“He’s perfect because I wrote him that way.” We call that…Author’s Choice.

I asked a friend to read one of my manuscripts and give me some feedback on plot, character development- you know, all the important literary book things. After reading it, she called me saying, “I loved it, but the character Billy, I mean, I really like him, but he’s almost too good to be true. Mythical, almost. Can someone like him even exist?”

I thought about what my friend said. Could someone like Billy exist? Yes, he could. Did I ever date someone like him? Hell, no, I didn’t, which was quite unfortunate. However, that’s the beauty of writing. You can create your characters to be whatever you want.

Writers will write about what they know. I’d experienced my share of heartbreak and when I wrote this rom-com novel, I wanted a male love interest that embodied every good thing that had endeared my exes to me. No matter how lame some of them had been or how fleeting the romance- there was that je ne sais quoi about each of them that I couldn’t forget. So lucky Billy- he became the embodiment of all the good stuff. And my female protagonist was finally going to get the guy she deserved.

Billy was witty with a bit of sarcasm, like Rich had been. Billy was compassionate and thoughtful, just like Aaron. He was a hard-working go-getter like Ray. And like Drew, he was passionate about his beliefs. He had amazing teeth like, well, every guy I’d ever dated. And he knew how to fix shit.

Unlike my exes…Billy adored Jane and wasn’t about to give up on her, even when their dating circumstances got tricky. He had patience and humility. He could admit when he was wrong. See, Billy wasn’t totally perfect. He ghosted Jane for a while…but I can’ tell you much more because that would give away the plot. In essence, Billy acted his age and actually wanted to date someone his own age. He saw the substance and beauty in Jane and her flaws. He wasn’t going to let her get away a second time. He’d learned his lesson. Jane wasn’t perfect either, but that’s another story.

They say that if you put it to paper and put it out there, it will happen. And if it doesn’t happen in real life, for God’s sake, why can’t it happen in a novel? So authors, make whatever the hell you want to happen, happen. It’s your choice.

Thanks for reading. XO, Gucci L.