Every hero needs a villain.
Remember the cardboard cutout dastardly villain who squeezed his handle bar mustache between his fingers while tying the damsel in distress to the railroad tracks. Those days are over.
If you are a writer and you have a great hero, there is one thing that you need; an even GREATER villain.
Today’s readers and audiences don’t expect a bad guy who is all brawn and no brains. They want a villain who challenges our hero and defeats him time and time again. This allows you to build tension. Readers want a cunning evil doer who is always two steps ahead of our protagonist.
Think of The Joker (the Heath Ledger version of course) in The Dark Knight, constantly outwitting everyone including Batman. Hannibal Lecter “quid pro quo” demands of Clarice Starling; before he led her to a serial killer (Buffalo Bill) she desperately needed to stop, all the while planning his bold escape from prison. Each bad guy absolutely brilliant yet controlled by their psychopathic desires.
To strengthen your story, give your villain a justified reason to be evil. In my yet to be published sci-fi novel/screenplay, Paradox, Mabus (villain) witnessed the slaughter of his family, now he will over protect his kingdom (his new family). Give the antagonist motivations and goals that conflict with your hero’s needs. Let them clash. The protagonist/antagonist opposing needs will provide conflict throughout your story building to a page turning finale.
This chimp loves writing antagonist and their evil deeds (and an occasional naughty).
Do you enjoy writing wicked?
Please note: My poetic friends, you are not off the hook. Do you enjoy writing wicked? (I mean wicked in all its evil and naughty connotations.)
I do enjoy wicked but I don’t write wicked…funny about that… these are two of my favorite crazies 🙂
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LOL But if you like it, why don’t you write it once in a while?
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haha, that is a very fair question to which I have no answer 🙂 … perhaps I will consider it!
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Has this chimp inspired you? LOL
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perhaps…we’ll see what monkeying thoughts have been spawned…
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the lonely author inspires….frightening
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yes…he does
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I do enjoy a good (evil) villain. Thanks for your post.
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Thanks for commenting. The more evil the more interesting.
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Writing wicked can be fun, no doubt, but sometimes I cringe when I do it. I hate to be so mean to my poor hero. But alas, it has to be done. But luckily my heroes always seem to come out ahead. 😉
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Great. You wrote about a serial killer, so I know you write wicked.
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Personally, I love writing wicked poetry. It brings me a sense of insanity and laughter.
When I write by myself – I laugh but that’s because I’m thinking eating a cookies with milk. Milk does the body good. Especially, if you want your own body to be invaded by the milk harbingers. 🙂
The Joker and Hannibal Lecter are my favorite villains of all time.
However, we have to wait till’ next year for (DC Suicide Squad) movie.
I’m crossing my fingers and hope that Jared Leto does not fuck up as the new Joker. Will compare the difference between Heath Ledger’s version and Jared Leto.
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Aha. I thought so. On occasions Lonely Author has a milk mustache while writing. Milk with cookies does a body better. More often my chin is is drenched in red wine. Heath w=could never replaced as the Joker. Thanks for commenting. We shall see. Enjoy the cow juice.
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Yes. Mixing red wine with milk should open new portals to better health care reforms and Phantoms eating Neosporin. 🙂
Say, I posted a new poem. Feel free to have a read. 🙂
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Wine and milk mixed? Yeah, that will open some portals. I will be there to read.
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hahaha!!! Imagine the possibilities. 🙂
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barf…….lol
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LOL!!!!
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hey part of the poem is out of whack. is that on purpose or have I had too much wine.
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It’s done on Purpose. Under my madness.
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I thought it was the wine. I shall return
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It’s okay. The poem is a Halloween poem for the masses.
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the horrors. I will read. lol
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I write it better in poetry.
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Will have to scour your blog carefully.
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I have another blog called wearyramblings.WordPress.com where i keep my poetry
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Yippeee. Is that an invitation for the Lonely Author?
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It is! And thank you for your follow 🙂
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I will read later today or tomorrow.
