Nice Guys should never finish last
I have a confession to make: I'm not really into bad boys.
I mean, sure - the James Dean types with all their leather and their smirky smiles can get my heart pounding as much as the next girl. But as a general rule, I like nice guys.
The problem with the YA world is that Nice Guys have somehow come to mean Boring Guys.
I do not like to write Boring Guys, but neither do I like love interests who are stalkerish or abusive or just downright evil.
So. This is a dilemma. How does one write a Nice Guy who is not also a Boring Guy?
Well, firstly, you must be aware that not all Nice Guys are created equally. In fact, Nice Guys can be divided into at least two distinct categories: Reformed Bad Boys and The Boy Next Door.
The Reformed Bad Boy is one of my personal favorites; he's that stand-up guy with the secret, tortured past. He might have a rough family life; he probably flunked at least one subject in school; he likely dabbled in drugs or alcohol or both; he probably beat up a few kids for seemingly insignificant reasons...but - and this is a very important BUT - he's changed. Or he will change, by the end of the book. He's on his way toward redefining his life, for the sake of himself and his family and the ones he loves. He wants to be better, because he can't handle the mess he's made any longer. Basically, he's the bad boy who's learning from his mistakes.
These characters are fun to write because they have depth to them. They're not all sugary-sweet smiles and rainbows and love songs. They're vulnerable; they're flawed; they try so hard and they mess up a lot but they keep trying anyway. Basically, they're real.
The Boy Next Door is the guy who plays drums in your brother's geeky garage band. He's the kid who tutors you in chemistry every day after school because he's had a secret crush on you for years. He's probably a little shy; he tells fart jokes when he's nervous; he loves his dog; he kisses his mom every day before he goes to school; he shops at thrift stores because it makes him feel retro. He may not have the same tortured past as his darker counterpart, but the Boy Next Door is just as much fun - because he's your best friend. He's that quirky kid who always makes you laugh; who's just a little weird, but he owns his weirdness.
And this is why Nice Guys are just as awesome (if not more so) than Bad Boys; because your demon lover can't tell you fart jokes.
What kind of love interest do you go for in YA fiction?
I mean, sure - the James Dean types with all their leather and their smirky smiles can get my heart pounding as much as the next girl. But as a general rule, I like nice guys.
The problem with the YA world is that Nice Guys have somehow come to mean Boring Guys.
I do not like to write Boring Guys, but neither do I like love interests who are stalkerish or abusive or just downright evil.
So. This is a dilemma. How does one write a Nice Guy who is not also a Boring Guy?
Well, firstly, you must be aware that not all Nice Guys are created equally. In fact, Nice Guys can be divided into at least two distinct categories: Reformed Bad Boys and The Boy Next Door.
The Reformed Bad Boy is one of my personal favorites; he's that stand-up guy with the secret, tortured past. He might have a rough family life; he probably flunked at least one subject in school; he likely dabbled in drugs or alcohol or both; he probably beat up a few kids for seemingly insignificant reasons...but - and this is a very important BUT - he's changed. Or he will change, by the end of the book. He's on his way toward redefining his life, for the sake of himself and his family and the ones he loves. He wants to be better, because he can't handle the mess he's made any longer. Basically, he's the bad boy who's learning from his mistakes.
These characters are fun to write because they have depth to them. They're not all sugary-sweet smiles and rainbows and love songs. They're vulnerable; they're flawed; they try so hard and they mess up a lot but they keep trying anyway. Basically, they're real.
The Boy Next Door is the guy who plays drums in your brother's geeky garage band. He's the kid who tutors you in chemistry every day after school because he's had a secret crush on you for years. He's probably a little shy; he tells fart jokes when he's nervous; he loves his dog; he kisses his mom every day before he goes to school; he shops at thrift stores because it makes him feel retro. He may not have the same tortured past as his darker counterpart, but the Boy Next Door is just as much fun - because he's your best friend. He's that quirky kid who always makes you laugh; who's just a little weird, but he owns his weirdness.
And this is why Nice Guys are just as awesome (if not more so) than Bad Boys; because your demon lover can't tell you fart jokes.
What kind of love interest do you go for in YA fiction?