I'm not really a fan of traditional heroes, and I've been thinking about it. In an interview, I said I didn't like Superman characters. That's true. It's just a trope I'm tired of. Some unlikely person is plucked/picked/elected/volunteers, and then we find they are really a king or a long-lost super warrior. 

There's really nothing Superman can't do. In the first movie, he flies backward around the Earth to turn back time. Great. They had to invent a way to challenge him, so kryptonite was born. It's uninteresting.

The problem is that a lot of characters go that way, and so do a lot of stories. Sadly, even mine. Initially, Kate's story ended because there really isn't anything Kate couldn't do. She had the power of a god. That caused a lot of problems, which made the rest of the story less interesting. Most importantly, because of T'az, her warrior friend.

 I needed T'az to be willing to give it all, including her life, to end something dangerous that no one lives through. She's a mercenary who fights for coin. She's been fighting for Kate, but would she give up everything for her? I think she might, but what if Kate dies? What does T'az do?

That's the moment T'az becomes a hero. 

Bear is well trained, well armed, and comes from a rich family. Of course he's great, but he gives it up. He becomes a hero, not in some tournament way, but in a more visceral, long-lasting way.

So, it's a bit of a line to walk. The people in my stories have to be good at what they do, or they wouldn't survive. The whole point is that the odds are against them, and the story is how they overcome that. The challenge is how to have heroes and still keep them real.

I believe anyone can be a hero. It's a decision, a chance, a moment that changes everything. Even though that moment has come for my characters, it's almost more important that they are real, approachable, and human. 

Changing anything is often unpopular, particularly with the people who have profited in the current system. Because of that, even when dictated by a god, change isn't easy, and it often leads to less than expected.

Can't say never, but my books are unlikely to have an award ceremony at the end. My characters often have very human reactions to the trauma and loss. They seek a way to move forward with life. How they survive? How they do that? Maybe that's not interesting to most people. It is to me.