February 21, 2011 | By: Tracy

Show Me Your Muse and I'll Show You Mine

Ever notice how the overwhelming majority of male characters in novels  -- regardless of genre -- are some combination of handsome, sexy, charismatic, fun-loving, larger-than-life, brave, stoic, bad boy, affectionate, snarky, loyal, and/or surprisingly gentle?

It's my firm belief that this tends to happen (with female writers, at least) because, well . . . those are the kind of men we like.

We won't all ever agree on what makes a man attractive, physically or personality-wise, but there are certain common traits that tend to show up time and again.

You know, those darn testosterone driven aspects that our estrogen enhanced brains are often powerless to avoid warming to, even if we don't like to admit it.

Let's face it, a novel can take months (sometimes even years) to write & edit, and who wants to spend that much time with a man that doesn't pique your curiosity in some way? How can he drive our heroines crazy if he doesn't make us a little loopy too?

This is where the muse comes in. Below are a few of the real life men, who give me a physical starting point when my male characters are first showing up to say hi.

Henry Cavill

Gabriel Aubry (yes, his hair IS cool)

Matt Cohen


But seeing as how we're all different, I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks. I want to pull together a picture post of some of the prettiest male (and female -- don't want my guy pals to feel left out)  muses around.

So, feel free to leave a comment with the name of your muse(s) and I'll get to googling for next week's post.  If there is a particular picture that captures your muse better than any other, please feel free to send it to me (as a link, if possible) to tracybuscemi@gmail.com .

Disclaimer: While I am not at all opposed to the full on beauty of the human form, this is an all-ages site. So no nudies, please. Now, shirtless on the other hand (male muses only) is not only allowed, but highly encouraged by the blog mistress.  Also, unless your boyfriend/ hubby/girlfriend/wife would truly appreciate seeing his/her face plastered on the internet, let's keep this to men and women already in the public eye.

29 witty remarks:

PK HREZO said...

Oh yummy!! Writing in the male leads is my fave part of writing. I write them just like I like'em. Usually, I miss them when I'm done writin the story... kinda fall in love with my own characters.

I did a post a couple months ago on my fave male muses. Here's the link:
http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com/2010/12/oo-la-la-writing-romance-blushes-with.html

S.A. Larsenッ said...

OMGosh, Tracy, I can't even go there. LOL You, on the other hand, did a great job! Thanks for making my morning a little brighter. (I grinned.)

PT Dilloway said...

I am so unqualified for this.

Aleeza said...

okay, theres no way i resist commenting on a post like this. i did this post some time ago where i shamelessly posted HAM (hot-ass men, ha) pics i often use as muses. :D

Katie said...

Ohhhh.... James Marsden. He's is just so yummy it is indescribable.

Summer Frey said...

Mmmm...Henry...

I'm also a fan of Sam Worthington, John Hamm, Jesse Williams, and Eric Dane.

Talei said...

Oh some good names here. Damon Salvatore springs to mind? Only because I like a little mysterious-evil-look. *sigh* Don't mind if I just like gaze at these pics for while? ;-)

LTM said...

I just saw a picture of that new Superman in EW and thought, "Wow! He looks just like (character in latest MS)." I had an idea of what that guy looked like, but that was it... :D I tend to think of my guys in more terms of features. How they all come together is up to my readers~ <3

Chris Phillips said...

Emilie de Ravin, because she's beautiful, but also more down to earth looking than others.

Melissa said...

Oh yummy!!! My muses? Justin Hartley and Ian Sommerhalder. Those to never fail to make me fan myself. Seriously!

Gina Ciocca said...

Hubba Hubba!! I did an eye candy post not too long ago- here is the link

http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2011/02/writers-blog-eye-candy-edition.html

I almost fainted at that first picture. I've written several times about my weakness for blue-eyed, dark-haired boys!

LM Preston said...

Can I just borrow yours....lol!

Kindros said...

Strangely, I have got sick of friends because I use them as inspiration for characters. I might have to try this with (names censored because of the industry they work in). That could be interesting, lol.

Great post. :)

Janet Johnson said...

