Writing: Don Quixote or J.R. Ewing? #MFRWauthor

The question this week is whether characters are more fun as idealists or pragmatists. You know, do you prefer to write (or read) those characters who always strive for the vision and tilt at windmills, perhaps, or characters who see tings as they really are—and who maybe take advantage of that realism, as J.R. did. I think the answer is, too much of anything can be, well, too much.

Especially in romance, I think having characters who The Cinderella Curse by Dee S. Knight dream a little bit are necessary. In my newly (re)published erotic romance The Cinderella Curse, heroine Charlotte dreams of meeting and capturing her Prince Charming, the head of her publishing firm. He’s somewhat out of her league in that he’s rich, influential, and worldly. And she’s…not. But still, she sees her goal and simply won’t accept that she can’t have him. We all know what happened to Cinderella when she made her wish and then made it to the ball: Katy bar the door!

In the same book, hero Cooper knows the man Charlotte has set her sights on, and he’s pretty sure he’s not the right man for Charlotte. But in his own practical way, he hesitantly helps her map a path to her goal, all while counseling, aiding, and reminding her of what life can be like when she keeps her feet on the ground and head out of the clouds. Together they make quite a pair. But did I enjoy writing one more than the other? No. Did I hear from readers who said they liked reading one more than the others? Well, yeah, kinda. Readers loved Cooper (me, too!) but that’s because I made him yummy, not because he was a pragmatist.

Would I have enjoyed these two if I had written them too strongly in one direction or another? No. Charlotte had to have some common sense and Cooper some flexibility in order for them to be fun and realistic. A good book is composed of characters of both stripes. That can create good conflict and fun reading, no matter which type of character you tend towards.