3/19/12

Gorgeous Evil


The antagonist is a character, characters, or force that the protagonist must deal with essentially in order to end the story. You can pick up a book or two that doesn’t follow the “protagonist vs. antagonist” formula, but ultimately these stories (although interesting in theory) are pointless because they simply do not go anywhere. And we all want the story to take us somewhere. At the conclusion, whether we like where the story took us or not, we will set that story aside and move on to the next. But if we really like where the story took us? We'll remember it.

Every writer knows the importance of having an antagonist (of some sort) in their stories. The better the antagonist, the better the conflict, and of course the better the conflict the more fascinating the story.  That’s just the way it is. You can argue and fuss, whine and ponder, but eventually if you want a vivid, absorbing, can’t-put-it-down-can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head story you must include a compelling villain. Is this what’s meant by the phrase, “necessary evil”? Perhaps. If you’re a Storyteller, yes. It’s pretty close to the top of the list of must-do’s, thereby necessary. And evil? Well, evil speaks for Itself. 

If you run across a villain that nearly makes you want to choke the author while demanding the answer to “how could you create such a fiend?” That’s a damn good villain. If the villain has reasoning and can make us see his/her point, that’s a plus. If tragedy made the villain, that’s an A+. We like to get to know our villains. If they’re interesting, that is. Who wants to get to know a boring villain? Just get rid of him/her/it and move on, right? But if the story exposes more than one dimension of the villain, we begin to wonder what made him/her? It’s fun to find out. A great villain will know or be able to easily read your protagonist (like a book, hah!). An excellent villain will always be one or more steps ahead of your hero*, this makes for a lively, thrilling, adventurous tale. When we get to know what’s coming next, but the hero doesn’t know what’s coming, this is exciting. We’re all just a little bent, aren’t we?

The highest honor I can bestow a villain is the title Gorgeous Evil.  “Gorgeous Evil” is the exceptional villain, the especially decadently delicious villain, the villain’s villain, the we-love-to-hate-him/her variety of villain. You know. The villain who you’re almost rooting for at the end. Whoops. Is that no-no? I don’t think so, but then I’m (more than) a little bent myself. 
  
Storyteller or not, we all know that the very existence of that Gorgeous Evil is what makes our Heroes grow. Without Gorgeous Evil, our Hero would have wandered aimlessly in Oz or just stayed at their uncle’s farm on Tatooine. Without Captain Hook, Neverland is merely a fun place full of anarchists and bohemians. Sherlock Holmes rouses from his rather pompous and cool demeanor when challenged by a criminal mind and is never more passionate than when on the trail of Moriarty. And what would Cinderella be without her Wicked Stepmother? A spoiled, daddy's girl. Legend's Jack and Lily without Darkness? Two lowly humans frolicking among the fairies. Or comic book superheros without his or her supervillains? Dull, dull, dullsky.

Long live Gorgeous Evil. May it continue to flourish and be defeated in equal measure.


*I chose not to use the term “heroine” for a female hero. It annoys me. A hero is by definition someone who commits an act or acts of bravery. That is simply not limited to males. Period. 



 

30 comments:

  1. I am so glad that you can't stand the term heroine either. That has always annoyed me, why make a separate term for women. Your post made me want to start a new book :)

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    1. I'm glad that you agree about "heroine"! Yeah, what is up with that?! Glad my post inspired you to start a new book. Sounds good to me!! Thanks, Frugal x

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  2. Hilarious. Protagonist is such a huge mouthful, though. I usually say "hero" and expect my readers to figure out gender. I don't use "heroine". Nope!

    I love your idea of villains being so essential. I hadn't thought of it like that, but now that you mention it... my WIP originated from anger towards an employee who blithely ignored the destructive wake she left behind her, always so innocent, guilt-free... business-destroying apathy!!!! I was so mad, I had to do something, so I wrote her in a story where she was a horrible villain!!! Lol. And fired her.

