How do you like your heroes?

I read a lot, always have. TV and movies don't hold much appeal for me, although occasionally something will snag my attention, usually when DH is watching TV in our bedroom. He watches a lot of the weird reality series, and I mean weird, at least to me, and sometimes I get sucked in and lose a few braincells for a while. It's a slippery slope, those people who I suspect are just trying to be odd(er) to spike up the ratings. Then I have to go take a really hot shower and try to boil the images from my brain...

When it comes to reading, however, I like the heroes who are a bit off, and/or damaged. Emotionally, physically, or mentally scarred; heroes who aren't bubbling rays of hope and sunshine, those are the ones that appeal to me the most. I've read some excellent books with optimistic heroes, ones who haven't had much in the way of drama/trauma in their lives, and while the storyline and plot and writing was excellent, I had trouble believing someone could get into adulthood with little or no bad shit from the past riding on their shoulders.

Maybe I'm pessimistic? I don't mean to be. I don't want to read or write about some super-angsty hero either, because after a while I just want to smack the character and tell them to cut it out and quit wallowing in it. It's a fine line between being damaged in some way and rolling in self-pity, and while self-pity is a perfectly normal human response, after a while, it's as annoying in fiction as it is in reality.

So, I suppose I like my heroes a bit world-weary, worn and maybe stumbling at the edge of loss of hope-- but not quite tumbling over, at least not for long. I like imperfections, quirks, and issues that aren't easily dismissed. And whatever I read, it better have a happy ending, because, let's face it, there's already enough stuff in this world that can bring you down.

That's my rambling bit for today, I hope you all have a great Tuesday. I mentioned that we're coming to the end of RLC, and I'm thinking about a little story for Max. I cut out his backstory in Rory's Last Chance, but Max has been grumbling that he wants his turn, so we'll see about that after we get back from our vacation--