Career Counseling

I am lucky enough to have some seriously crush-worthy healthcare providers. My former primary care physician had blue eyes that could make you wish that colds and bronchitis were sexy afflictions (that’s all he ever saw me with, anyway) and a full head of gorgeous grey hair. He is Irish and damn sexy – and on top of that, he is a fantastic doctor.

Then there’s my dentist, who is one of those men who looks unbelievably hot with a fully bald head. Certainly his competence (and liberal applications of novocaine when my dental work this week hurt while in progress) is part of the sexy factor, but even without the confidence, he’s fine to look at.

Since I had nothing to do but think, I got to pondering about romance occupations. There are plenty of romance heroes who are doctors, business tycoons – and sheikhs, if you read any of those books. Heroines I’ve read range from business execs to secretaries, artists to musicians. Part of the fascination of some contemporary romance writers, and Nora Roberts’ books come to mind, is seeing what job the heroine will have.

I know Candy and I have mentioned in passing to each other at least once the many, many heroines who have creative right-brain jobs, and heroes who have businessy left-brain jobs. I’ve encountered it time and again, so it makes the curious exceptions so much more entertaining.  And for the hero to have a technically detailed and challenging job such as medicine – which often involves the human element of caring for other people – well, that character line has oft been explored as well. (My personal favorite example, for the record: Dr. Cox on Scrubs. John McGinley does a wonderful job with the crusty-exterior/wounded heart-of-gold character that is almost a cliche sometimes in the hands of the wrong writer.)

When it comes to employment, it must be a challenge to pick your character’s career, especially in the US where your job is so closely tied to your identity. One asks what someone “does” for a living, but often the answer is, “I am….” A job is often a major element to one’s definition of self. So in the context of romance protagonists, career is a big, big choice.

That said, I ask the Bitchery:

1. What careers for heroes and heroines have you noticed as most common?
2. What jobs are unheard of in romance? Meat packer? Butcher? Felon?
3. What job would you LOVE to see?

Categorized:

Random Musings

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  1. Anne says:

    I’m always interested when the heroine is a scientist, mathematician, engineer or what have you. But somehow, the hero always winds up being a *better* scientist, mathematician, engineer or what have you… Why not a heroine who’s a top astrophysicist who falls for a stormy artist type?  I grant you that class distinctions probably prevent her from falling for a policeman or soldier, but why not an opera singer or a chef?

  2. Claire says:

    Off topic but must be said: I FUCKIN’ LOVE SCRUBS!  And as much as I do love Dr. Cox, my 20 something heart generally does its little dance for Zach Braff’s fine ass.

    I constantly see the “artist” job in the heroines, and I tend to be irritated by them.  As someone currently attempting to get a college degree in being an artist, the description of these woman who paint sunsets and wild horses just irritate me.  Can they do some real art please? Something worthy of my imagination.

    How fantastic to find an abstract painter in a romance novel!  That it what i quest for!

    I know its been done often enough, but my favorite carrers for both sexes in a novel lean toward the office job area.  I just love the thoughts of crisp clean suits and wild passionate love.

  3. I’ve never seen a hero who was psychic, it’s always the woman. I’d love to see a romance where the woman is the police detective having to work with a male pyschic for a change. You also hardly ever see a woman fall for a blue collar guy. What about a woman boss falling in love with her male assistant? You also will never see a hero who is a plumber, exterminator, or works for the electric company. If he’s blue collar he’s always a fireman, cop, or construction worker but he owns the company.

  4. Katie Ann says:

    I’ve seen both heros and heroines as writers quite a bit, with the men usually being successful and—of course—much desired by their female fans, while the women are usually struggling or generally more low key or less successful. 

    Let’s see…unheard of careers.  Seems like if you are a character with an oddball job you are relegated to being a wacky sidekick.  (Though I think that a meat packer or butcher hero in a book could be rife with puns about sausages and whatnot.)

    I’d love to see more techno-geeky girls AND guys.  Brains are hawt.

