The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

One of my great discoveries of writing a novel or a story, if you will, is the opportunity to play all the parts. Male and female, good and bad, hero and villain. It truly is amazing how many of those characters we actually have locked up inside ourselves that would never see the light of day, simply because of social constraints. It is different as an author, instead of being the reader. As a reader, I often get immersed into characters in the book I am reading but I establish which side I am on and so I never really get into the psyche of the other side. Writing, though, gives me the freedom to explore those boundaries and even stretch them because I am creating both sides. I'm sure the same could be said about acting, art and music. In my case it is writing. The good was the easiest for me to create. It's always fun to be the good guy or the hero or heroine. Leandro for instance, the quintessential prince, good looking, fierce, tender and a leader. It was also fun developing Anaterri's character. Drop dead gorgeous, sexy, an herbalist and healer and a dragon that can kick some ass when she gets mad. The more difficult characters for me to fully develop were the bad guys but every good fantasy or thriller or mystery needs bad guys. They can range from kinda, sorta bad guys to really, really creepy bad guys. I had fun creating a full array of villains. In the beginning they were all just kind of bad. I remember reaching that point within myself of having to say, "it's okay to be really bad, this is a story." I really struggled with that for a while. I was afraid that readers would think that was really me, and then I thought of some of the good "thriller" writers I have read, a couple of them who are really attractive women but have written some really grisly stuff and thought, that's what made the story. There's no sense in just putting your toe in the water, just jump in feet first. I felt my first real sense of accomplishment in that arena when a good friend of mine called me, after reading a particular part in the manuscript and said that she actually had to stop reading because the scene was making her nauseous. I thought, "right on dudet", I hit a nerve. It only helps you build that sense of who to cheer for and who to jeer for. And then finally when the good meets the bad, it can get ugly. Yes, I know...the good guys wear white hats and win. Not always.