I love Chuck Bass. Seriously. I have such a schoolgirl crush on him it’s not even funny.
So what’s the problem? Well for starters, he’s a fictional character.
For those of you who don’t know, Chuck Bass is a character on the CW show Gossip Girl, played by the scrumptious Ed Westwick.
I really shouldn’t even like Chuck, much less love him. He’s everything I don’t like in a guy – arrogant, rude, mean, mischievous, manipulating. Machiavellian doesn’t even begin to describe Chuck’s many schemes. He drinks too much, goes through young, nubile women at an alarming pace, and throws insults around like other guys throw punches. And the way Chuck dresses, well, let’s just say he’s a little too fond of argyle for my tastes.
But I still love him. Why? Because he’s a great character. He’s flawed and fascinating at the same time. And I just can’t stop watching him.
Writers learn a lot from reading other writers. But I also find myself drawn to television shows as well, examining their story elements, arcs, and more. Want to learn how to end each chapter with a cliffhanger? Tune into Prison Break and see how they end each segment before the commercial break. Want to hear rat-a-tat dialogue? Watch Grey’s Anatomy. Want to inject some humor into your romantic suspense? Try NCIS and its unique brand of serious, yet funny storytelling.
But nobody, nobody, on television right now does romance better than Gossip Girl.
On Gossip Girl, you’ve got the middle class boy (Dan) wooing the rich, reformed party girl (Serena). The rich kid with daddy issues (Nate) getting involved with an older woman. The old flames who just can’t seem to let go of each other (Lily and Rufus). Each of these relationships is interesting and funny and even poignant in its own way.
But then, there’s Chuck and Blair – my favorite couple on television right now.
What makes Chuck and Blair so special? Because they’re so perfectly matched. Blair Waldorf (as played by the luminous Leighton Meester) is as arrogant, rude, mean, mischevious, and manipulating as Chuck is. Blair smiles even while she’s twisting the knife in your heart. And watching her and Chuck make up, break up, fight, plot, and continually scheme against each other is soapy drama at its finest. In short, Chuck and Blair are epic – just the way Logan and Veronica were on Veronica Mars.
Chuck and Blair are each strong, interesting characters in their own right. But when you bring them together is when they (and the show) come to life – when the sparks and insults really fly. It’s the same kind of magic we romance writers strive to create with our own heroes and heroines. And it inspires me to craft a story that someone out there will enjoy just as much as I do Gossip Girl.
I know I love it. Until next time. XOXO.
What about you? Which characters do you love no matter what they do? What are some of the television shows you like or that inspire you in your own writing?
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I actually don’t watch much tv (other than the business channel). I’ll watch each hot new show once so I’m not completely out of it but that’s it.
There are some things I don’t like to read in romance (cheating being the big one – I think that habit is challenging to break) but as long as I understand why and it fits with the character, I’ll accept it.
Dexter. He kills people…but only bad people, so it’s okay, right? Right?
I love Chuck and Blair on Gossip Girl too! They make the show. I really love Meredith on Grey’s. She is always messing up, but I just have to keep watching to see if she ever figures everything out.
Gregory House.
A poorly groomed, bitter, manipulative, antisocial drug addict with no regard for rules who is verbally abusive every time he opens his mouth and is utterly unrepentant about all of the above.
Oh, how I love him.
We’re watching Dexter via Netflix. If you need to know how to make a bad guy the hero, this is the show (first heard about it from some homicide detectives!)
Don’t watch TV much at all anymore but I started writing because of Highlander.
Kimber — I’m not too fond of stories about cheating, either. Like you said, I think it’s hard to overcome.
I think Dexter, Meredith, and Dr. House are all great characters too. The charming killer, the doctor who’s afraid to love, and the doctor spews sarcasm like it’s going out of style. Flawed and fascinating, all of them.
For me, part of the appeal of characters like these is that they get to say and do things that I would never dare — especially House. It’s a wonder Dexter hasn’t come over to kill House for being a jerk. Hey, that would be a crossover idea, wouldn’t it?
