Man Candy: guest post by Tara S. Wood

I'm pleased to introduce a new friend I've recently met online, and she's going to share eye candy for all the female bloggers around the net (if you're not following my blog, too bad, you'll never know what you're missing). Without further ado, please welcome to Tara S. Wood!

Tara Wood divides her time between creating domestic bliss and creating hot paranormal romance with the occasional side of kink. When not playing June Cleaver for her hubby and daughter, she can be found at the local Starbucks slamming back Frappuccinos and plotting out her next idea. Or she’s watching the BBC. Tara resides with her wonderful and tolerant family in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. She is currently at work on several projects, one of them being the next book in her In Blood series. From time to time, this blog will feature musings from the murky depths of my little brain, to author interviews, book reviews, and basically anything else I find interesting. Enjoy. Oh, and support indie authors. Because we rock.

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I’m so pleased to be asked here today to wax poetic about a subject that I’m sure is near and dear to all of our little writing hearts. MAN CANDY.

What is Man Candy, you ask? (As if you didn’t know.)

Man Candy is nothing more that the appreciation of the male form in all its rippling muscled glory. More specifically, sexy men looking sexy while doing sexy things.

Who doesn’t love a great pic of a good-looking, well-built hunk of man? But the real question is: Why is Man Candy important? Two words. The hero.

The hero is integral to all genres of storytelling, but for the purpose of romance novels in general, he is a major crux of the story. He is a counterpart to the heroine, and their relationship dynamic is what drives the story.

So, how do we get here? Sometimes heroes are born in our heads, the concept of this man coming to life within the imagination of the writer. An amalgam of emotions and characteristics clearly defined in an amorphous figure by the authorly brain. We know who he is - now let’s go find him in the flesh (yes, pun intended).

Seek out photo and look for images that relate to the ideal in your head. Is he tall and lean? Stocky and muscular? Brown hair? Blond? Tattoos? Having a static image keeps you consistent in your descriptions. And the more you see your hero, the better your reader can imagine him.

Now sometimes it happens that the image comes first and the hero evolves around it. A page from a magazine, an image on a blog or website, another book cover, or a certain actor in a film or television role can spark the idea of a hero or even an entire storyline in your head. It’s happened to me.

Take this guy. I ran across him somewhere (frankly, I don’t remember where and I don’t care, because DAMN) and a story immediately popped into my head.

This is Cillian. Gaelic for ‘strife’, he is a Shade, a man who walks among the world of Dreams, spreading the seeds of discord and chaos as punishment for a life ill-lived. He searches for a woman, lost to him ages ago. He finds her soul buried in deep within the dreams of a modern woman with her own cross to bear. He defies his vocation by visiting her dreams more often than he should and trying to comfort when he should destroy. Can he awaken her to a life she no longer remembers and stir her soul to save him? Or are they destined to only meet in dreams?

And then dialogue started happening.

“You opened the Door, Shade,” The Sandman rasped. “Close it at your own peril. You know what happens to those who turn their backs on opportunity.”

Cillian’s eyes narrowed like daggers. “Opportunity? I’d rather be dead, because this sure as shit isn’t living.”

“That can be arranged. And I doubt you would find Death to be a gentler master than I.” The Sandman paused, a smile working its way across his thin, dusty skin. “Not to mention, if you are truly dead, you can never go back. Ever.”

Cillian gave a derisive snort. “Go back? That’s a lie you’ve served me for centuries. A beautiful lure to which I am no longer attracted. Wave it somewhere else and see what you pluck from the mire.”

“It is no lie. Perhaps you were not worthy before. You have served well. It may be time to revisit your arrangement.”

Seriously. Five minutes I stared into the intensity of those eyes and I had a bare bones plot and a paragraph or two of dialogue. It happens just that fast. So take the idea and run with it. Start asking questions and see where it leads. I still want to know why he’s wet. Don’t you?

Let’s try it, shall we?

Here, for instance. What is his posture saying? He’s braced against the wall, emotion clearly written on his face. A little unresolved sexual tension, perhaps? Yes, please. Some frustration? Why? What is he railing against?

“Damn it, Cassandra! I can’t take it anymore? Blast these forces that are keeping us apart! I must have you!”

Okay, cheesy…but you get the idea. Or maybe they’re on the run, holed up in some tiny, dilapidated shack at the edge of some woods. Is he torn between his need to keep her safe and his desire to get her into bed? Is he deceiving her with seduction? Because with that look, I think it just might work.

What about this one? Rakish duke out to seduce the virginal Victorian belle of the ton? *insert obligatory swoon here* Or is he a rogue vampire intent on having a taste of more than just her blood? *author offers neck in tribute* Is he a spy in disguise? What’s with that coat? Period costume or naughty role-play? Where’s he hiding the crop? All good questions.

Or this guy? Cowboy, for sure, but what else can we imagine? World-weary rancher, hardened by his struggle to hold onto his land? Perhaps he’s falling for the daughter of his cattle-rustling enemy? Maybe he’s an embittered professional bull-rider sidelined by injury? Can the love of a beautiful and caring doctor mend more than his body?

What about him? CEO on holiday in the Caribbean? Ex-Navy SEAL turned private investigator working a case? A treasure hunter out scouring for the overflowing coffers of a sunken Spanish galleon? Or better still, is he a fabled merman created from frothy waves and sea foam and sex?

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Whether your hero is an alpha male looking for his mate, the Byronic hero, beautiful but damned, the bad boy seeking redemption, or the adventurer out traveling the world on his latest quest, there is no shortage of delectable Man Candy out there to help you bring your hero to life.

Seek him out. Find him. It will make your character more real, more believable. It will add a depth and dimension to your story that can only translate into good things on the page. Go. Research. And happy writing. 

*DISCLAIMER: Author is not responsible for the short-circuiting of keyboards due to excessive drooling. Get a tissue, please.*