I will be working on a young adult romance novel called “The Ballad of a Loverboy.” My intention with this novel is to break down how current constructs of masculinity are harmful to men and how men are hurt by the patriarchy in a way that is unique to them. The plotline follows the titular Loverboy, a high schooler who grows up in an abusive home. His father is an alcoholic who abuses his mother frequently, but when he tries to help his mother, she vehemently refuses, claiming that all men are the same and that he is no different. He’s convinced that any man is inherently harmful to women and that the best thing to do is to not be involved with them. However, he falls in love with a girl and eventually starts dating her. The plot of the novel is essentially how he navigates his feelings while battling his own internalized misogyny towards himself. The main characters are Loverboy, his Lucky Girl, and his friend Wingman, who slowly teaches him the healthy ways of being masculine. I will also be applying to the Boston Public Library’s Alan Andres Writer-in-Residence program with this project as well, though if I do not make it, then I will keep working on the novel on my own.