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Of course, now that I think about it, my villains are usually the self or someone unnamed.
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????
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Meaning it’s an inner battle. Or I’m writing broken heart poetry. So no Darth Vader type villain.
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Ok. But not all villains are Darth Vader types. Heroes battle Mother Nature, beasts. Lonely Author had to risk life and limb one time battling a fierce cockroach. Villains come in all shapes and sizes. I need to read more of your work to see that wicked side..
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Yes you’re right! And btw, cockroaches ARE evil!
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And disgusting. lol
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Agreed! Forgot to mention that my 11 year old son loves to make up his own superheros villains. He draws the comics and writes the stories. Very talented. He prefers villains. Today he asked for help naming his evil organization 🙂
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Somewhere in the late sixties early seventies the anti heroes came onto the scene. The Godfather, Taxi Driver, etc. Now, it’s the villain that captures our youngin’s attention.
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Definitely his!
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A good villain does make for a more interesting story.
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Frightened people love an omnipotent villain. I call it the gargoyle syndrome. It’s epidemic these days.
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Yeah, it is. By today’s standards the Wicked Witch of the West is lame. When I was a little bugger, she scared the crap out of me.
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I loved the old scifi pics like “Creature from the Black Lagoon” and I love good horror stories rich in the psychological aspects they represent. I hate shock and awe and blood and gore for special effects sake. Art in general these days leans too heavily on technology and formula. Art is lost in craft and the desire to please consumers who don’t know the difference but true art is vital for a healthy culture. Anyway…I only write about villains that are real.
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I remember that one. I enjoyed the old black and white Flash Gordon. That first sci-fi movie won me over was the original Planet of The Apes. Lonely Author does not do blood. I agree, movies and art too reliant on technology. Thanks for the comments and interesting conversation.
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Not of the hook eh? lol Writing wicked is a challenge for me. I haven’t let myself go there in my writing yet.
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Try it one day. As writers we need to explore the unknown or at the very least push our boundaries.
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Alright, give me a poetic challenge, the character (make it very wicked) lol
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Try it. Let me know when you have it done for me to read.
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k
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Wicked?!?!? Nope! I have too much of that in my real life for me to even want to read about it let alone make stories of it. But if anything, I enjoy reading biographies or autobiographies of “wicked” people lol
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lol Yeah, there is too much of that in real life. You will your daily minimum requirement of wicked reading biographies.
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A most excellent post, Sir. And I completely agree with everything you’ve said. The villain is key.
As to writing wicked, my response can only be: heck yeah. Wicked is where it’s at for me, at this point in my life. One of the many advantages of having a creative outlet is being able to let off steam. Better to release our “wicked” through writing, rather than “real” life. Besides writing should be fun, alongside work. And wicked, naughty, or dark writing is fantastic fun.
Love the dialogue you’re set up here. You’re very good at it.
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Oh, thanks. The villain is the key. The greatest books have had great villains. The hero needs a worthy opponent, whether it is a person, nature, or machine. Yeah writing is my therapy. Thanks for the compliment.
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Wicked is hard for me. My stories usually have “inner” demons that they battle. I can write short stories with actual real villains, but have trouble finding enough “in between” and “filler” scenes to keep the momentum going in true hero-villain plot lines. Still working on that.
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Remember villains come in all shapes and sizes. A hero can fight a beast or the weather as in The Prefect Storm. I love the inner demons. I spend much of my non-writing time conversing with mine.
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I don’t think I write villains well – which is odd, because I have always enjoyed a good (or, as the case generally is, bad) villain!
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It takes a lot of practice to write and thing evil.
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Like everything – practice makes perfect (or at least close to it!).
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Exactly. Thanks for commenting.
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I honestly haven’t written a poem or story since I was a child, but I have always enjoyed reading and watching (TV shows and movies) wicked. It keeps you on your toes and it is exciting!
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Of course it is. A bad guy makes things interesting. Thanks for commenting. Will see you at your blog.