Fun post! Honestly, my hubbie is my muse, but we do have an understanding about Legolas/Will Turner. Orlando Bloom is extremly nice to look at. ;)

Kristen Callihan said...

Well, I'd take your muses any day. (g) The last muse I had for my hero was good old Paul Newman. Drooled over *cough* studied this picture often: http://bit.ly/hdteLv

Colene Murphy said...

Your muses are PERDY!!

Ryan Reynolds is always a goody, Jared Padalecki is schmexy, but my new "muse" *cough* obsession *cough* is Tyler Blackburn. Nom.

Lindsey Edwards said...

Great pics, I could see why they find themselves employed as your muse! *g*

I have a computer folder full of pics of both men and women to sort of model my hero and heroine after. Many of them (gasp), I don’t even know who they are-not a name or anything-but the mystery of it all kind of works since I can really (in my mind) make them my hero or heroine, and before I know it, I’m calling them by my characters names. It’s funny because when I eventually find out who they really are, it’s tough to break the habit of calling them by my protagonists name. LoL

Autumn Shelley said...

Finally another non-girly girl writer. Thank God! As for muses: their are men I lust over and then there's my muse...two completely seperate entitities and the male depends on who/what I'm writing at the time. Flavor of the Month for February is Nathan Fillion by a nose with Sean Bean coming in a close second. (Maybe he'll be March's Man of the Month!)
Thanks for dropping by! :)

Kari Marie said...

Hmm...so many to choose from. Many of them are already listed. Ryan Reynolds, Ian Sommerhalder,and Jared Pada(whatever and who cares check out those eyes).

I see that no one has mentioned my favorite. Mr Wolverine himself: Hugh Jackman. *sigh*

Louise Wise said...

Hmmmmmm think I'll linger a bit on this blog.

:D Fellow crusader and romance writer saying hi. Phew, hot in here isn't it?

Unknown said...

Verrry nice...thanks for the eye candy :-)
BTW, fellow crusader dropping in...yup, definitely gonna follow this blog...

Adriana said...

Great post! Hmm, since my hubby and I write together under the pen name, we'd have to share both male and female names/pics. Given our genre we probably can't post any of the pics here, tho! But we've been inspired by Richard Gere (as in Pretty Woman), Johnny Depp, Matt Damon - Paul Newman works, too, and Kurt Russell and Orlando Bloom. Sometimes we give the character the first name of the person who inspired him or her. And agree with Lindsey, we've also got folders of pics with no names - we once built an entire character around a Victoria's Secret model who had the most beautiful, seductive very slight overbite.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Hello fellow crusader! I'm a new follower. I enjoyed your muse! Well, I usually don't use real-life people to inspire my writing. There are rare times when coming across one strikes me as "Whoa!" and my novel blooms to life because he is easily imagined! Micheal Praed is one that inspired my Rock Star YA--his younger self that is! ;)


♥.•*¨ Elizabeth ¨*•.♥

Misha Gerrick said...

Hmmm.... Thanks. :-)

Misha Gerrick said...

Oh wait. Forgot to give a name.

Patrick Nuo.

Enough said.

;-)

Shannon O'Donnell said...

I have an award for you, Tracy!! :-)

Unknown said...

What delicious muses you have. My current MS has Eddie Cahill (CSI NY), Patrick Wilson, Ed Burns, Mark Valley (Human Target), and Eddie Matos (dimples guy from the State Farm Commercials). I have an ensemble cast of hotness! Lots of Eddies apparently too.

Adina West said...

Hey, your muses are pretty good, Tracy!

Have to say the guys I think are good looking aren't always the same as the ones I'm inspired by for a particular character I'm writing. But just lately I've been modeling two characters on Ryan Philippe and Channing Tatum respectively.

I'm not usually into blondes, but I have to say David Paetkau in his Flashpoint uniform isn't bad at all either...

Raquel Byrnes said...

Just started watching the Tudors and gotta say, Henry Cavil is the reason I keep tuning in. Can't wait for the Immortals movie in November.
Edge of Your Seat Romance

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