  5. R*Belle says:

    Great topic!  I have read some where the hero is an alleged felon, working to clear his name.  I don’t generally like those, but I have a healthy bias!  I also like when both work in office settings, both somewhat equal in high paid jobs.  I confess that I prefer when both are high paid and marriage means more money!  After all, its a fantasy, right?  When the hero starts giving up money, I think, “Hold on a second there buster!  There is a way you can have both!”

  6. Sarah F. says:

    Anne, there’s SEP’s Nobody’s Baby But Mine, where Jane’s an astrophysicist (or just a physicist?) and he’s a football player, not a scientist.  Although he’s going to be a family doctor after he’s done with football, FWIW.

    I love the warriors—soldiers, cops, just warriors (glomming JR Ward’s warriors at the moment!  Yum!).  But I also love Suz Brockmann’s Alyssa Locke—a warrior in her own right.

    I’d have to disagree with Katie Ann, though—all the female writers I remember reading about are usually very successful romance authors, which I always find strangely self-referential.

    Um, I guess I read too many historicals were they don’t “do” anything to really answer this question.  And Amanda Quick’s “hobby” heroines really bugged me.

  7. DebR says:

    I think it would be fun to see a romance novel where the hero is in the sort of job that, because of societal stereotypes, would make a lot of people (including maybe the heroine, at first) assume he’s gay.  So how about a hero who is a high-end hair stylist or fashion designer?  Ballet dancer? Florist?  I don’t remember ever reading a book where the romantic hero had any of those jobs.

    And I wonder if someone could pull off a romantic lead (male or female) who works as something like a mortician or an entymoligist?  Something a lot of people would find vaguely creepy.

    BTW, Elizabeth mentioned psychis.  Kay Hooper’s books are more like romantic supspense than straighforward romance, but she has a whole series with psychic leads, both male and female.  (I’ve thought some of those books were quite good, others not so much.)

  8. Stef says:

    They say write what you know, so I did.  Had a helluva time selling the Pink books because every marketing department scratched their heads and said, “No, we can’t sell a CPA – too boring.”  That’s why my editor rocks, because she thought it was just different enough to be interesting.

    The heroine I’m writing now, and the hero, are petroleum engineers who put out well fires.

    Barbara Colley writes a mystery series about an older woman who has a house cleaning service.  I’ve only read two of them, but I liked both, a lot.

    I wish someone would write about a heroine who drives the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.  My God, the possibilities are endless.

  9. sara says:

    I have to agree with Anne in the first comment. She pretty much gave my opinion so I won’t write it out again here.
    Personally I am a chemist/educator and my love is a sometimes employed spiritual healer. If its true in real life why not in a good book?

  10. Anne says:

    Thanks, Sarah F., I’ll check that out. 

    There is of course a problem with writing exotic occupations — I expect many romance writers have as vague an idea of the day-to-day life of a mathematician as I do of that of a romance writer, and getting that sort of thing wrong is intensely infuriating.

  11. Victoria Dahl says:

    >>If its true in real life why not in a good book?<

    <

    Dare I say this? Because you know him and love him. I? Do not.

    A hero who’s a high end hair stylist? Uh-uh. It would take me too long to get past it. Much longer than the glancing-at-the-back-cover stage. It could be the best romance ever. Would I buy it? Nope. Not unless at least fifty people told me “YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!” But how do you get THOSE fifty people to read it?

    Listen, I’ll read a good CPA hero anyday, because I get that “Oooo, he’s really gonna let loose in the bedroom” vibe. I’ll read about a cop or an Irish pubowner, because I can picture a sexy, successful man in that role. But a shoe salesman? A waiter? A cover-band singer? Hey, I could go find one of those for myself right this minute. I don’t need to read about it.

    Hey, my husband is a distance education specialist. Nobody wants to read about that, and he’d be the first to tell you.

    What would I like to see? Hmm. I do love the male psychics in Kay Hoooper’s books. Tortured and hot as hell. More of that would be nice. Oh, how about one of those shipwreck treasure hunters? With a heart o’ gold, matey. Holy shit, that would make a great

    heroine!

  12. Cindy says:

    Elizabeth – Nora Roberts has a male psychic in one of the Donavon Legacy stories.

