Hi there! Well, I am just going to cut to the chase. I am currently brain storming ideas for one of my main characters named Tonk. He has everything a 18 yr old would want; popularity, all star jock, full ride scholarship, and a great and rich family. However, I need something that kind of sets these positive qualities off. I need a semi-dark/angst past, secret, or something that he tries to hide from people at school. Nothing too gory, just enough to give readers a surprise and something dramatic (because I am not going to uncover his past until the end) Any suggestions will help!! Thank you!
I realize that this isn't responsive to your question, but is there any particular reason why this guy's life needs to be so perfect otherwise? Even with a Dark Secret, all that perfection would annoy me as a reader.
Yeah, I see what you mean lol. Maybe I should explain more about the story and characters from what I've brain stormed. Okay, this story is romance/angst story between Tonk and Melissa. Like I stated, Tonk is the all star swimmer and high school pretty boy. Beside this, he is extremely introverted, a jerk, hot heated, and becomes undeniably jealous at times. Now, the reason why I created a prefect life for him was to counteract Melissa's life. Melissa's life is kind of unlucky to say the least. Her father sent her to live with her mother's (who left Melissa and her father) brother due to her horrible behavior at her old school. Unfortunately when she moves to her uncle Harold's, he gets her hooked on heroine and molests her. Her characteristics involved being a hot head, insecure about herself and life (which will eventually put a strain on her feelings towards Tonk), and not very sociable. I probably need to develop my characters more, but that another story *sigh* So, I want to have them meet each other half way or to relate to each other in some way. I hope this makes sense and is somewhat possible and interesting. Please tell me other wise ^.^
Well... Can you mix it up some? Does he have to be so good looking? Can't he just be a fairly good swimmer instead of the "all star" swimmer? Is there a reason why he's hot headed and jealous? Does Melissa have to have a rejecting mother _and_ a rejecting father _and_ a heroin addiction _and_ an evil molesting uncle? Is there a reason why she behaved so badly at her old school? I see them as both being too extreme; I'd settle them down a little.
It's your story. Rely on your own imagination, and your imagination, and your self-confidence, will expand in turn. You aren't doing yourself any favors by "brainstorming", i.e. running to others for help as soon as you feel uncertain.
