Cooking Up A Bad Boy: A Damon Salvatore Recipe

As a reader, I love to devour bad boys. I can't get enough of them. I want to fix them and pet them and run my teeth down their jaws and throats and chests and...well, you get the picture. ;)

But what IS it that makes them so delicious? And what do I need to do, as a writer, to create one of my own?

In pursuit of an answer, I decided to break down one of my personal favorite Book Boyfriend Bad Boys, Damon Salvatore (Vampire Diaries), to see just what he's made of--and here's the recipe I put together from the ingredients I found.

* COOKING UP A BAD BOY *

Step One: Beat him down

Your bad boy has to be a little bit broken so make sure his back story is filled with bummers.

Daddy issues? Check!

 

Sibling rivalry? Check!

Girl problems? Double check! (pun intended)

Step Two: Make him pretty

There are a few key ingredients that make every bad boy appetizing. Without these, he's just a dude with minimal dialogue that will probably be killed off by chapter eighteen. So doll him up!

Step Three: Give him a kick

No bad boy is complete without a pinch of attitude and a dash of sarcasm. And of course, he needs enemies.

Youtube video by Catushka

Step Four: Heat him up

He might not be good at communication, or punctuality, or obeying the law...but he damn well better be good with his mouth. So light him up and let him burn.

Step Five: Feed him to your readers

Now that you've beaten down, prettied up, kicked and set fire to your bad boy, it's time to let your readers savor him. One morsel at a time...  ;) 

There you have it! Cooking up a bad boy. 

Who are YOUR favorite Book Boyfriend Bad Boys? And what do you think makes them so delicious?



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Chelsea Fine is the author of SOPHIE & CARTER and the ARCHERS OF AVALON series, and she's obsessed with The Vampire Diaries. (In case you couldn't tell.) You should be her friend!

www.chelseafinebooks.com
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