Interesting and kind of scary, right? Almost as scary as realizing that just like pretty much everything else I’ve ever thought was going to be “easy,” writing about how to write a book boyfriend is hard. Because when I really sat down and thought about the process, I had No. Clue. It wasn’t as if I’d sat down before hand and done a catalog of qualities that would make him “boyfriendish.” Not in general. I made him specific to my main character, Barrie. I made him a person–the right person for her.

And I guess that’s what it comes down to when building a book boyfriend. It isn’t about the author–or even the readers, really. Readers are all very different, and as clearly seen from the survey results, there are many different kind of guys that appeal to many different kinds of readers. (Although clearly THERE IS SOMETHING to be said for nice guys with a side of bad.)

At the most basic level, a book boyfriend is character. One who is pivotal to the story, which means he has to be equally compelling to the main character. But since we aren’t always going to be in his head, we get to play all kinds of games about how to get his motives across. Which is just about my favorite thing to do.

I actually do a lot of worksheets when developing characters. I think about their backgrounds and by the time I’m done, I pretty much know what makes them tick in terms of appearance, personality, strengths and weaknesses, goals and wants. And then when I sit down to write, everything kind of shifts. The characters become their own people. I can tell them what to do, and sometimes, they turn around a flip me off.

Eight was a bit like that. He turned out kinder than I expected, and more disillusioned with his family and Watson Island than I expected. He was a little bit more patient with Barrie than I expected–okay, a lot more patient with her. Their relationship is a bit like those old movies that I love, where there’s a bit of animosity because there are reasons why the two can’t trust each other, but neither can deny the attraction.

So why can’t they deny the attraction? That’s the most critical step in building a book boyfriend. In Barrie’s case, she isn’t sure. Could it be because Eight is:

• Gorgeous 
• Sexy 
• Kind 
• Funny 
• Has a kickass sailboat called the Away 
• Knows everyone in town and is so universally charming that Barrie wants to slap him 
• Has a knuckle ball that can’t be hit and a baseball scholarship to USC 
• Is smart but dyslexic, so at least that keeps him humble. Okay, not THAT humble. 

Or could it be because Eight knows exactly what Barrie wants and is compelled to give it to her so that she can’t help but fall in love with him? Whether she wants to or not.

That’s the second key to building a book boyfriend, I think. As compelling as you make the reason for the main character and the guy to want to be together, you have to give them an equally compelling reason why it isn’t going to work.

Which is, of course, where book two in any romantic trilogy comes in. : ) 

TWO HUGE BOOK BOYFRIEND GIVEAWAYS IN THE MEANTIME

Share with us. What’s YOUR favorite kind of book boyfriend? Leave a comment below!