Writing.Com General Discussion

Often, but not always, a block in writing means your brain is letting you know something isn't quite right. Sometimes it is the story. Maybe the destructive rage isn't the right move for the character. Or maybe it is, but the character's backstory needs some more development. (What sort of history would lead to a character who cannot express love but is prone to bouts of destructive anger? What sort of problems has that caused for that person growing up, and does it cause problems at work, as well as at home? How might readers see the possibility for this sort of behavior early in the story, or sense the build-up of the emotions the character vents in this scene?)

I don't think any sort of behavior is necessarily too intense for a male lead, but if you're writing mainstream, modern genre romance, it might be too intense for the genre, since readers bring certain expectations to books published in the genre (though I'm thinking of traditional publishing here! Self-pub has different expectations and allowances), and a male lead who gets physically violent might rub some readers the wrong way, regardless. I'm not a reader of romance, myself—I generally prefer speculative fiction—but I will admit that I'd be leery of a person who acted that way in real life, and I'd carry some of that to a character who acted that way in fiction, as well. Generally, I think there are more compelling ways to show emotional upset than wanton destruction, but it sometimes is the right choice, depending on the character you're writing.

"admiring this late author's work" — If you're writing this retelling for fun, write on! If you're aiming to retell a story that's not in the public domain (copyright usually persists for 70 years after an author's death, but sometimes for much longer) and hoping to publish that story, that's a whole different can of worms.