For those that know me, there is no question I am a cowboy-oholic. There isn't a Nine Step
Program to get over this--although I might be talked into a two-step. I figure you either
love 'em, or you don't-cowboys that is-and right now, readers seem to like cowboy stories.
Frankly, I like to write 'em, too.
So what is the charm of the cowboy? Since my roots lie somewhere in the country, I'm not
going to argue that there are NOT many shades of this hero archetype. I'm just going to
give you one slant.
Cowboys. I don't know about y'all but the minute I hear the name, my mind immediately
visualizes a tall, lean but well-built man dressed in well-worn blue jeans, dusty boots, a
long-sleeved shirt and a grubby cowboy hat. And of course, that hat shadows his lean and
chiseled features that make my heart swoon, not to mention other parts of my body switch
into overdrive. But "cowboy" also brings to mind the traits of honesty,
integrity, diligence and frankness.
I think in writing a cowboy romance (or any type of fiction) you need to get into the skin
of your character. Figure out what makes them tick. Live their life. Do what they do.
Maybe that's why cowboy heroes have such an appeal for me. Some characters are
complicated, with many layers, and you have to pull them apart, like an onion, to really
see what motivates them. Cowboys ain't like that. They tend to take over the story,
calling a spade, a spade. They are also pretty basic-what you see is what you get, which
sure makes for interesting storytelling.
A cowboy has a talent for saying a whole lot in a few words, which gives him more
character. "How deep do you reckon this snow is?" one cowboy asked another, who
replied, "What the hell difference does it make? You can't see nothin' but the top of
it nohow." Kind of cuts the bull, so to speak, doesn't it?
Cowboy speech uses all of the drawling, Indian, Spanish, profanity and ironic humor of
their original ancestral folks. These days, he may not be packin' a peacemaker or ridin'
atop a mustang, but chances are good he still packs a punch with his colorful lingo that
immediately sets his speech apart and makes him more lovable to our readers.
And Achilles' heels? Oftentimes, cowboys' weaknesses are what make them strong, as in
their knack for saying exactly what they are thinking. Or maybe it's the simple way they
look at life, which is black and white ONLY, without exception. If that isn't a conflict
waiting to happen, what is? Throw in our heroine who KNOWS better than to say what she
thinks because, you know, no one is really right or wrong. You just have to understand his
or her circumstances.
Maybe a better way to understand a cowboy is to look at their folk beliefs and
superstitions. For instance, a rodeo cowboy's lucky talisman might be a hatband made from
a busted bronc. Using brand new ropes, eating popcorn before or during a rodeo, or using
the north entrance of a rodeo might all be considered taboo. A cowboy might wear a lucky,
beat-up, old hat to every rodeo event, but a brand new hat would bring the worst type of
bad luck. Something as mundane as putting your hat on the bed would assure you a run of
bad stock followed by no luck. And God forbid, a woman would try to change that mindset!
Trickster tales abound-stories in which a rodeo man outwits his fellow cowboys, rodeo
animals and others, usually ending in comical results. One story tells of a bull that
escapes a Toronto rodeo arena and was pursued in a three week chase by several cowboys
through the rodeo grounds, a cemetery, a railroad switchyard, downtown, and the local
police headquarters, before finally being "outsmarted" by one sharp cowboy. When
locals insisted on shooting "the dangerous beast", the cowboy replies,
"Well, they're all dangerous, what do you think we want, a bunch of bucket calves to
ride?" Instead, the boys hog-tie the bull, return him to the fairgrounds and set him
loose.
What about the tale of the sweet-talking cowboy who wheedled a pilot into landing him in a
small rodeo arena so that he wouldn't miss his event? It seems the small plane overshot
the arena and landed in a nearby field. That didn't effect the cowboy none. Stepping off
the plane, he walked onto the rodeo grounds and won his event.
Although these folktales continue on, the primary focus is that the cowboy hero is engaged
in dramatic action or what I like to call "doing stuff." The cowboy is
freedom-loving, a drifter, and of course, a real "buckaroo" highly skilled in
his line of work. He can be a loner with a touch of cynicism. He can be a wounded hero
focused on his ranching work and nothing else. He can be someone that is always in the
middle of the action, or he can even be the sort that stays the hell away from any
conflict.
The stories revolving around him may involve superstitions and trickster themes. The one
basic similarities unfold into a cowboy hero who is always courageous and oblivious to
pain and injury. The hero who emerges is a "real cowboy", not a drugstore cowboy
or some other wannabe. He has withstood the test, and he has earned the right to call
himself a cowboy and has earned the love of his heroine.
Diana Rowe Martinez recently won a contest with BECK AND CALL COWBOY. She is
contributing editor for Suite 101 for the topic RODEOS and COWBOYS. Check it out at: http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/rodeo_and_cowboys
She is also working on a non-fiction book about cowboys.
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