A Different Kind of Hero

Every author has to decide how they are going to show that their primary fictional character is credible in terms of their action hero “qualifications”.

James Bond is a secret agent, with a license to kill. John McClane was a cop and former Marine. Cordell Walker was a martial arts expert and a Texas Ranger. Jason Bourne was a genetically and psychologically enhanced deniable operative. Frank Martin, the transporter, was a former SAS soldier. Jack Reacher was a US Military Policeman. John Wick was a professional hitman.

All of these are seriously “badass” in terms of their action hero qualifications and are a hard act to follow.

I wanted my fictional hero to be clearly a gentleman, in the classic sense of being bound by ethical standards of behaviour, who does not have an enormous organisation backing him up with staff, expertise and endless resources.

So, how does my Bridge of Souls hero, Tavish Stewart, show his action hero credentials? I did not want him to be the stereotypical special forces, secret agent, but I wanted something that hinted to the reader early on in the story that this was a different kind of hero.

In the end I decided to make Tavish someone who had single handedly prevented attempted genocide in a UN refugee camp and who subsequently hunted international war criminals and brought them, alive, to face justice at the Hague.

Discover a different kind of hero

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