Sign
up to rescue your damsel, right here. (spoken with a New York City accent)
Guys
whether they be alpha or beta or crappa-outa want to rescue damsels in
distress. Some may fumble trying which is also the stuff of romantic and
screwball comedies.
It’s
built into our DNA. Guys want to protect, come to the rescue, help. Knowing
this trait and how overwhelming it can be is a useful tool in developing
reasons why the guy is attracted to a gal and/or part of why the romance gets
started. The hero might ordinarily overlook the waitress/secretary until he
finds out she’s a divorced mom. The heroine needs a man. I’ll be so bold as to
say this hero will rationalize his attraction so that he could help her.
So
why would a guy who normally likes Asian women go for the down on her luck red
head? Because by serving, he proves his worth, he has done a good deed. He has
found somebody who would appreciate him.
Being
loved back is the most important consideration of a guy. The heroine will see
him as a knight in shining armor. This strokes the male ego and rewards both
parties.
I
guess what I’m saying is try not rely on physical attraction alone. Besides,
building in these tropes and traits makes the story more interesting.
Can
you think of some prime examples?
Here’s
one: “It isn’t everyday a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of a
road, not even in Dean Robillard’s larger-than-life world.” Thus starts,
Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. What upstanding member of the
male human union would not want to rescue a headless beaver?
Here’s
another example:
BRINGING UP BABY, Katherine Hepburn & Cary Grant, 1938
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