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Just about to invent a villain for my novel and now I think I have to make him REALLY nasty. I have a couple baddies and a traitor but the story needs a BAD BAD BAD guy to do exactly as you said.
Thanks man!
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Sure, happy to help creative minds. Have his desires conflict with the hero if you can. Keep me posted on how it goes. Thanks for stopping by. It must be hard typing against the fridge.
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You’d better believe it 🙂
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lol
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Sometimes I confess I enjoy writing my wicked characters more than my good characters…😁
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The same thing happens to me. I had strict parents. I always did bad things in my writing. Between you and me, sometimes I run around the house with scissors.
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Hahaha yeah me too, my parents were unbelievably strict. Like I didn’t even have a boyfriend until I was 21, and wasn’t allowed to have a job outside the home. Lol
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My parents never allowed to have a boyfriend…..wait I’m a guy. haha Whenever my Dad punished my with no TV or friends; I survived by writing. That is how I started. And on many of the occasions my anger led me to writing evil.
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My favourite villain is the one within my protagonist.
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Good point. You like a little bad boy in your good boy. A flawed protagonist comes from good writing. Thanks for the comment.
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I love writing evil, despite being a sweet granny who wouldn’t hurt a soul. Nuanced villains are the best. I like your description of what compels Mabus. When they believe that they are doing the “just or moral” thing, it can get quite interesting. 🙂
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Hey, sweet grannies can make for some great villains. lol I love what you said. When a villain believes he is morally right it makes for a more interesting character. Thanks so much for contributing to the discussion. I love talking writing.
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Me too. Sometimes I have trouble talking about anything else!
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That happens so often tome, I laugh when I see my wife’s eyes roll. When the inspiration hit, that is all I can talk about.I guess I am a boring guy at times.
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I can talk about the word “that” for half an hour.
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LOL
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never tried it before though, wait never mind, I am in the process of trying my hand at that type of dark writing, a psychological dark writing…
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You scaring this coward. Sounds good so far. Let me know how it goes.
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I do not enjoy wicked, nor write FOR the wicked, I mean wicked 😀
But here and there, I will insert evil laughter to entertain THE wicked 😀
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lol You insert wicked laughter to entertain the wicked. You meant moi?
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Is your house fragile?? Okay no worries .. Not throwing stones. ☺️☺️
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Throw the stones. LOL I have had worse things thrown at me. And trust me when I say that.
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I can’t .. They won’t fly. Ran out of magic potion 🙂 kkkkkkkk
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LOL
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😀
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I quite enjoy writing villains. Even more than heroes. And I like a whacky character with a lot of humor.
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Me too. I make sure to insert personality into them. I like wacky too. That is why I enjoyed the Joker so much.
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Hmm… Interesting challenge. I haven’t written a truly wicked character in probably 25 years or so, and even those tended toward the tortured soul genre. I might have to pick up this gauntlet just for fun. Thanks for the inspiration and the fascinating dialogue here! I get so excited when that notification comes in that you’ve posted something new… 🙂
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Oh, this chimp is so flattered. Feeling less lonely. Yeah, we have to write what we know, but from time to time, we need to step outside of our comfort zone. Happy to inspire and/or motivate. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
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Why am I taking advantage of the wicked stories? Because I myself am wicked. 😛
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I believe I will have to scour your page to find the wickedness. lol
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Lol…Wickedness is in me, how will it here and there?
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Lonely Author will search….
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Haha.. It’s just your Valetudinarianism.
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Hahaha. Had to whip out the dictionary. Yeah, it’s true. lol
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Haha..crap!!!
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so true, I think we all love a good bad guy, don’t we? just look at how well Frank Underwood is doing on House of Cards. bad guys are also a lot more fun to write I think because they’re further removed from our real selves (hopefully!). I think we’re moving away from the cardboard cutout good/bad characters to exploring more three dimensional characters who can be good and bad, depending on the readers perspective..?