    Sarah. F – I totally agree with your about the Warriors; give me someone in the Military, Police Force, Fire Services……oh my!

    I’m not so hot on the Medical profession just because it triggers my icks when I think about that type of work!

  13. 1. Most common: Businessmen in general, usually upper echelon. CEOs, etc. Warriors. Soldiers in fantasy and sci-fi worlds. Artistic types: musicians, actors. Vampires and werewolves.

    2.  I recall a convo on a list where someone tried to justify their hero, who was a pig farmer. Being from rural PA and knowing what a pig farm smells like, I expressed the opinion that no matter how sexy he was, a guy up to his butt in pig shit just wouldn’t work.  In general, anything that leaves a lingering stink is out. I lived witha guy who worked on a regular farm, and the smell of cowshit is just not romantic.

    3. Cops. I have a major cop fetish.

    A felon COULD work if he was misunderstood and truly repented, and was in jail for something that could be written off as a stupid mistake or trusting the wrong person, male or female. That’s hott. Bad guys getting redeemed is fun, and then you can have some lovely action scenes.

    More normal folk. Teachers. Waiter aspiring to be an actor. If the ending must be all HEA, have them get their big break or an opportunity. Good people who get a break. In this economy, that would be a nice bit of cheering up. Kind of like what eighties movies did to make geeks like me feel better.

  14. Jen Crusie’s heroine in Bet Me is an actuary.  Insurance agents make jokes about how boring actuaries are.  I told my DH, an insurance professional for over 30 years that the heroine was an actuary and he cracked up.

    “How does the hero tell if she’s awake?”

    Insurance humor.  Gotta love it.

    As far as heroines in historicals with careers, it’s iffier.  It’s like making them orphans—sometimes you need to do it to speed the story along and avoid complications like the norm of the woman being under her parents’ control until she marries.

    I’ve written pirate heroines, but my latest one in Captain Sinister’s Lady is a girly-girl who makes cosmetics and soap.  I wanted her to have an unexceptional career that’s reasonable for her time and place.

  15. There was a great Harlequin in the 80s by Claire Harrison (terrific writer) with a very butch Russian ballet dancer hero called Casimir.  “One Last Dance” it was called, I think. 

    I write for Harlequin and the only absolute veto on hero’s career that I’ve ever had was a Tax Inspector.  Nobody loves those guys, apparently.  And yes, I’ve done a sheikh, in my time.

    Sophie

  16. SB Sarah says:

    Scrubs is a television event in our house, especially because my husband swears if he’d been a doctor he’d be just like J.D.

    And Anne, the astrophysicist and the stormy artist? That totally reminds me of those appliance commercials where the geek stumbles into the supermodel and they have adorable brainy kids together, just like their washing machine blends beauty and brains. SO goofy and sexy – and two totally different balances of power to reconcile!

    I wrote this entry right before bed, so now that I’ve slept on the rumination I have SO MANY MORE THOUGHTS my poor uncaffeinated brain is about to implode. But first and foremost: y’all hit the nail on the head with the blue collar/white collar conundrum. If putting two characters together in a romance involves finding balance between them so they can be equal partners (because we all know how unsatisfying it is when one member of the couple has all the power, even if historically that was often the case) how does a writer balance out two totally different scales?

    Take the supermodel and the scientist, for example: science values attention to detail, intelligence, and depths of data, for starters. The modeling industry values exterior perfection, and the creation of an image, true or false, to sell something. Two very disparate value sets – so can they be reconciled satisfactorily in a romance?

    And more importantly, can a boring career yield a firecracker of a romance?

    And DebR: the potential pooftah career tracks for the men? Ballet? Hair dresser? OH YES. Because how hot did everyone in the world think Baryshnikov was when he was popular?

    Stef: Charlaine Harris’ mystery series about Shakespeare featured Lily, who also cleaned houses. Easy to be a snoop if you’re cleaning the house. But not so much a romance, that series.

  17. Kris Starr says:

    And I wonder if someone could pull off a romantic lead (male or female) who works as something like a mortician or an entymoligist?  Something a lot of people would find vaguely creepy.

