I noticed a trend in the heros of writing that’s different than heros in TV and movies. On screen, heros tends to be more action-oriented. Slashing, punching, and maneuvering their way out of sticky situations and against enemies of great strength and agility.

In print, the hero tends to be much more of a superior intellectual, beating his enemies with a better strategy or wit.

Obviously dramatic action is much easier to portray on screen than in words, whereas the thoughts on the enemies are easier to expound upon in print, so this difference is really linked to the strengths and weaknesses of the medium, rather than just a bias in the industries.

However, it led to an insightful conclusion in a recent discussion I had among writers: the best writing quite often has both. Women favor the intellectual hero, while men tend to favor the action-oriented one. If you choose to only write about one, or gloss over the details of an action sequence in favor of a characters thoughts, you may be missing the opportunity to connect with a significant portion of your audience.

Do you favor one over the other? Does this strike you of true in your own experience? I would love to know your thoughts.

A good example of a writer portraying both in recent writing is JK Rowling and the Harry Potter series. While many love Harry’s impulsiveness, others are drawn most to Hermione Granger’s wit and extensive knowledge. Some wish she’d leave out the brutality of games and scenes like the games of Quiddich, while others cling to the pages in these key moments of action.