We men have seen way too many books, films, and TV shows in which male characters are the butt of the jokes because of their stupidity. They always have to be saved (or taken care of) by their girlfriends/wives, who are clearly smarter and more competent. Even their own children don’t respect them. Yes, I know. We’re all sick and tired of it. Unfortunately, we simply can’t do anything about it because of left-wing philosophies in modern media. I, for one, am not going to take this lying down. I feel it’s my job to create male characters that are not at all dumb and incompetent. Certain male characters that I create will always stand up for themselves, refuse to be treated like a doormat, know when to readily admit their mistakes, ignore women and their games, keep a steady diet, and become a trustworthy leader when the occasion calls for it. Classic alpha traits. They will still have certain flaws and quirks that keep them from being perfect. After all, nobody’s perfect.
But I’m not talking about creating superhero characters. I am not a fan of superheroes. They’re too easy and too boring to create because of their superpowers (though I do like Batman at times). No, I prefer real human beings, the ones who had to survive in the real world with limited resources.
Keep in mind that I am a gay man and I have no interest in women whatsoever. Regarding strong female characters in literature, I can appreciate this so-called “female empowerment” when it’s done right, but I personally am not interested in that specific topic when it comes to my own work. When other writers want to create strong female leaders in their novels, then I say “good for them.” I respect their decisions to mold their own characters any way they wish. But no one is going to stop me from creating MALE characters who know what they’re doing. I’m talking about businessmen, athletes, police officers, school principals, military officials, and many others who can be viewed by kids and adults alike as positive male role models. Whether they’re white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, Native-American, straight/gay, or simply hero/villain, it won’t matter. I refuse to make them stupid and weak. And the genre won’t matter, either. I’m planning on publishing books that belong in contemporary, science fiction, epic fantasy, adventure comedy, political thriller, crime drama, etc.
As of today, I’ve already published five eBooks on Amazon Kindle: a short-story collection and four separate short stories. The short stories belong in the gay erotica section; three of them feature straight guys who cheat on their girlfriends/wives with other men. I don’t think you’ll be interested in reading any of that. The short-story collection (entitled Korean Americans, Volume One) is more about humor/satire with a dramatic touch. All of the characters are straight, including a single father whose girlfriend left him for another man a long time ago. They never married, though they did have a child together (sort of explains why he’s not eligible to pay child support). Now that he has full custody of his son, the single dad is determined to do everything he can to be a good role model and to provide his son with a good life. I haven’t perfected it but I tried my best to give him a positive image, though he’s a bit of a prick to certain people who deserve a little trip back to reality. I’m on my way to writing Volume Two, so the father’s adventures with his son will continue.
These are just a few works, so I have a long way to go. My bibliography is still small, but it will grow (in multiple pen names, of course). Will I be successful in creating strong male characters? Who knows? I will never know until I actually create them.
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