Good guys are boring. How do you get excited about writing them?

I read most of the posts in this thread but did do some skimming, so I apologize if this question has already been answered. Why does the bad guy kill the good guy? If you don't want to spoil anything by answering that question that's okay. Just maybe think more about that question yourself and that may give you the answer to your problem.

 

It hasn't been answered as far as I can see. That's a good question. Why does he die? Is it just a "you are my rival and I hate you and you get in the way" thing. Or is there some kind of revenge or practical objective?

 

When I read these last two posts asking about the motive for murder I had to laugh a little. You guys actually already know more about my story than my husband! I am keeping most things close to my chest. You can see that my characters are still in the early stages of development, so how they get from A to Z is the big question. But the murder is absolutely indispensable. And intentional on the part of the character.

As of right now I'm kind of letting the characters try on slightly different personalities knowing what the basic plot points are. So far it's led to a least getting things on the page. I'm sure I'll delete most of it, but the creative juices are flowing again and I'm happy about that.

 

I just finished the first draft of my first novel. My "good guy" struggles mightily with just being human. He struggles with loss, with abuse and neglect in his family of origin, with his powerlessness against nature's elements when in a winter survival situation, with his difficulty asking for help when he clearly can not "go it alone," with his fear of allowing anyone to get close to him. In other words, all human beings, not just "bad guys" are complicated. "Normal" folks have issues. Just because someone is a good guy does not mean that their psychology, their character, their relationships, their dialogue, or their lives are boring. In fact, I would venture that many may have more interest in the complexities of the "normal." Telling an interesting story about your "good guy" probably will have more to do with the challenges that you have him face and how he tackles such challenges.

 

I find it boring sometimes but the trick is giving the good guy character an exciting name or an exciting Job. that will help make them less boring.

 

In reality, I don't. I love the "good guys" in other stories, especially in some of Robert Heinlein's books where anybody can be the hero, but I just can't right that way.

My view of a "Hero" (if you can call them that) is somebody with nothing to lose and at the edge with a gun in their mouth until some important cause needs then and they have to pick themselves out of their shit-pile and post-pone their own demise.

 

Actually I find good guys more complex and harder to write than villains. I have to find a way to make a good guy likable despite their flaws. Villains don't need such a precarious balance.

 

Interesting. I would think if you know the motive for murder a lot would fall into place. Even though I don't know the details, I will say that sometimes when it's too hard to get from A to Z, it's because you need to change either A or Z. Maybe the characters don't end where you think they're going to end.

 

Here's an idea:
Strength and uniqueness come from our flaws, mistakes, and faults. How we grow, cope, and learn from them creates a 3d character.