I must admit that I don’t really watch much TV. I used to be hooked to “Moonlight” and “Blood Ties” but they got canceled so I pretty much stopped watching TV. If I’m free on Fridays, I sometimes watch “Ghost Whisperer.” Now I’m getting hooked on “True Blood” (based on the Sookie Stackpole series) and “Gabriel.”
It’s not a crush, because he seems like a total jerk, but I can’t stop watching Spencer Pratt from The Hills. I can’t wait to see what he does next. It’s a train wreck.
I’m not sure if this ridiculous show inspires me in my own writing. I guess it reflects real life (sort of) in that people do stupid things and relationships are hard work. It’s also a reminder to develop the villain as well as any other lead character.
Sometimes we’re more fascinated with the bad ones, I suppose.
“Gregory House.
A poorly groomed, bitter, manipulative, antisocial drug addict with no regard for rules who is verbally abusive every time he opens his mouth and is utterly unrepentant about all of the above.
Oh, how I love him.”
Yes.
Duncan MacLeod of the Highlander TV series will always have a very special spot in my stable of heroes. Besides his other fine qualities, both inner and outer, Duncan’s love for Tessa, be it actual Tessa of the first season and change, faux Tessa from Counterfeit, or alternate Tessa from the series finale, plucks my heart strings and provides much angsty romance feul.
Yes, Anna — Duncan was my inspirtation and my ‘training ground’. I wrote a bunch of fanfic based on his series — even wrote a story about Tessa going through menopause. (I took liberties with canon). As a matter of fact, Blake Windsor in What’s in a Name? started out as a Highlander short story.
I love all the flawed characters on Lost, especially bad boy/ criminal/ but redeemable hero Sawyer. Even when he does terrible things, he’s fascinating.
I wasn’t even thinking about fanfic, but that’s definitely another way TV can inspire folks.
Watching my favorite shows always gets my creative juices going — and motivates me to write more and bigger and hopefully better.
And while we’re talking about heroes, how about Sawyer from Lost? He’s one guy who started out as a complete jerk, but now, I think he’s the most heroic guy on Lost. When he kissed Kate, then jumped out of that helicopter so she and the others could get off the island … Sigh …
I’ve only recently discovered Chuck Bass, but I agree he is quite a fantastic bad boy character. I may have to pick up Season 1 on DVD now.
Other characters I love: Bad boy Sawyer on Lost; Bad boy Dean on Supernatural (I think I’m seeing a pattern here); and it’s still new, but the main character played by Simon Baker on The Mentalist might be a mega TV crush soon.
I agree 100%. I love Chuck Bass. He’s such a great character — not to mention I adore those looks that Ed Westwick is able to deliver. I’m a total Chuch+Blair fan and if they don’t get together soon — really together, something may go through my television screen.
I don’t watch a lot of TV either. I can’t really like Dexter. I mean a serial killer? I’m afraid I’ll start cheering for him to kill people so I stopped watching it. I like watching The Tudors. Everyone is so out for themselves and so manipulative and it’s based on history though with lots of liberties. And I don’t have any trouble looking at Jonathan Rhys Meyers either though he plays such a selfish prig.
You want to hate Chuck Bass, but you can’t — he’s totally irresistible. Even when he’s evil, he is so delicious! On Monday’s episode, we got a little peak into what makes him tick. In an upcoming episode called “Chuck in Real Life” (episode 7), I suspect we will learn even more. I love Gossip Girl!
Another favorite is Benjamin Bratt’s character in A&E’s new show The Cleaner. He portrays William Banks, an extreme interventionist who feels it’s his calling to help people with addictions. A former addict, his family still struggles as he has went from an addiction to drugs to an addiction of helping people, leaving his family feeling neglected.
Oh yes, I think Simon Baker is definitely crush-worthy material. I also like Tony (Michael Weatherly) on NCIS, although he’s more goofball than bad boy.
But Chuck is still my favorite for now. Gossip Girl is the show I look forward the most to every week.
I agree with Nicole. Even when characters like Chuck do bad things, they are still so fascinating. They’re just great characters, even if we probably wouldn’t like them in real life.
Mick St. John on Moonlight…why oh why did they have to cancle that show….
Mick St. John on Moonlight…why oh why did they have to cancel that show….