Home » Writing » Bad boys, Aliens and Romance… Oh My!

Bad boys, Aliens and Romance… Oh My!

Posted on by

I was having a think this morning about heroes and villains and why I found myself having trouble falling for the good guy romantic love interest. I wasn’t the only one, as Taylor Grace has also posted a great post on it.

When I’m reading, I tend to find myself drawn towards the bad guy lately. And I think it’s because the male heroes have become pretty much just perfect.

They are attractive, noble, loyal, they say and do the right things… Man, are they annoying!

The bad guys, I know, they are not nice, but at least they have character and flaws. They have realism to connect with.

I think part of the reason I’ve been thinking about this is due to the fact I’ve been watching Roswell lately (which I partly blame Winter bayne for, as all her great short fiction lately has me on a sci-fi kick!). When the show first came out, I was a little young to relate, but my sister watched it so I have a vague memory of it.

But I’ve been watching it from the start of season 1 and I have to admit, I do love it 😀 Like a 90’s blast from the past to my childhood! But also, I was looking at the characters.

If you don’t know the show, it’s a sci-fi, teenage, romance type thing and the plot revolves around three aliens (who are mostly human, obviously) as they figure out who they are and fall in love, etc.

The main character, the main draw of the show, is Max Evans. A good looking, dark-haired guy with a kind, generous and wise soul. Oh yes, he’s pretty darn perfect. And as a teenager, yeah, I probably would have been drawn to him 😀

But now, in my mid-twenties, I realised I’m not drawn to the perfect guy at all.

Michael on the other hand…

Now there’s a guy I could fall for.

Michael is Max’s best friend, an alien as well, but he is brash, brunt and not really romantic in the traditional way. He may not say the right things, he may not do the right things, but his romance with Maria makes me swoon every time. He’s still a good guy, but he’s flawed. Oh, and handsome as well, that’s still a must 😀

Yes, he’s who I go for.

And I realise I should probably think about this when I write romantic love interests myself in my books. Instead of going for the all around good guy, I am inspired by Michael and I am excited to write someone who is really flawed but good at heart, and the way they show romance is more real, rather than romantic puppy surprises (old spice commercial reference, because just too awesome not to!). They will make mistakes, but their intentions will be good. That is a character I could fall for and invest with!

Obviously, this is just my opinion 😀 Give it a few months and I will probably be full of interest in reading about a guy who gets it all right! I’m fickle like that, but at least with all of the stories out there now, we have such a great choice and can read to suit our tastes for the moment.

Also, as a side note I have decided on a release date for my books-

Wednesday 28th May!

I am so excited 😀

Are you all about the bad boys/girls? Do you like the perfect guy/girl? Which do you prefer to write about? Are there any characters who make you swoon at the mere mention of them? 😀

–

Progress Report

Publishing status:
> Stolen Bloodline- Marketing.
> The Queen’s Jester- Marketing.
> Heart of the Arena- Marketing.

May E-Book Review: Book read. Review written.

54 thoughts on “Bad boys, Aliens and Romance… Oh My!”

  1. So now I need to write a romantic bad boy alien and I’ve got a hit? Okay. Working on it. For now I have flawed good guy type in my Rose & Ghun online series. It’s not that good because it’s stream of thought. Maybe I’ll turn him into an alien. 🙂 Perfect good guys are boring. I can’t identify with them…well except the boring part.

    • Well, a romantic, bad boy alien sounds pretty much prefect to me 😀

      I think the flawed good guy is the perfect route to go. I seems to make my characters flawed and room for development and then my love interests lose a little, and I end up concentrating on the bad guy, who ends up really awesome 😀

      Thank you very much for reading and commenting 🙂

      • Well….Ghun is the tough one, and that’s the girl lead. Rose is the guy, a somewhat pacifist for reasons. Ghun is something else and of diverse heritage. Like a Hawk and Dove, she’s the Hawk. Needs work but I am just letting it go where it wants to.

