Broken is better. Back to Blog
I don’t like perfect characters–whether I’m writing them or reading about characters others have created, I don’t want perfect. To me, people aren’t perfect. We all have pasts, secrets, and scars (emotional or physical) that make us unique. I like for the characters in stories to be like this, too.
I’m in the middle of writing a paranormal story now. (Okay, technically not the middle, more the last 1/4.) My heroine is strong, with one crazy tough exterior, but her past has made her broken inside. Not perfect–no way. She gets pissy, she acts sometimes before she thinks, and she hurts when she remembers what came before in her life.
Yeah, I like her.
There are some authors that I think can create some seriously wonderful broken characters. The first one that comes to mind? Kresley Cole. Wow–when I first read A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER, I was blown away. Her hero–um, I don’t know if you can get more broken than that. But he worked. He worked so well that I’ve re-read that book at least five times.
What about you? Do you like “broken” characters? And you have you read any good broken stories lately?
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Karin Tabke writes powerful broken characters. I’m expecting her newest, Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa, any day.
I love Kresley Cole, love all her books and Myst, the heroine from the Warlord Wants Forever is a total B*****, but she still comes off as likable, how many authors can do that? Linda Howard writes some amazing broken characters too. I just read Death Angel, and the hero is an assasin for the mafia. How much more broken can you get…and yet I wanted to jump his bones, LOL!
Now that’s talent!
Karen Rose writes broken characters, those that are not perfect, as does several other authors I read. *G* No one is perfect why would I ever want to read a book that had perfect characters. There’s no fun in that! *G*
Perfect characters would make for boring books.
Hi Cynthia,
I totally agree with you on ‘A Hunger Like No Other’. I’m going to have to buy a new copy or an e-book as I have worn it thin, even with a stack of TBR’s to read.
Have a great evening,
Susan