Saturday, January 28, 2012

Villains

What kind of bad guy do you like in your books?
Obviously it depends on the genre you write, but personally I love the subtle ones.  Ones that you're not quite sure if you like them or not.  The example that comes to mind is Anna Karenina (because I read that book recently!).  I was sympathetic towards her until she left her only child, that she adored, for a man who she was having an affair with.  Then she became unforgivable to me, because how could a mother do that?  In a way, these kind of people are fun to read about because it gives you a little boost, as in, I'm a much better person than this.
In the novel I'm working on, my villain is based on a real life person who portrayed herself in different ways to different people.  From the perspective of certain people, she was not a bad person at all, but there was definitely an ugly side to her character.  That's how it is in real life, and that's what makes it interesting.
What's your opinion?





6 comments:

  1. Hello! I found you through the BBQ at WIP it...your blog is lovely!

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  2. Thanks for joining my blog! And for the compliment:) Loved the BBQ idea- it's been a way to find some great connections with other writers. I'm heading over to your blog right now!

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  3. I don't know if there is one thing specifically that I like about villains. I like the ones that make me conflicted, where I almost want them to get what I want. Some are just so much fun that I like them despite themselves.

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  4. That's a great point, about almost wanting them to get what they want. Villains make the conflict and the story multi-faceted, instead of just flat.

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  5. What is it about a tortured soul that's so appealing??? Maybe its the girl in me that wants to save everyone, IDK... I love a bad guy that's doing what he's doing because he *thinks* it's for the greater good. I always root for the bad guy! Don't know what's wrong with me! LOL

    And a new follower here too... I'm glad we've connected! :D

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    1. Thanks for joining my blog! Those characters are so complex, aren't they? Thanks for sharing your thoughts:)

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