Your Guide to Writing the Perfect Story

Bad Boys

Forgive me if this chapter gets a little preachy but I have been waiting to write this chapter since I started this book. Bad boys are a very controversial subject and I'm going to give you my opinion on them but also hopefully help you out when writing your characters (particularly love interests). 

First of all, what is a bad boy? Well, technically speaking, it is a boy that does not conform to the standard of society. Now, a bad boy doesn't necessarily need to be a horrible, violent, and damaged person, but it has thus become such through the media. At least half of the books on Wattpad have some sort of bad boy, most of the time of which ends up as the love interest. 

Now before I really start preaching, I need to confess that I, too, have felt the attraction of a bad boy when reading a book, even rooted for them, but I like to think I've matured in numerous ways since then. So, lets get deep.

Originally, a bad boy was a breed like the one I describe but it has since evolved into another monster entirely. The norm for bad boys nowadays is a very troubled man with a horrid past that has made them the person they are today. Their stereotype is that they smoke, drink, do drugs, ride a motorcycle, wear leather jackets, party hard, sleep with any girl they can have, have a cocky air about them, and are, of course, the most attractive man on the planet. The (generally female) protagonist always goes on and on about how much she hates them but then continues to talk about this uncontrollable attraction to them that she feels. Later, they keep meeting up and eventually she believes it is *sigh* love. 

However, the bad boy doesn't feel the same way (even though we all know he'll come around) and the female protagonist decides to take it upon them self to change this young man. They get together and the bad boy becomes a sexually, physically, and mentally abusive partner that is tender at some points and violent at others. He becomes incredibly obsessive and angry when she looks at, let alone talks to, another male (even her freaking brother). But still, our oh-so-strong female protagonists loves him and how he makes her feel so she stays with him, barely speaking a word about how she feels. And all the while, the bad boy insists that he loves her, that it isn't his fault, it all has to do with his god-forsaken upbringing.

And this is the part that really pisses me off. How can you possibly say that? Just because you had such a bad childhood, doesn't mean you get to take it on others. And if you do, why the hell would any girl want to be with them, especially a good girl that has been taught to respect herself like the ones we've all seen a million times? God, do these female protagonists have any self-respect? I'd like to read about more than an idiotic dead-weight that doesn't even know what the definition of love is.

The worst part is these authors manage to justify the bad boy's actions, like constantly yelling and hurting your girlfriend is okay, even sexy. It's disgusting how these stereotypes have been romanticized. Take a certain Harry Styles fanfiction that I know we've all heard of, for example. (I don't want to say the name.) That is the perfect story to show how much bad boys have been morphed into something entirely inappropriate and concerning, especially to young girls who are easily influenced by these ideas.

If your story sounds like the one I've described, I'm disappointed in you. 

I'm going to take a breather before I continue, so lets talk about the attraction behind bad boys. I've managed to narrow it down to two reasons.

a) Girls like the risk about a bad boy. They like the idea of breaking away from their shell and living a little, with no fear of the consequences. This is offered in the form of a bad boy. And then there's that word. Bad boy. It's been repeated over and over in the media and it has been portrayed as a fun, sexy thing. 

b) They say the harder it is for two people to get together, the better the romance is. That is true, but using the form of bad boy I have described is taking it a step too far. The thing is, people are so attracted by the idea of the protagonist fixing the bad boy that they don't realize the bad boy doesn't really change; he just manages to get his lover (if they can even be called that) to accept him. 

That is why people like bad boys, folks. And it's pathetic. In real life there is no way most of the girls reading about the bad boys would actually want to be with one. 

Bad boys are cliché, stereotypical, and they are also managing to become an archetypes because they are so commonly seen. And I can guarantee 90% of the time they are not being used in a satirical way. That right there is only three of many reasons not to include them.

Now, unfortunately, I know this little rant isn't going to exterminate the species of bad boys so I'm going to give those of you who continue to write them a few tips. Here is how you can make it okay.

a) Many stories are written about abuse to try and make a point about society and advocate against it. Don't let your female protagonist put up with it. Get her to leave the male, have him attend therapy or rehab or something to help his mental state. The most important thing is that the female protagonist realizes there is a problem in her relationship and that she knows not to let herself get in a situation like that again. 

b) It's okay to have a male love interest that does drugs or smokes and goes to parties and is self-loathing. I'm not saying that people like this don't exist. But your bad boy needs to have a caring side or why would the female protagonist fall in love with them? They should at least treat her with respect and not ever physically abuse her. It should be obvious that he really does love her, even if he believes it could never work.

Never just give him a tragic backstory and assume that makes it all okay. It doesn't. Not by a long shot. The bad boy is still abusive; he still doesn't treat the protagonist as any loving person should so that does not make their relationship healthy. 

In my talk about abuse and whatnot I forgot to mention that there is another simple reason that bad boys aren't a great idea. Forget everything I've mentioned for the time being (but not really) so I can get this other point in your head. Stories with bad boys are almost always predictable. We all have read it before and we know how it's going to end. Don't be predictable! Write a unique character and give your plot some substance.

If you read every other chapter in this book and you still write a romantic story like the one I described, I have truly failed. Have a nice day.