Monday, April 15, 2013

Evil Makes My Job Fun...Uh-Oh!

MUSE MONDAY

I'm experiencing a new thrill in my writing - the evil antagonist. Everything I've written up to now has had an antagonist, but not like my new crew. Antagonists help create conflict which every story needs. The conflict helps keep those pages turning. But my antagonists have been lacking in true evil. Some aren't even close to mean or truly bad. They create conflict but not out of any purposeful malice.

For instance, in Sleeping with the Lights On, my redheaded Amazon sized stalker is a sexy female. She is daunting for Sandra, and she is certainly a schemer but not the chill provoker like a thoroughly nasty villain. She does wreck havoc and she has a gun...okay, better stop in case you haven't read the book yet.

A drug loving, female manipulator in the form of a famous rock star was the antagonist in Tattoos, Leather and Studs. He does present a problem for Rachael but her life is never in jeopardy.

The Morning After is ripe with misunderstandings creating conflict. Hmmm...no antagonist, just a fun read about love at first sight.

A Rita Hayworth look-a-like and a hormone ridden high school senior are the antagonists in Honey On White Bread. Separately, they create obstacles and general chaos for Claire and Benjamin, but the danger is that of the heart and the happily ever after.

In my soon to be published short, Amanda in the Summer, the antagonist is a friend, a much loved friend. Kind of makes you want to cry. I won't say anymore about that!

So now that I've ventured into truly evil antagonist territory, I'm learning what I've been missing. I'm not sure what it says about me, but I love getting into these guys' heads. My series has a working title of Love and Murder so we aren't talking cozy mystery.

My first bad guy is intelligent but warped. Love has warped him. Oh sure! He thinks so. And to what length will he go for his love? I'm not sure his love would agree with his methods and ideas. He's an older gentleman so the trick is keeping him intelligent but demented. This is like exercise for a writer. Felt ever so good to stretch my ability and learn something for my efforts.

Number two evil doer is not so smart. He's fowl mouthed and down right creepy. I have to admit, I'm enjoying him even more than smart bad guy. His reasoning is exceptionally skewed. The challenge with this young man is presenting is cockeyed reasoning in such a way that the reader buys it, believes it and keeps turning those pages.

In the third book of the series, a woman has intruded into the story to be probably the worst evil in the series. Think Nazi, think no conscience. I'm rubbing my hands together in anticipation already. Bwahahahaha!

I'd love to hear what type your favorite bad guy or lady is. Intelligent? Obnoxious creep? Vamp?

For more about my published works: http://www.brendawhiteside.com/books.html

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4 comments:

  1. I (blush) enjoyed making the mother the evil, crazed villain in my first book. My mother raised her eyebrows and gave me the look and I cracked up. I said we're suppose to write what we know and had a good laugh. My mom isn't evil - just crazy.

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  2. Hi Brenda,
    I modeled the antagonist in my first book, IMPETUOUS, after my aunt and the way she treated her daughter. Of course I changed a few things, but I doubt she'd see herself as Vivian (the evil character) because she thinks she is a wonderful mother. How's that for irony? :o)

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    1. Hi Katherine. I suppose the bad can't see themselves as what they are much of the time. Some good came from her if you got a book out of it!

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