Book Boyfriends!
February 20, 2020 9:23 am Leave your thoughts
” Scholars cite Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded as the first modern romance novel. The story of a teenage maidservant courted by her landowner master, it was enormously popular when it was first published in 1740. “ —source; Google of course. 😛
I currently have two women who have told me they consider Trent Starr one of their “book boyfriends.” I didn’t know what that term meant…I consulted Urban Dictionary where I got the definition all the cool kids are using: “The hero Male character in the romance novel you’re currently reading. Because real men suck at romance, the book boyfriend exists to fill the void.”
While, I don’t think this is strictly true (CC can be a fucking diamond,) I understand the lonely housewife reading her romance novels trope thingie. It goes for both genders, a lot of straight guys have a movie-crush on the female star because they’ve only had unsatisfactory experiences with women and suddenly there’s a hot girl in front of them with all the qualities they’d choose in a mate.
So what’ll ya have, girl? 😉
You like the Alpha male, huh, huh? The sweet, sensitive type?
The Bad boy?ooooo The nerd who doesn’t know what hit him when she walked in?
The mysterious lone traveler from a faraway? The sexual deviant so prominent in “romance” novels these days?
When did you meet your first book boyfriend/book crush? (shoot me a message and let me know!)
I’ve had a couple the last few years, but mine don’t stay in my head long and nope…no boys from the Darkrose Novels. Some of mine have been unlike people I’m attracted to IRL so I’m not sure how it works, but I think you read a book and the male lead appeals to something you need in your life at that time.
Oh shit, she gon psychologize my ass.
Yup, here’s my theory based on a personal epiphany/anecdote. I’m sure the internet has theories, and maybe even proven phenomena regarding this kind of thing, but here’s my take.
Once again, I’ll first repeat the disclaimer that—I never wrote Trent Starr as a book boyfriend or to create my ideal man, as some authors proudly admit.— I originally just wanted someone to play off Cleo Darkrose. She was female, kind of Alpha, harsh and ambitious whereas those qualities seem faded in Trent Starr and getting them back throws a spoke in the wheels for everyone. He challenges the way she perceives the world due to different experiences. She juggles whether it’s a weakness she can tolerate on her mission. But as I wrote him, coupled with the research I’d begun (read about that in this post,) he started to come to life with little guidance from me anymore.
I started thinking he’d be kind of cool to hang with. We all like underdogs, people who battle hard times with a sense of humour and hope. Trent Starr was almost a book boyfriend (I think,) because I thought about him when I wasn’t reading or writing about him(?) He was cool, and he was fucked up but he wasn’t like people I had known. He let me escape my shit reality by imagining what it would be like if I had a friend/other like him. I really liked how good he was to Cleo Darkrose, even sometimes annoying me because he was overly-fair, but he always keeps his integrity and respect.
I noticed, as I was going through another hard time with my then “relationship” that Trent Starr’s actions or words would very subtly change when interacting with Cleo Darkrose. He would be…(for lack of a better term,) nicer. He’d never snapped at her, abused her, put her down or criticized things about her anyway, but the way he went about things seemed more gentle than one might expect from a character going through what he was (during KOS and Red Cowboys.) He was rational even when he was confused, mad or hurt and never took it out on the people he was with.
The last few years he and I have grown apart as I grew up and moved on from my own damage. I now feel like he was an important high school sweetheart who I’ll always care about but know that it’s impracticable between us, so I just wish him well and hope he and Cleo sort their shit out.
It wasn’t intentional. I dislike it when authors say the characters “write themselves,” because they never explain what that means and it sounds like they’re trying to act like it’s some mystical talent no one else will understand. What do I know? Maybe it is. I’ve just been doing it since childhood so it’s not second nature (like the description of Trent Starr fighting) it’s first. I don’t find it difficult and I n e v e r have Writer’s Block. However, explaining the “magic” is still hard…but I’ll try.
When I write for Trent Starr (or any other character) there’s an idea, rough outline and sort of plan eg; he needs to get to this certain point in his arc by around this installment. Besides that, I just keep him vaguely inside some lines that get wavy and have a little give…
I think that this is how authors fall in love with their own characters and make their own book boyfriends.
I want Trent Starr to do things, but if they aren’t in his character (cliched, but true) then he won’t/can’t do them. When he gets in a certain situation, sometimes I can’t predict what he is supposed to do until the last second. And that distance is just enough to allow me to feel a little curiosity and mystery about him, even though essentially came of my own brain and hands.
So, back to your book boyfriends, are we looking for things we can’t get in real life? Imagining a love we’ll never receive from the less-than-capable partners we waste our time on? Are we drawn to certain male characters (or female ones, -politically correct inclusive disclaimer even though you KNOW it was just a figure of speech-) because there is an abundance of shit floating in the dating pool?
I’m not saying I believe it entirely, but there was a theory going around that women liked dominating and/or more traditional relationship dynamics in books, due to the fact men in reality are being feminized in the western world. I mean, I don’t know about that because nearly all Urban Fantasy books seem to contain a reverse harem now where the lovestruck guys all take turns being her bitch for the night but it was an interesting take on the apparent culture.
So, what are we looking for? A little bit of fiction to make us feel not as lonely?
Whatever helps or makes you smile, better yet – allows you to use your own imagination and hope there is someone out there who is not a douchebag.
Agent Trent Starr is more than happy for you to make him your book boyfriend whenever you need. He’s a decent guy and will probably never let you down, ( I think?) So…knock yourself out!
TLDR:
*What type of book boyfriend do you seem to go for? It’s almost a personality test for how fucked up you are.
*Some authors say they have a book boyfriend in their own book. I think I understand how.
*I don’t have a book boyfriend atm. But I thought about Agent Starr’s qualities a lot over the years.
*Agent Trent Starr is hot.
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