    It’s not entirely the same thing, but if a character like Gil Grissom from CSI could be done in fiction, it would be HOT. Smart *and* sexy. Yum. (Of course, that’s my own personal bias I’m tripping over…)

  18. SB Sarah says:

    Oh man, Grissom. Rwor. I’m with you there. As a total OT aside, do you think he’s into BDSM? I am wondering with his reactions to Mistress Heather and his clear use of a safeword in that episode, if he isn’t into submission. Of course, I could be reading too much into it based on reading too much Ellora’s Cave.

  19. Aimey says:

    I’ve noticed british Noble of some sort for men and for some odd reason investment specialist for women… then again every book i pick up seems to be regency lately (i don’t mean to!)

    i found the male commic strip writer and high artsy artest female an… interesting pairing, got boring with the guy worried that she’d think his work is stupid though.

    truthfully, I really don’t mind the jobs, i’ve kinda come to ignore them.  however, i’d love to see the hero in a stereotypically gay profession and the female with any job really.

  20. Angela H says:

    One of my favorite H/H pairings was in Kathy Love’s Getting What You Want: the heroine was a super-smart research scientist and the hero was a contractor with severe dyslexia.

  21. There was a mortician hero in one of Pamela Morsi’s historicals, and Judith Ivory’s hero in The Proposition was a ratcatcher.

    Oh, and not only do I watch SCRUBS, but I watch it with my son.  Who’s across the country in college.  We phone each other during commercials.

  22. Diana Hunter says:

    Stop! Stop! With each comment I read, another of the Muses whispers in my ear and I have enough stories started already!

    Great topic…keep ‘em coming!

    Diana Hunter

  23. annElise says:

    This is more chick-lit than romance (though the line between the two is foggy, obviously), but…with all these chick-lit heroines who are editors, I’d like to see publishing careers written more realistically—that is, as underpaid, hectic, neurotic, and hilarious. I’d also like to see some publishing heroines who *aren’t* superstar editors: Where are the production coordinators? The contract assistants? The subrights managers?

  24. Danielle says:

    Personal bias up front: I’d love to see a librarian heroine who wasn’t mousy & virginal. We’re not all Marians.

    I read a great Bombshell, The Orchid Hunter by Sandra K Moore, with the title coming from the heroine’s job. It had fascinating background on what they do and the legal grey areas involved.

    My dad was an RCMP officer (retired now) so the cop fetish just confuses me. To me, cop = old bald friend of my father’s.

    Generally speaking, I’d like to see occupations written about with a touch more realism. Yes, I know, this is escapist fiction, but (to pick a job at random) being a vet is not all cute li’l puppies; it’s also about sticking your arm up a cow’s butt.

    As for stereotypically gay careers, c’mon: nobody thought of ice-skaters, especially after that cowboy vid? I remember an 80s movie The Cutting Edge with great fondness. Bad boy ex-hockey player forced to partner with snobby figure skater! Sparks fly & complications ensue! Somebody‘s got to rewrite that one as a romance. I’ll buy a gazillion copies.

  25. ‘I’d like to see publishing careers written more realistically—that is, as underpaid, hectic, neurotic, and hilarious.’

    Bless you, AnnElise. That is the perfect description.  :gulp:

  26. SB Sarah says:

    The Cutting Edge was SUCH A GREAT ROMANCE movie – with John Cusack? *SIGH*

    And, special bonus, if your date never saw the poster for the movie, the title sounds all badass and wicked.

    Best part – he tells his family he joined the merchant marines instead of telling them he’s figure skating. LOVED it.

  27. Caryle says:

    Elizabeth,
    You said that “I’d love to see a romance where the woman is the police detective having to work with a male pyschic for a change.”  I have the book for you! 

    Its title is Last Girl Dancing by Holly Lisle.  She’s a homicide detective that goes undercover and the hero is a psychic that runs a dojo.  I really enjoyed it.  🙂

    I have other comments to make about this, but I must return to actually working.

  28. Dana says:

    This could just be my Project Runway obsession talking, but I would also like to see a fashion designer hero. Gay or straight.

    A politician heroine could be interesting too.

