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Behind Charles: The Man Beneath the Armor

From Second Chance to the Flashback and Many Chances

When I created Charles, I didn’t want to write him as just another strong male character. I wanted to explore the man behind the strength—the part of him that most people never get to see.

For readers who have followed my stories from Second Chance through the Flashback to the Chance Series and into Many Chances, Charles may come across as a man who has everything under control. He is confident. Protective. Strong. Sometimes stubborn. He doesn't easily show fear, vulnerability, hurt, or uncertainty.

To the outside world, Charles can appear almost invulnerable.

But that isn't the whole Charles.

And honestly, that is exactly the point.

The Man Everyone Thinks They Know

There is something I wanted to portray through Charles that I believe many Black men—and men in general—will recognize.

There is often an expectation placed on men to be strong no matter what is happening underneath.

Don't cry.

Don't complain.

Don't show weakness.

Handle your business.

Protect your family.

Keep moving.

Charles embodies some of that outward strength. When people around him look at him, they see a man who can handle anything life throws at him. He isn't the person everyone expects to see falling apart. He doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve.

But strength and vulnerability can exist in the same person.

Charles simply chooses very carefully who gets to see the vulnerable side of him.

There Are Only a Few People Who Really Know Charles

Charles has a very small circle of people who are allowed behind the wall he has built around himself.

The love of his life.

She sees the man underneath the confidence. She knows when something is bothering him even when he says nothing. She understands the pauses, the silence, the change in his voice. She knows that sometimes his quietness says more than his words ever could.

His mother and father.

They know the son behind the man. They have witnessed the different stages of his life and understand where some of his strength comes from. Around them, Charles doesn't always have to be the man who has all the answers.

His best friend.

His best friend has earned the right to call him out, challenge him, joke with him, and sometimes see through the façade Charles presents to everyone else.

And then there is his therapist.

That relationship is particularly important to me because therapy gives Charles a place where he doesn't have to perform strength.

He can talk.

He can process.

He can question himself.

He can admit when something hurts.

He can be vulnerable without feeling like vulnerability makes him less of a man.

That doesn't mean Charles suddenly becomes an open book. He doesn't.

He is still Charles.

But therapy gives him somewhere to put the emotions he doesn't know how—or doesn't feel comfortable—sharing with everyone else.

What I Love About Charles

One of the things I love about writing Charles is the contrast.

The world sees one Charles.

The people closest to him see another.

And the reader gets the privilege of seeing both.

That creates an interesting question: Who is the real Charles?

Is he the confident man everyone else sees?

Is he the vulnerable man his loved ones know?

Or is he both?

I believe the answer is both.

Charles doesn't become weaker because he has feelings. His emotions don't take away from his masculinity. In fact, I think allowing him to have those emotions makes him stronger and more human.

There is something powerful about a man who can command a room but still have one person who can make him completely vulnerable.

There is something beautiful about a man who appears tough to the world but has a soft place reserved for the people he loves.

And there is something incredibly real about someone who can spend the entire day telling everyone else, "I'm good," and then finally sit down with the one person who knows he isn't.

The Flashback Changes the Way We See Him

This is one of the reasons I wanted readers to experience the Flashback to the Chance Series.

Sometimes, to understand who someone is today, you have to go back and see who they were yesterday.

The flashback gives readers another opportunity to look at Charles—not simply as the man they already know, but as a person whose experiences helped shape the man he became.

It gives us a chance to look beneath the armor.

And Many Chances continues that opportunity by allowing readers to experience these characters from another perspective.

That's one of the things I enjoy most about storytelling. A character can mean something completely different to you than they do to me as the author.

So, What Do You Think About Charles?

Now I want to hear from you.

When you read Charles, what do you see?

Do you see a man who is emotionally guarded?

Do you see a man who has been taught that showing emotion is weakness?

Do you see someone who is protective of the people he loves?

Do you think his tough exterior makes him more intriguing?

Or do you sometimes want to grab him by the shoulders and say, "Charles, just tell somebody how you feel!"?

Maybe you see something completely different.

That's the beauty of creating a character. Once the story leaves the author's hands and enters the reader's world, the character can become something more.

So, I want to know:

Who is Charles to you?

Is he invulnerable—or is he simply very selective about who gets to see his vulnerability?

Leave a comment and tell me your perspective. I would genuinely love to know how readers see the man behind Charles's armor.