Unconventional Leading Men

Sep 29, 2011 by Caitlin

On Monday, TIME published this list of the Top 10 Unconventional Leading Men, and I think it’s worth a read for authors wary of Gary Stus. It’s really easy to want our heroes to be dashing, intelligent and sensitive.

However, it can be a lot more rewarding to read about a character with flaws. We’re drawn to stories of struggle, and if it’s not a struggle for the character then why should we be interested? So this list of unconventional, imperfect leading men can be a good reference point when trying to keep your characters realistic.

Unless that’s not what you’re going for. In that case, sparkle away.