    Claire: I’m with you on the artist heroines. The heroine in Beauty by Susan Wilson is the only remotely realistic painter heroine I’ve ever read. The others are so bogged down in stereotypes of how people think painters act that it drives me nuts.

  29. Robyn says:

    I’ve seen a number of heroines who own small businesses, mostly having to do with food or gardening.

    Personally, I think any profession except cop or detective is pretty useless, since the characters spend most of their time leaving work early while some hapless assistant with no life of their own picks up the slack. Sort of like characters with kids who are seen once at the beginning of the book, then dropped off at the good hearted neighbor’s until the poor tyke is either kidnapped or trotted out for the wedding at the end.

  30. annElise says:

    Danielle said, “My dad was an RCMP officer (retired now) so the cop fetish just confuses me. To me, cop = old bald friend of my father’s.”

    Hahahahahaha! So true! I was raised by an FBI agent, and so all these “sexy FBI agent” characters just make me go, “Huh?” I knew and adored many a Bureau agent (hint to authors: agents and their families refer to it as the Bureau, not the FBI), but they came over and smoked smelly cigars and played poker, you know?

  31. Selah March says:

    I admit to having trouble with cop heroes/heroines because of what I know about the divorce and domestic abuse statistics amongst police officers.

    And I have trouble with doctor heroes and heroines because of what I know about the divorce, infidelity and drug abuse statistics amongst health professionals.

    A little knowledge can suck for your suspension of disbelief.

    That said, I’ve just sold a romance with a doctor hero—albeit an historical—and I’m currently writing a cop romance. So I guess hope springs eternal even in the eternally cynical.

  32. Lynn M says:

    SB Sarah – it was D.B. Sweeney in The Cutting Edge. And, yes, sigh, a great movie!

    I’m with those who have an aversion to professions that produce a distinct, residual stink. Pig farmer wouldn’t work for me. Or roofer (I hate the smell of hot tar). Or septic tank maintenance man. I can’t imagine hot romance with anyone who needs a total hose-down before I could get within ten feet of him.

    I admit being a sucker for the warrior professions – soldiers, cops, PIs, firemen, etc. The ones that promote men using their specifically manly-manness. Testosterone heavy stuff. I think that’s the cavewoman in me fighting to break free.

    I’ve never been one for the business tychoons. What kills me, though, is how stereotypes about certain professions color the entire view of the person. My hubby is a CPA, and he couldn’t be farther from the balding, pocket protector sporting, black socks and shorts wearing geek you might imagine. And I have a feeling there are a heck of a lot more non-geeky CPAs out there than there are totally ripped, studly super-hero like Navy SEALs.

    Even so, give me a SEAL any day. I’ve got the CPA at home.

  33. Lynn M says:

    SB Sarah – it was D.B. Sweeney in The Cutting Edge. And, yes, sigh, a great movie!

    I’m with those who have an aversion to professions that produce a distinct, residual stink. Pig farmer wouldn’t work for me. Or roofer (I hate the smell of hot tar). Or septic tank maintenance man. I can’t imagine hot romance with anyone who needs a total hose-down before I could get within ten feet of him.

    I admit being a sucker for the warrior professions – soldiers, cops, PIs, firemen, etc. The ones that promote men using their specifically manly-manness. Testosterone heavy stuff. I think that’s the cavewoman in me fighting to break free.

    I’ve never been one for the business tychoons. What kills me, though, is how stereotypes about certain professions color the entire view of the person. My hubby is a CPA, and he couldn’t be farther from the balding, pocket protector sporting, black socks and shorts wearing geek you might imagine. And I have a feeling there are a heck of a lot more non-geeky CPAs out there than there are totally ripped, studly super-hero like Navy SEALs.

    Even so, give me a SEAL any day. I’ve got the CPA at home.

  34. Lynn M says:

    SB Sarah – it was D.B. Sweeney in The Cutting Edge. And, yes, sigh, a great movie!

    I’m with those who have an aversion to professions that produce a distinct, residual stink. Pig farmer wouldn’t work for me. Or roofer (I hate the smell of hot tar). Or septic tank maintenance man. I can’t imagine hot romance with anyone who needs a total hose-down before I could get within ten feet of him.

