Villain Vanquished

All writers have a different style – some are plotters, some write by the seats of their pants, some work with a combo of the above or their very own construct. It doesn’t matter how the author creates, but what the author creates – and what the writer creates is a story filled with characters we root for and against.

There is a great deal of information available about heroes – alpha or beta, romantic or hard-boiled. Is he tall, athletic and handsome, or do the ladies adore his geekiness?

Our favorite heroines are generally smart, funny, and accomplished. But then again, there are the Stephanie Plums of the world, too! She’s smart, she’s funny, she’s klutzy!

But villains – where do the villains come from? Are they archetypes, constructs from our days of hearing fairy tales and myths? Are they the product of nightmares or do we pick our boss’ least appealing characteristics and make them bigger than life? Do we build him or her from people we read or hear about in the news? In documentaries? Or are they only a product of the writer's fertile imagination?

As far back as man has created, the villain has been a crucial component of the storyteller’s craft. The villain – or villainess, as the case may be – creates a great deal of stress and angst for our lovely hero and heroine. The villain will thwart them at every turn for a while, and then their brilliance, bravery and moxie will shine as the villain is conquered.

What was our bad guy’s fatal flaw – hubris, stupidity, inexperience? Whatever it is, it brings him down in the end.

And isn’t that what we all want – to see justice done, the villain stopped and our hero or heroine win the day?

Who is your favorite fictional villain and why?

Libby
Libby McKinmer
www.libbymckinmer.com
Romance with an edge
Find me on Facebook, Twitter & Goodreads

Ramping Up the Conflict

There is an essential need to up the ante in a mystery – your reader expects it. It's part of what you've promised as a writer of a mystery. If there’s a murder, is there the threat of a second or a third? Could the investigator be at risk? Someone near and dear to him or her? If there isn’t the threat of a murder, could it be that the villain will “get away” with his or her plan? What effect will that have on the hero, the investigator or innocent bystanders? You want your readers to keep turning the pages, wanting to know what's going to happen next…and you want them to really be cheering on the hero/heroine. 

The author must increase the conflict and tension to have a satisfying denouement that the reader can believe in and be happy about. We can have conflict between characters if the investigator and the villain come face-to-face. Or the villain and another victim. Or the investigator and authorities, if the detective isn’t law enforcement.

How dark are the woods?

Writers can also increase the tension in a story with setting and atmosphere. A dark, deserted urban setting is much more intimidating than a peaceful country trail on a sunny day with dozens of hikers around. A dwelling with no power versus a homey bed & breakfast with a grandmotherly owner. A storm (whether wind, rain or snow) versus the perfect sunny day with puffy clouds. A cute cuddly kitten is much less tension-inducing than a hungry lion or tiger.

I find it a “fun” part of the process to increase the tension and conflict – maybe because there are so many options.

What makes you keep reading a mystery title?

Over on the Make Mine Mystery blog at www.blogspot.com, there's a post about having lots of books around and it got me to thinking about my books and their place in our life. Books are everywhere -- family room, living room, bedroom, office, bathroom -- often the dining room as well. I have them on shelves, in book cases, on tables, on vanities and nightstands, even a couple in a lovely woven basket, some in drawers and on desks! There are magazines, books, catalogues -- if it's in print, it's reading material. I've read a cereal box while eating breakfast!

I come by it honestly -- both my parents read a lot -- my Dad read to me before I was born. And to this day, Mom and I tell each other about good books we think the other would like to read.

I like fiction, but have a sizeable collection of non-fiction, too; mostly related to the crafts of writing and editing.

I have books I'll re-read, authors I wait for their next release and books I'm willing to share with others. I have a box already packed to take to my sister's cottage next time we go because the whole family reads, and a cottage is a great, guilt-free reading zone!

I'm getting a lot of books from the library these days, but I live in a small town and our indie bookstore closed. To me, a very sad day. But I order books online and usually have a few books in my shopping cart or on my wish list at the online bookstores!

And ebooks make it super-easy to get all the reading I can long for! My publisher, Amber Quill Press, regularly runs discounts on their books -- a nice perk in this economic climate to get something on sale!

To be honest, about the only thing I don't care to read are instruction manuals!!

It's cool and chilly with overcast skies -- perfect reading-by-the-fireplace weather.

Autumn Evenings

I love autumn evenings...it's dark earlier, so it's an excuse to have the fireplace on, to snuggle up with a book or tv, sip lemon tea with honey and milk, and indulge myself just a little. As a bonus, maybe I can hear rain on the roof.

I just finished reading a couple of mysteries by favorite writers and am reading some chick lit these days. And one of these evenings, with the fireplace near my laptop and desk, I'm going to have a chance to work on Race to Win. I can hardly wait to see where the characters lead me next. Since I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer, I do get to be surprised, too!

However, I'm not a seat-of-the-pants editor (self-editing or otherwise), so I know I'll soon be going over what I've written with a fine-toothed comb, but part of the joy of writing is that chance to dive into the lives and stories of your characters with abandon, letting them play, figure out the clues to find the bad guy and fall in love. It can be chaotic, like life, but unlike life, I can go back in and smooth out the rough edges!

So, please, make a cup of your favorite coffee, tea or hot chocolate, grab something off your TBR stack and indulge in an autumn evening of relaxation and reading.