  3. It all depends on how they’re done really. In my own writing, I love writing about the naughty girls. They are tons more fun and help break the stereotype of innocent, sweet, and needs saving damsel.

  4. Roswell was one of my favorite shows when it was on. First two seasons great, third–eh. It happens. I always thought Max was a little too off for me, but then I was always looking at Izzy. 😉 Interesting thing: Liz in the books was Hispanic, which makes it a shame that they whitewashed her for the TV show.

    But she has one of my favorite ending scenes from the episode “Heart of Mine” where she’s writing in her journal:

    “We try to live responsible, logical lives. But we can’t tell our hearts how to feel. Sometimes our hearts lead us to places we never thought we wanted to go. And sometimes our hearts can be the sweetest, gentlest things we have.

    “Sometimes our hearts can make us feel miserable, angry, excited and confused. All at once. But at least my heart is open. And I’m writing again.

    “I’m feeling.

    “I’m breathing.”

    I have to keep reminding myself of that at time.

    • That is a brilliant scene. I do like scenes where there is a lot of emotion. I guess that’s why I like Roswell, it certainly has a lot of emotion 😀

      Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂

      • Liz’s scene is one of those where you think, “I wish I’d written that.” It is fabulous.

  5. Who doesn’t love the perfect guy in her teens? 😀
    I like good guys with a bunch of flaws, and I like bad guys if there is enough good in them. These are also the characters I preferably write about. They may not necessarily be alien, there usually is something supernatural involved, though.

    • Well, the guy doesn’t have to be alien or paranormal, just any romantic love interest, I think, can be enhanced with a few flaws 😀

      But yeah, I don’t know what it is about those teen years, but it’s all about the perfect guy!

      Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂

  6. I loved Roswell – I guess you’re younger than me! 😀 And the bad boy will always have a place in my heart. I think every girl thinks the same way. Particularly if they’re a bad boy like Wolverine… *fans self* (Sorry! I’ve been on an X-Men movie marathon this week.) 🙂

    • Well, yeah, Wolverine… That’s a definite bad boy! 😀 Definite swooning going on there.

      The bad boy is a great character, and that type of character has endured for some reason, right?

      Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂

  7. congrats on the release date next week – all the best with your marketing! I’m not sure who I fall for in books – I read mainly for the richness of the prose and the imagery and if I find one of more the characters interesting it’s a bonus!

    • I can see why you’d look for imagery and rich writing, as you do that yourself. I am always very impressed of how much you express through your short poems!

      Thank you for the encouragement 🙂

  8. Congrats! You’ve come a long way with this. All good girls love the bad boys. It is because the bad boys, the rough ones who cannot hold down a job, have plenty of time to give the girls the attention they need.

    • You have a good point 😀 Who doesn’t want a guy who can give them all the attention they deserve?

      Thank you for your continued support and comments 🙂

  9. Firstly, wow, that’s so exciting. I can’t wait to read it. Secondly, I think we can all relate to the pull towards ‘bad-boy with a soul’. In literature, as well as film, there are multiple examples. Maybe it’s about striking a balance. I try to give all my characters, both male and female, a little edge. That said, we can’t help being drawn to characters that are dark and mysterious – those who can’t fight their nature. There’s a fight in all of us, and there is no such thing as perfect, so maybe that’s what we’re drawn to 🙂

    • Very true and a good point. Maybe that’s why vampires are so popular, and werewolves? They have that side of them that they have to fight.

      But there really is something about a bad boy, isn’t there? 😀

      Thank you so much for commenting and your support! 🙂

    • Thank you! 😀 I’m really excited and have been really overwhelmed by the support. Just hope my writing lives up to it now!

