From Writing Violence #3: Hitting and Getting Hit In closing this chapter, Id like to turn your attention to the asocial process predator. The bottomline with these beasts is they enjoy it. Now they may get other bennies from it, but theres a level of sadism that either supersedes or undermines all other rationalizations. Now I know the current standard is to write a convincing character you have to give him reasons for doing what he is doing. This lest you ~gasp~ make a mustache twiddling villain. But the raw truth is there are monsters out there. Monsters who do it because they like it. There is evil in the world. I know, I know, its not a popular idea. But as many psychological and social pressures as you give such an antagonist to justify his actions, he will always remain a one-dimensional-character to your reader if you dont add -- that on some level -- its an absolute and total rush to the character. As such, hes kinda looking for a excuse to do it. And the slightest excuse will do. These monsters twist normal social scripts to give themselves -- not permission (they dont need that) -- but a justification to harm others. It is with these monsters is where you get your power and control mythos, not in social violence. Social violence -- like all violence -- is just too complicated to fit in that narrow definition or simplistic narrative. `
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 19:06:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015