    I admit being a sucker for the warrior professions – soldiers, cops, PIs, firemen, etc. The ones that promote men using their specifically manly-manness. Testosterone heavy stuff. I think that’s the cavewoman in me fighting to break free.

    I’ve never been one for the business tychoons. What kills me, though, is how stereotypes about certain professions color the entire view of the person. My hubby is a CPA, and he couldn’t be farther from the balding, pocket protector sporting, black socks and shorts wearing geek you might imagine. And I have a feeling there are a heck of a lot more non-geeky CPAs out there than there are totally ripped, studly super-hero like Navy SEALs.

    Even so, give me a SEAL any day. I’ve got the CPA at home.

  35. Lynn M says:

    SB Sarah – it was D.B. Sweeney in The Cutting Edge. And, yes, sigh, a great movie!

    I’m with those who have an aversion to professions that produce a distinct, residual stink. Pig farmer wouldn’t work for me. Or roofer (I hate the smell of hot tar). Or septic tank maintenance man. I can’t imagine hot romance with anyone who needs a total hose-down before I could get within ten feet of him.

    I admit being a sucker for the warrior professions – soldiers, cops, PIs, firemen, etc. The ones that promote men using their specifically manly-manness. Testosterone heavy stuff. I think that’s the cavewoman in me fighting to break free.

    I’ve never been one for the business tychoons. What kills me, though, is how stereotypes about certain professions color the entire view of the person. My hubby is a CPA, and he couldn’t be farther from the balding, pocket protector sporting, black socks and shorts wearing geek you might imagine. And I have a feeling there are a heck of a lot more non-geeky CPAs out there than there are totally ripped, studly super-hero like Navy SEALs.

    Even so, give me a SEAL any day. I’ve got the CPA at home.

  36. SB Sarah says:

    D.B. Sweeney – that’s right! He’s like the poor-man’s John Cusack. My bad!

    I want to read about the dorky Navy SEAL. Like all the tv shows about crime fighting bureaus (and armoires) have dorks backing them up in one way or another – I totally want to read about one of them as the hero.

  37. annElise says:

    Selah March said, “I admit to having trouble with cop heroes/heroines because of what I know about the divorce and domestic abuse statistics amongst police officers.”

    That’s my problem with military heroes. Domestic abuse stats are high, and there’s a notorious code of silence about it. (The only Navy SEAL I’ve ever known personally was an abusive jerk married to one of my cousins. I realize he’s not representative of the group as a whole, but I still can’t enjoy romances with SEALs as heroes.)

    Also, military/cop/“warrior” heroes tend to be very alpha-male, and though I know many readers find this appealing, nothing makes me close a book more quickly. I want confident/competent, not arrogant.

  38. Tonda says:

    Why not a heroine who’s a top astrophysicist who falls for a stormy artist type?

    Because NY won’t buy them. So most people who actually want to get published don’t bother writing these kinds of books (or they write one, get hammered, then never write another one like it).

    NY wants ALPHA ALPHA ALPHA heroes. They want the hero to make the heroine’s life better (both of those are quotes from Avon rejections). And they really won’t look at anything else unless NR or SEP writes it. Or that’s the impression I’m under after reading my own rejections and seeing those of my friends and fellow writers. Look at HQ’s line descriptions. No beta heroes need apply.

    I have a MS with an ALPHA heroine who rocks the world of the hero (who’s a completely capable guy, just sort of a beta when it comes to his love life) and I got told about 50 times that while they just loved her (she’s so unusual!) he was too much of a wimp. Grrrrrrrrrrrr. That was the fricken point!!!

  39. D.B. Sweeney – that’s right! He’s like the poor-man’s John Cusack. My bad!

    No, he isn’t. He’s cute, but no. No.

    Here’s help: The Which John Cusack Are You? Quiz.

  40. KariBelle says:

    I have trouble getting excited about heroes who are professional athletes.  I am sure many of them are great guys and devoted family men, but I tend to think of them as pumped up, betitted, man-whores.  I can sum it up in one word….Groupies. Yikes!

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