      Yep, all about the bad boys/girls. I think they definitely make more of an impact and have a character we can relate to a little more. I mean, not many of us are that perfect right? 😀

      Thank you for your encouragement and support 🙂

      • I have mailed you twice and it binged back. Not to worry. But just in case you think I forgot! Can you try contacting me through my contact form on my blog? Thank you doll! Yes, for me the bad boys and girls make an impact. No-one is perfect sure enough. x

  11. Great post! I think we all find something endearing about a character with flaws because it makes them more approachable and relatable.

    Congrats on setting the release date as well, not long to wait now! 🙂

  13. Interesting post! Bad guys have been attracting good girls for a long time! Look at Mr. Rochester, Jane made him ‘a good guy’. In many contemporary romances, too, the ‘bad guy’ become the ‘good guy’ when he falls in love. I agree that ‘bad guys’ or ‘villains’ in Victorian novels, are so engaging! Some villains, like Bill Sykes, are meant to be just ‘villains’, while others are destined to have a more positive impact on the readers and the heroine! I prefer flawed characters myself, too, as most have commented, because ‘real’ people are flawed, too, so it’s easier to relate to them, and therefore like them. On the other hand, characters who are ‘all’ good or bad, run the risk of becoming ‘flat’, or stereotypes. Good luck for the 28th! You must be so excited.

    • A very good point, having a just a bad character can be just as flat as having the perfect one 😀 But yeah, bad boys who find their good side when faced with love, that is swoon-worthy stuff!

      Thank you so much for the encouragement! I am really excited, though nervous all at the same time 🙂

  14. I like the bad guys as long as you know why they’re bad. They need to have a soft heart, but appear bad because of something that has happened to them. The bad guys who are just evil for no reason tend to turn me off 😀

    • Exactly. The bad boy needs to be flawed, not evil. In the end, we’re all still looking for the guy who is going to make us swoon because at heart he’s a good guy! 😀

      Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂

  16. Mishka, great post! I’ve always been drawn to the bad boy, I think. I completely agree with you, it was all about Max when the show first aired, but then watching it on DVD later, I got what Maria saw in Michael. I had to comment because I thought it was funny you’re watching Roswell – one of my favorites, and was filmed in my hometown, while I still lived there. (It’s also Novica.) We used to eat at the “Crashdown” (Downtown Deli Cafe), and I almost ran into Katherine Heigl at the library once – literally. Love that show!

    I also wanted to thank you for your lovely review! Artemis is flattered. It’s scary putting your book out there, but if I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have been able to read it 😉 I read the excerpts you posted, and you’re right to go for it, in my opinion. Congratulations, I look forward to the 28th!

    Best wishes,
    Roari

    • Roswell was filmed where you live? 😀 That is really awesome! Must have been an interesting time whilst that was happening!

      Thank you for the encouraging comment 🙂 I am really excited to get my books out into the world!

  17. LOL! Well, I was married to the real life bad boy, so I think that’s why I love reading and writing about the syrupy sweet good guys. Even where some of my stories have an abuser, there is always a good guy in the wings, just so my heroine doesn’t get jaded and think that good guys don’t really exist. 😉 Great post! 😀

  18. Dear Mishka, As i know very few writers, and I’ve been asked to find three to answer some set questions…. I wonder if you’d be kind enough to participate? My own answers to the questions won’t be up until tomorrow, but the questions are on my blog today. It would be great if you have time to participate. ❤

    • Thank you for the offer! 😀 I’m really flattered you thought of me! Unfortunately, I have already answered that blog hop, a great set of questions. Loved your answers to it by the way!

      Thank you so much for asking 🙂 It’s really appreciated, and I would have definitely participated if I hadn’t already been in it.

  19. I know what you mean about the good guy being too good. They’re a little unbelievable. The good guys in real life have flaws so why are they minimized in stories?

    • Very true, the good guy characters have lost a little of what makes them great characters and love interests. Not in every book, obviously 😀 But it would be nice to see a resurgence in characters who have a few flaws to add a little depth!

      Thank you for reading and commenting 🙂

  21. Pingback: The May Author Interview…3 In One… with Mishka Jenkins | shehanne moore

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s