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Yes we do. NO good guy is all good. No bad guy is all bad. And no chimp is all monkey. Ooops. Bad guys make books and film so entertaining. And they are a load of fun to write. There I can do all the things I normally wouldn’t do.
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I’ve never written anything wicked, but my favorite stories are all wicked. Maybe I should give it a go! Thanks for your post 🙂
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Hey, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Sometimes we need to challenge ourselves to writer something out of our comfort zone.
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I haven’t tried writing wicked but really enjoy unexpected twists. Gone Girl was one of my favorite reads recently because it was so unusual.
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That was a great one. I always try to read the book before I see the movie. I was so glad I did that with Gone Girl. Great read.
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Me too – I was so glad I read the book but it was really well done in the movie.
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Yeah, it was of those rare times Hollywood got it right. Almost made me ready to forgive Hollywood for the way they handled The Time Traveler’s Wife. Loved the book and even the actors, but the movie let me down.
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I didn’t read the book so I was in blissful ignorance…
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The Time Traveler’s Wife was excellent. Sometimes its better to be in blissful ignorance. Makes for a happier life. lol
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Does a villain always needs a reason to be mad? Can it not be just a desire to watch the world burn? 😉
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As a writer you are obligated to inform the readers of the reasons behind his madness.
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But joker’s past was never fully explained, and I think that made him the best villain ever. The bad that can be cured isn’t enough bad. The bad that can’t be cured,
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Oh, well in film the character’s past isn’t always covered. I meant in novels. Joker is one of my all time favorites. No, he couldn’t be cured.
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I haven’t read the comics but I have heard that even in the comics, his past wasn’t covered.
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Interesting
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But the joker’s past was never fully explained. I think that a joker like case will always get more attention than a predictable one. Readers today are getting pretty smart, you need to give them something which didn’t turn evil by a situation because that can be treated. But to keep the origin of a villain ambiguous, you must show such a powerful presence of him/her that the readers wonder about it, that they are forced to think that how can one be so evil? And the rest is all known.
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You have a point. Readers don’t want the usual predictable crap. So, maybe that is the best way.
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Hard to beat a likable pathological, like say, Dexter. I know to many, they would sue me for slander all thinking it was obviously all about them.
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LOL
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My villains do evil things only for the best of reasons.
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Good. They need to have strong reasons for the things they do.
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I believe our villains are more imaginative than our heroes because they express things that most of us can only imagine, and would never imagine actually doing or being. Because of this, we rely more on our imaginations for their creation which ultimately makes them deeper, richer, and far more interesting.
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So true. Do you enjoy writing them?
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I just enjoy writing the story, I don’t focus on any particular thing too much, but I would say that the thing I enjoy the most is writing the conversations and interactions between characters. My ideas are wild and imaginative and I find the simplest interactions to be some of the most enjoyable parts of the book writing process.
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I love the process, too.
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I just love your writing style, one of my favourite blogs to read. Not a surprise then that I’ve nominated you for The Blogger Recognition Awards: http://lisavillaume.com/2015/10/29/a-huge-thank-you-and-the-blogger-recognition-awards/ xx
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Oh, thank you Lisa. I am so flattered. You are so sweet. Aren’t there other bloggers more deserving than I? I just started blogging in September. Honestly, I can’t accept. I am tied up querying literary agents for my manuscripts and it is occupying much of my time. Thank you so much. I hope I haven’t offended you in any way.
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Reblogged this on Crazy Pasta Child.
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Thank you so much I am flattered.
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I enjoy reading wicked!
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Me too. Thanks for stopping by.
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I love your blog. Writing really is a lonely profession, but I can’t imagine do anything else (not that I’m published or anything.) 🙂 Thank you for commenting and following Flaggfan. It’s much appreciated!
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Thanks so much. Writing does get lonely. Sure. It is a pleasure spending time on your blog. Thanks for stopping by.
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You’re most welcome! I’m glad you enjoy it. I’ve been in the process of customizing it. Anytime!
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Take care.
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I read the title and immediately thought of the Wicked book series. Disappointed, but not too much.
