Say the words “Boy Scout” and most people will think “Be prepared.” (That’s the Boy Scout Motto.) Or they might think of words like trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous … (These are parts of the 12 Points of the Scout Law. I know this because my husband, who is an Eagle Scout, recited all 12 Points to me in rapid-fire succession. Once a Scout, always a Scout.)
And yes, this Scout trivia is applicable to writing a novel.
What: Boy Scout Moment
This is a sweet moment in the beginning of the book where we glimpse the hero or heroine doing something kind – petting a dog, saving a cat, helping an old woman across the street (Boy Scout, remember?) –that functions to create likeability of your character.
Why: I already told you why you need a Boy Scout Moment in the beginning of your novel – look at the last line under “What”. You want your readers to like your hero (or your heroine.)
As novelists, we know about the character arc in a story. All this means is that our hero changes and matures as the story progresses. This is why in chapter one you can have a hero and heroine who loath each other discovering Happily Ever After together by the time you pen “The End” – they are not the same people they were at the beginning of the story.
What do you do if your hero isn’t too likeable in chapter one? If your heroine doesn’t like him because he’s abrasive and ill-tempered, your readers may not like him either.
This is the brilliance of the Boy Scout Moment.
While your heroine may not glimpse the hero’s heart of gold until later in the book, give your readers a quick peek. Here’s where you peruse that 12 point Scout Law again:
- Trustworthy
- Loyal
- Helpful
- Friendly
- Courteous
- Kind
- Obedient
- Cheerful
- Thrifty
- Brave
- Clean
- Reverent
What kind of Boy Scout Moment could you give your hero? Could he look like a jerk to the heroine because he’s being trustworthy to someone else? (#1) Could he show himself loyal to his family by helping out a sibling? (#2) Could he continue to be courteous even though he’s seething inside? (#5) Or could he clean up a mess he didn’t make? (#11)
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MBT’s Skills Coach, Beth K. Vogt provides her readers with a happily ever after woven through with humor, reality, and God’s lavish grace. Her inspirational contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted May 2012 (Howard Books.) Her second novel, Catch a Falling Star, releases May 2013. Beth is an established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International. Visit with Beth at her website bethvogt.com.
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