In Prasie of Bad Characters - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T11:15:50Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:37499?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A45583&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThis really is no different f…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-03:537324:Comment:456142007-06-03T14:39:00.856ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
This really is no different from writing "round" characters. Realistic characters come with all levels of "goodness" or "badness" mixed together. And even villains need motivation and background to make them believable.
This really is no different from writing "round" characters. Realistic characters come with all levels of "goodness" or "badness" mixed together. And even villains need motivation and background to make them believable. I figure we're all bad to a d…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-03:537324:Comment:455832007-06-03T04:20:55.128ZBabe Kinghttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BabeKing
I figure we're all bad to a degree, and "good" characters make us uncomfortable. What is there to associate with or to love? My CPs often tell me that I need to make my characters a bit more likable at the beginning. To me, this starting place in a hole makes the emotional arc more fulfilling. I always win my CPs over by the end. But sometimes my characters start out too dippy, bitter or damaged, and I have to tone it down some. After all, winning the reader over can only happen if they keep…
I figure we're all bad to a degree, and "good" characters make us uncomfortable. What is there to associate with or to love? My CPs often tell me that I need to make my characters a bit more likable at the beginning. To me, this starting place in a hole makes the emotional arc more fulfilling. I always win my CPs over by the end. But sometimes my characters start out too dippy, bitter or damaged, and I have to tone it down some. After all, winning the reader over can only happen if they keep reading long enough. :-) People with flaws--or outrigh…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-16:537324:Comment:382572007-05-16T12:52:29.779ZCharles Kellyhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/pulpnoir
People with flaws--or outright bad people--are very compelling. Jason Starr's protagonists are my favorites. I agree that it's hard to pull the trigger on making your main character genuinely nasty. It's a bit easier with hard-boiled writing, because that's the name of the game. Even so, you write a character because you like him or her, and that gets in the way of having the character do vicious things. Got to do it, though.
People with flaws--or outright bad people--are very compelling. Jason Starr's protagonists are my favorites. I agree that it's hard to pull the trigger on making your main character genuinely nasty. It's a bit easier with hard-boiled writing, because that's the name of the game. Even so, you write a character because you like him or her, and that gets in the way of having the character do vicious things. Got to do it, though. I pick my spots on writing th…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-16:537324:Comment:378742007-05-16T01:20:13.446ZJordan Danehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JordanDane
I pick my spots on writing the dark side of the character, but it is consistently there. It's my favorite part. And to make them almost good, you put them up against someone worse or have them kill for all the wrong reasons but make the reader support & root for them. Manipulating the reader by scene selection and POV is one of the more fun things I do. But you can't cheat the reader by cleaning them up. Dark is the new black.
I pick my spots on writing the dark side of the character, but it is consistently there. It's my favorite part. And to make them almost good, you put them up against someone worse or have them kill for all the wrong reasons but make the reader support & root for them. Manipulating the reader by scene selection and POV is one of the more fun things I do. But you can't cheat the reader by cleaning them up. Dark is the new black.