I recently wrote a one shot for a writing contest. I came in second for Best Villain and second for Most Original story :D. I’ve written for these contests off and on over the last couple of years and other than a ‘win’ when I was the only entry this is the first time I’ve got more than an honorable mention and actually had some competition.
*pats self on back*
Proud of myself, and my boyfriend since he was the inspiration beyond the initial contest idea.
It could be better, I’m sure, but it is what it is :D.
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Wow, that is great. I was once a semi finalist in a screenwriting competition. That is so exciting. Stick to it. You will get it done.
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:). Thank you. It’s on my site if you want to read it.
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Thanks so much.
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Reblogged this on Tiffany Belle Harper and commented:
Really useful tips here for aspiring writers to include myself!
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omg Thanks so much. I wanted to say so much more, but I like to keep my posts brief. I think it is more effective that way.
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I am learning a great deal. I lost a lot of confidence due to being bullied via Twitter. I am beginning to write again. Thanks so much.
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I don’t do twitter. Actually I have stopped all social media. It never helped my writing; it only ate up hours I could be writing, querying, or editing. I will spend more time on your page. This writing community is positive and supportive. I will be there to keep you motivated.
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Exactly the same with me. I was too open with my ideas and they were sabotaged before they even got off the ground by ego maniacism. Thank you I will keep you close. I am dyslexic so it takes me a while to get it right. Thank you so much.
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I can be a silly moron, I don’t always get it right either. So happy that we found each other. This weekend I will stop by your blog.
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Thank you. I love to be inspired.
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I want to share two thoughts:
1. Disturbing.
Like certain edible things have toxins or will upset the stomach. I choose to avoid.
2. Error.
A hero does not (necessarily) need a villain.
Hazardous Adventure and overcoming personal limits are enough drama to entertain a story about the protagonist.
I think mass media, corporate sponsored entertainment, Cinematic drama has over-influenced the art of story telling.
Where today in this 21st century, far too many individuals are under the influence of institutional story telling because it is profitable and the simple plot structure elements works.
Nuanced and non-villainous stories about good people and a good community is now a rare story to be told…
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Interesting comment.to say the least. I agree with every point you made. There are hundreds of great coming-of-age stories in literature. And plenty of people overcoming personal adversity. When I said every hero needs a villain it was simply to start a dialogue about writing villains nothing as profound as you made it out to be. It must be difficult taking everything so seriously. Thankfully, I don’t suffer from that affliction. Thanks for your two cents.
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LOL 🙂
OK, I do enjoy laughter, I have difficulty to laugh at bloody gore.
Can a writer keep a penny jar nearby? ; )
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LOL I don’t read or watch horror or gore. Totally unnecessary. That subject will get me angry. Hollywood force feeds it down our throats. Thanks for the comment..I have several penny jars beside me. LOL
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Wicked is more enjoyable to write than good. I love getting inside the minds of the bad guys…fleshing them out, explaining what makes them tick. Antagonists usually have complicated and horrific backstories, usually more interesting than the protagonists.
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Early Sunday morning, I expect to be here alone. I agree with everything you said. I love writing villains and all of the evil things I wouldn’t dare think of doing. Writers have evolved. Writing a flawed protagonist can be fun, too. I guess any kind of writing can be fun. Thanks for stopping by. Have a magnificent day.
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Everyone has flaws…a protagonist with no flaws is boring, to say the least.
You enjoy your day as well. As for me, I’m off to work in a bit.
Kathy
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Have a good one.
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Gone are the days of the unsympathetic villain! I love it when the so-called “villain” has more layers than just simply being the evil factor in the story. It’s fantastic when the storyteller prompts the reader to question their allegiance between the hero and villain. Then again…I thoroughly enjoy learning about what makes the antagonist tick. The story is very different when seen from their perspective.
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Me too. Thankfully we our villains have evolved from the days cardboard figures. A good writer should find a way to justice the villain’s evil that makes them so much more compelling. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts
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