Comments on: On Writing: Letting Go of Too-Nice Writing

By: Blacklisted by Gena Showalter Book Notes and Sunday Sketch (yes, I know it’s not Sunday yet) - Today, I Read…

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:04:07 +0000

[...] we got to see the brave, strong Camille that she never realized she could be. But it was no big. I also wish the bad guys had been a little badder. (Eh hem, I’m looking at some of those A.I.R. [...]

By: Mary D

Mary D — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:11:00 +0000

I think you’ve made an excellent point, because too often we are trying to stay within these social ‘perceived boundarires’! I’ve been working almost 9 years on a tale of Lucifer and his protegee, and I fall into the same trap, even when I can feel my characters insisting on being their own selves!

By: Belle

Belle — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:56:48 +0000

Margot, you’ve got a great idea there – I don’t think I pay much attention to the antagonist in the books that I read.

Cathryn, I think I have a strong mediator thing going on here – when my conflict scenes are intense, I have a tendency to insert myself into things and try to work out a resolution that benefits everyone all around. Doesn’t work well at all in an action-driven novel.

By: Cathryn

Cathryn — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:50:20 +0000

I also have the opposite problem - characters that are too one-dimensional. It's mostly a question of what parts of their lives I'm showing; focusing on strong conflict scenes has tended to bring out the worst in them. Cathryn’s last blog post..Precision

By: Margot

Margot — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:54:43 +0000

This post and the comments make for very interesting thinking. I've been staring at my laptop for ten minutes now trying to think this through. This is a tough one. I'm going to start paying attention to the attributes of evil people or people I consider bad. Then the hard part will be how to show those bad attributes in actions that are convincing enough for readers. Margot’s last blog post..Two Summer Salads

By: Belle

Belle — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:36:16 +0000

Molly, that’s my worry, too – will my villains be too stereotypical? I know what you mean, about how being a good person can make it harder to make the bad guy really a bad guy. I find myself not wanting them to be really that bad, to be capable of being “rescued” and turned onto a life of good. I think that works in some types of fiction, but it’s more difficult to have in an epic type, good vs. evil thriller.

Memory, it’s interesting and very true what you say – whether one goes all bad or all good, the stereotype is the danger.

By: Memory

Memory — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:35:24 +0000

I have the opposite problem with my villains; they tend to be stereotypes. I find that I need to really dig down deep to find their good qualities and make them well-rounded individuals. Memory’s last blog post..Oh, Pronunciation

By: Molly

Molly — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:11:14 +0000

What great insight you have to your own writing's strengths and weaknesses. Are your bad guys too good because you are a good person? I don't mean to be funny, but rather serious. You have me thinking: could I write about a bad guy? Do I know enough about being "bad" to make her/him believable or would I develop a stereotype character? Fascinating observation and I am anxious to see how you infuse "badness" into your "good" antagonists. Molly’s last blog post..451 Fridays