Why are bad boys such a hit in books? Why do so many authors like writing about them? Why do so many readers love male leads who run hot and cold, treat the main character like shit and then turn around and do the most over-the-top, sappy romantic gestures? Why the Bad Boy Plague?
I recently had this discussion with another writer friend of mine. If you guys haven't heard of Ms. Hope Adon you'll DEFINITELY want to check her out because her books are going to be in bookstores near you one day in the not-too-distant future. I know it.
But I digress. So she and I were on about this whole bad-boy-love that seems to be dominating YA the past couple of years. Luckily we both have similar opinions on the matter (read: negative). So we were complaining about how unhealthy this image is for teens and I was all, "But WHY do they keep popping up in novels?" And, genius that she is, she came up with a brilliant answer:
They further the plot.
Think about it. On the one hand you've got a nice guy, not a perfect guy but someone who tries to be kind and mature and caring. . . . And usually these guys tend to be bland. Insipid. Boring. By no means is this always always the case--there are PLENTY of authors out there who write nice guys, REAL guys with flaws who still try to be kind and mature and caring, in an incredibly powerful way. But usually--USUALLY--nice guys aren't written well enough to be interesting, to keep things moving along, to keep the readers turning the pages, desperately wanting to know what they'll do next.
The bad boy, on the other hand . . . well, he's a plot-machine unto himself. By definition, the bad boy will have mood swings, will run hot and cold, will push the heroine away leaving her feeling wounded and then drop to his knees with a bouquet of roses in a candle-lit-filled room and profess his undying love for her, only to have the cycle repeated. This uncertain behavior, this lack of consistency and stability naturally push the story along, because readers don't know what to expect or how the guy will treat our lovely MC the next time he sees her.
So bad boys are convenient, in a sense. They are. They're like a conflict within the greater conflict of the novel. That's not to say there aren't guys who don't fit the main definition of bad boy but still aren't, well, nice. But still, the more difficult the main love interest, the more ups and downs there will be; the more uncertainty and instability will reign; the more the plot will benefit.
Anyway! What do you guys think? Are bad boys convenient or attractive or just blessed with this magical ability to draw in readers? Let me know!
I recently had this discussion with another writer friend of mine. If you guys haven't heard of Ms. Hope Adon you'll DEFINITELY want to check her out because her books are going to be in bookstores near you one day in the not-too-distant future. I know it.
But I digress. So she and I were on about this whole bad-boy-love that seems to be dominating YA the past couple of years. Luckily we both have similar opinions on the matter (read: negative). So we were complaining about how unhealthy this image is for teens and I was all, "But WHY do they keep popping up in novels?" And, genius that she is, she came up with a brilliant answer:
They further the plot.
Think about it. On the one hand you've got a nice guy, not a perfect guy but someone who tries to be kind and mature and caring. . . . And usually these guys tend to be bland. Insipid. Boring. By no means is this always always the case--there are PLENTY of authors out there who write nice guys, REAL guys with flaws who still try to be kind and mature and caring, in an incredibly powerful way. But usually--USUALLY--nice guys aren't written well enough to be interesting, to keep things moving along, to keep the readers turning the pages, desperately wanting to know what they'll do next.
The bad boy, on the other hand . . . well, he's a plot-machine unto himself. By definition, the bad boy will have mood swings, will run hot and cold, will push the heroine away leaving her feeling wounded and then drop to his knees with a bouquet of roses in a candle-lit-filled room and profess his undying love for her, only to have the cycle repeated. This uncertain behavior, this lack of consistency and stability naturally push the story along, because readers don't know what to expect or how the guy will treat our lovely MC the next time he sees her.
So bad boys are convenient, in a sense. They are. They're like a conflict within the greater conflict of the novel. That's not to say there aren't guys who don't fit the main definition of bad boy but still aren't, well, nice. But still, the more difficult the main love interest, the more ups and downs there will be; the more uncertainty and instability will reign; the more the plot will benefit.
Anyway! What do you guys think? Are bad boys convenient or attractive or just blessed with this magical ability to draw in readers? Let me know!
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