Nice Guys Finish Last - YA Character Study

We all know about the Bad Boy of YA lit. He makes the heroine giggle and swoon and fall head over heels every time. And of course, his questionable character is redeemed by the end, thereby making him worthy of the heroine's love.

Blah blah blah.

What about the Nice Guy?

Exhibit 1A: Quasimodo

(Awwww lookit the birdie!)

Exhibit 1B: Duckie

(Hi, Duckie. You're awesome.)

Ok, so here's the deal with Nice Guys. They NEVER get the girl. (Alright, go ahead, point out the, like, five times in the history of the universe where the obviously Nice Guy got the girl. For the purposes of this post, it's never happened.)

Here's the thing: If the Nice Guy makes a cameo in your novel, please please don't underestimate him. Nice Guy has all sorts of redeeming qualities, and he might even be moderately attractive. Sure, he doesn't brood or smolder, and he might only have a four-pack ---

[Pause for gratuitous six-pack image.]

[Remember when he was Nice Guy Dean on Gilmore Girls?]

Where was I?

Right, the positives of the Nice Guy.

--- but he's also less inclined to have a big ego and anger issues. And there's none of that "I love you let's be together forever" / "Just kidding let's break up" dramarama. He might even bring you flowers on your birthday, which he remembers all by himself.

So when this Nice Guy shows up in books/movies/TV shows, what's his story?

He could be the Best Friend Who's Secretly in Love With You Nice Guy.

[Hi Duckie. Lovely to see you again.]

The Stranger Who Worships You From Afar Nice Guy.

[Hey Q. That's a lovely doll.]

The Bumbling Yet Well-Meaning Boyfriend Nice Guy.

[Nice astronaut suit, Paul Rudd. But Juliet doesn't dig it.]

Or the I Love You and Will Wait Around for You to Dump the D-Bag Nice Guy.

[Jacob, I wish you didn't look so stalkerish here. But I like the haircut.]

Here's the problem with these Nice Guys. As readers, we feel bad for them. Why? Because we KNOW, beyond a doubt, that they're going to get kicked to the curb. Nice Guys finish last, y'all. Sure, there's that moment or two of hope, usually during one of the "He dumped me! My heart is broken and ... oh, is that a warm, sympathetic, manly shoulder to cry on? May I borrow it until he takes me back?" days. (I'm waiting for Elena to have one of these with Matt in The Vampire Diaries.)

But, inevitably, here's where the Nice Guy ends up:

and

and

and

Wait -- where are the Nice Guys?

Exactly.

I want a Nice Guy to get the girl, dammit! (Hence, I'm Team Peeta. I'm holding out hope.) But here's your challenge as a writer -- give the Nice Guy a real shot. Meaning, even IF the heroine ends up with Broody McBrooderson, the reader actually believes that she just might pick the Nice Guy. This extra effort to give Mr. Smoldering Gaze some competition will actually strengthen the romance in the end because it raises the stakes.

(By the way, THANK YOU SUZANNE COLLINS for doing the Nice Guy thing so so so well. I really don't know who Katniss will choose.)

[Pause for a moment of Hunger Games awe.]

Disclaimer: This is not to say that all the non-Nice Guys are Bad Boys. I mean, Romeo was the king of lovesick fools and took "til death do us part" wayyyy too literally. Bad Boys don't have HALF that unvacillating dedication. [Woooo $5 word...that I think I made up.] But they definitely have an epic, intense edge that knocks the Nice Guy to the wayside.

Help me out here ... who are some Nice Guys who get the girl? How did the author make the romance have that fantastic spark WITHOUT the intense, dramatic stuff? Did the Nice Guy have any real Bad Boy competition?

Here's my contribution to a rare Nice Guy win:

Heck yes, Mark Darcy.