggle and
the increased development of empathy, so it makes more sense for your hero to have had
some kind of tragedy in their past. People hate orphan characters, but I like ‘em. There are
few tragedies worse than losing both of your parents. So long as you're not fridging a woman,
give me a sad, sad story and your hero will have my support. Number Seven (7): Gray Characters.
I am extremely picky about this point. There are certain evil actions that are completely
unforgivable in my eyes. For example, adultery or sexual assault. Murder, for some reason,
isn't on that list. My point is, I do enjoy a hero who isn't a beaming light of goodness.
Again, I'm particular. I would like for them to be a good person. I'd just like for there to be some
bad in the mix. Some mistakes. Some questionable decisions. Maybe some typically evil actions where
you kinda get where they're coming from so you turn a blind eye. “Whoops, didn't see that murder.
Didn't happen!” I enjoy this shit because it makes the character a lot more layered and interesting.
It also creates more room for struggle and hardship, and as we already covered, I do enjoy
a struggle. I'm not sorry. Number Eight (8): The Unchosen One. I love a good underdog, but there's
a particular underdog that really gets me going. It's not enough that the character is overlooked,
they're specifically seen as ‘not cut out for’ whatever they're doing. It's kinda like Captain
America. He's so unqualified that they won't even let him enlist in the military, and this
is back when standards were pretty damn low. This trope is even more satisfying when there is some
other character who is seen as ‘the chosen one,’ or supremely favored. Not only is our hero NOT
supposed to be here, there's some other character who's already been slated as the hero. Ain't that
a bitch? I love this trope because it produces way more obstacles for the hero to overcome! They have
a fake hero to dethrone. They have to gain the support of a world that's completely turned its
back on them. This storyline is inspiring! I think a lot of us can relate to being told we can't do
something or that we're not cut out for something, so this storyline is really satisfying to read.
Number Nine (9): Bring on the Pain! I just want the hero to suffer! Is that so wrong?
If the hero doesn't have some kind of emotional or mental breakdown by the end of the story,
if they don't hold the dead body of someone they love and scream, “Why, God? Why?” to the heavens,
if they're not dripping in blood while they walk away from a battlefield while explosions
resound behind them, are they even a real hero? I don't think so. Make them hurt, or I don't care.
And Number Ten (10): Happily Ever After. If you make me sit through all that heroism and courage
and sacrifice, and then the hero DOESN’T save the day or end up with the love of their life,
I will light your face on fire! Okay, I won't do that, but I will leave a very critical review! I
am not here to read about heroes with tragic endings. That is not a hero story, it's a tragedy.
Label it appropriately, so I don't get tricked and conned and gooped. I just want all that hard work
to be worth it, specifically in regard to romance! Just let the couple get together and enjoy
each other's private parts. If they're into that, of course. If not, that's fine, because I love and
respect my OTP. Just let them be happy, damn it! So that's all I got for you today, which
means it's time to hand out a prize! My number one best-selling dark fantasy novel The Savior's
Sister is currently available for pre-order, and everyone who pre-orders it is welcome to enter my
presale giveaway! One lucky winner is walking away with a signed copy of 10 Steps to Hero by Sacha
Black. Sacha is a former developmental editor who gives amazing writing craft advice! She is also a
fantasy writer, a podcaster, and an all-around awesome human being! And the winner is...this
person! Thank you SO much for pre-ordering TSS! It means so much to me! And a HUGE thank you to
Sacha Black for supporting my platform! She is so amazing! If you haven't checked her out yet,
I have all of her information below! If you want to read a fantastical, romantic, and heroic story,
be sure to pre-order The Savior's Sister! It's available in e-book, hardback, and paperback. And
if you want the chance to win a bunch of prizes, enter my presale giveaway! I have the links in
the description below. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays,
and if you want to be alerted as SOON as I upload, ring that bell! And be sure to follow me on social
media! I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook - and of course, you can tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye! (Older
Male Voice) This is Wembleton! If you haven't subscribed to Jenna’s channel, then by all means,
go for it! The people will love you for it! Go on, press the button, ding that bell! See you soon!