Current Project: Untitled RSStatus: Very little progress lately
I stole this idea from yesterday's Goddess Blogs. The uber alpha male. We love to write him, we love to fix him, and best of all we love to give him a perfect mate. Good examples are JR Wards' dangerous vampires or Suzanne Brockmann's SEALs and FBI agents. (Max! *sigh*)
Bad boys. Fun to date. But the fact is, in the real world they usually aren't good husband material. (please note I did stick "usually" in that sentence) I dated my share before meeting my husband. The motorcycle riding Marine in Hawaii where there was no helmet law comes to mind. (What the f#*k was I thinking!) Women fall for the thrill and love the excitement the bad boys bring. But is that the kind of man you want to marry? Or have your daughter marry?
So why do we keep writing and reading them?
Madeline on the Goddess Blogs theorized that readers are attracted to novels with heros they would never marry if they met them in real life. Readers want to escape and walk on the wild side for a short time with a man they'd never keep for long term. I agree.
Anyone dare to share a story about a short term guy in their past? And did you know he was not husband material? Or was he an exception?
7 comments:
I'm the exception. I don't like those guys or heroes. I've always had a soft spot for the underdog. I recently read a short story by an author who asked for my feedback. While I liked the heroine and where she was taking the story, I flat out told her the guy was too full of himself and being a badass for me. I did not like him and while I could see the chemistry and sparks between him and the heroine- How the heroine handled it would keep me reading- not him.
So as you can tell, I've not had any bad boy experiences. I can tell you about the geeky guys in school I befriended...
Don't get me wrong, I like a strong hero, but I don't like ones who think they are God's gift to females.
Some guys are "bad" because they simply have not found the right gal and that's how it comes out.
Some may even call me bad. Am I? Maybe, I'm just a little too free with how I feel about what I see, or maybe there's more to life than just doing what's always been done or expected. Some may deem me bad, when in fact I'm a kind-hearted soul that's trying to cover hurt by being bad.
I'm not taking bad as in robbing stores or the like; simply someone who's not afraid to have fun.
It's funny that we've been so conditioned to view fun as bad. Some people just get their joys out of life in a different way then the norm and as long as no one gets hurt, it's all good.
Paty, you got a good one. I love the story you've told about meeting him.
Anon, nice to know we have some male readers. lol. Hope I didn't offend you. The "bad boy" is someone us romance writers love to analyze.
Interesting post, Kendra.
I think you're right. I think there's a fantasy around 'fixing' the bad boy. And in that fantasy, bad boys aren't simply bad, they're misunderstood, hurt or broken. They're also fixable within the span of 400 pgs, which is very different from reality where it can take years to "fix" someone that broken, and then only if they WANT to be fixed.
I have a bad boy coming up in one of my paranormals. They're fun to read because you just never know how they're going to react to things. In real life though? I don't know. Real life is a lot longer than 400 pgs.
Great topic! I think what I love most about the "bad boys" in romance novels is that they tend to have the biggest character arc. They are so unlikely to begin with - that when they do end up being perfect for the heroine, it can be even more sweet. But personally, I don't have any bad boy experience. Never too late! *g* Motorcycling with a marine in Hawaii, eh? (off to write that on my bucket list...)
And great line, Eli! "real life is longer than 400 pages." Write that down! I'm sure you can use it in an interview somewhere :)
I don't have any experience with "bad" guys on an intimate level, but of course I've known some through my life. Some of them were married to or dating friend, who they always seemed to make miserable on a steady basis.
"Bad boys" is different from a bad person. The term "bad boys" comes along with built in expectations. Risky, challenging, self centered, taking what they want, maybe, but down deep in the core, decent. Otherwise they're a creep and not the fodder of a romance novel. I agree with you that the stereotypical bad boy makes a lousy life partner. Eli's 400 page line is great.
Anonymous made some good points. The trick is being a bad boy who doesn't leave collateral damage.
Fun blog, Kendra. I didn't answer yesterday because yesterday was do my taxes day. Grrr....
I'm going to borrow a bit from several responses here. LOL!
As Alice and Anonymous point out, what exactly is a "bad boy" (or "bad girl" for that matter)? Defining "fun" can be just as tricky. What's fun for one person can be hurtful for someone else or just a lousy choice.
You can probably tell that I have a pretty PG-rated idea of fun. However, I've made my share of lousy choices that would probably label me a "bad" person in the eyes of some. I've also had experiences with some guys who seemed "good" guys on the surface, but had some major issues.
As far as "fixing" someone else, I don't buy into that. If someone wants to change, love can help motivate them to do that. However, they have to want that change themselves.
Interesting post, Kendra!
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