    I found your blog after you followed me on Pinterest. Too fun!!! -Burgandy Ice

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    1. Helloooo Laura, you're absolutely right, "protagonist" IS a mouthful! I LOVE how you took someone you worked with and turned her into a villain. That is flipping excellent! This is what we writers do! I would be very interested in reading about your employee/horrible villain! Thanks for the follow! Can't wait to check out your blog. :)

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  3. Yes, I agree. A good villain can, I believe, reflect the darkness we see in ourselves in a (I'm going to struggle to articulate this) good way. Like giving us permission to feel and be something through fiction. The danger, I guess, is disowning a villain because we're not comfortable with what we might have in ourselves. It's an interesting issue.

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    1. Absodamnlutely! Totally agree, RA. The villain is the writer's shadow. A really good villain, is a collective shadow. Pretty cool! And yes, disowning the villain or "shadow" side of ourselves I think can lead to all kinds of psychological issues. Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Totally agree about how a good villain is essential to a good story, as usual I can't quite think of any examples to make my point(other than the ones you've given) but I do know what you mean Knotty! Great post

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    1. Thanks, MGG! Always a pleasure to see you stop by :)

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  5. Knoty, I gave you an award, go to my blog and pick it up!

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  6. Hey Intricate Knot!

    First, I have to comment on the "Legend Darkness" photo. I LOVE LEGEND! SOOO cool to see other people that know that movie lol.

    Second, I apologize in the delay to tell you this news, but I awarded you the "Sunshine Award" sometime last week. I am so behind lol. You can check it out here: http://themusescircle.blogspot.com/2012/03/sunshine-award-tagged-my-picks-of-week.html

    Anyway, I hope all is well!

    Mia at The Muses Circle

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    1. Hey Mia!

      We like so many of the same things it's freaky! lol

      No need to apologize, I'm behind myself! I'll go check out your post now. Thanks so much, Mia!!

      I hope all is well with you, too. :)

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  7. Help! I've fallen and *gorgeous evil* has tied me to the bedpost! Oh, wait... wrong storyline.

    I LOVE a villain with depth! Admittedly, I'm not into zombies due to their apathetic nature... well, and of course that little problem they have with the flesh falling from their bodies. I make only two exceptions: 'Shaun of the Dead' (LOVE it) and 'Zombieland' (Priceless). As you can see, I'm no zombie connoisseur.

    My idea of Gorgeous Evil, is the anti-hero you wish you could save, if only in that one lovely, fleeting moment when you're convinced you could be happy living on the dark side. Suitable example: Young Darth Vader. And just about any villain role Kevin Spacey takes on. Oh, and Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear. And Edward Norton in... what was that movie?... Primal Fear! Yeah. That one. Yum.

    IK, your timing couldn't be better! I have been mulling over my own Gorgeous Evil in my WIP. I fear "HE" is downright wimpy. I think you've shed a whole new light with this post on Character and Depth! One might argue, it is Gorgeous Evil that keeps us reading. Why else would we care about our Hero's journey, if the road was nothing more than a bed of roses?

    I'm seeing my villain more as a, say... Peter Stormare, who played Satan in the movie, 'Constantine'. Primal. Greedy. Sexual. But with a better wardrobe and slightly more human characteristics.

    So sorry it took me three whole days to stop in and ramble on and on! Bad Scarlett.

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    1. Never "bad" Scarlett! I love your rambles and you stop by any time. I've missed you though, and hope all is well. Please let me know. x

      Mmmm, I'm loving the sound of your WIP's villain! He sounds proper Gorgeous Evil. Glad I had good timing!

      As much as I enjoy zombies, it's more the zombie metaphor I'm into, 'cos when it comes to the actual brain-eating part I'm a total wimp! Plus zombies are not Gorgeous Evil. More like, Fun-Metaphorical-Evil/Allegory-of-Society-Evil. Hmmm...I think I have a new idea for a post. Thanks, Scarlett! Oh, and Shaun of the Dead is one of my all-time-fav movies!

      Yes! Kevin Spacey!! He is AWESOME at playing Gorgeous Evil.

      And absodamnlutely I couldn't agree more, Gorgeous Evil IS what keeps us reading. The more interesting and multifaceted the "Evil", the more interesting and multifaceted our Hero's tale.

      Thanks once again for your thoughtful and thought-provoking comment, Scarlett, please do let me know how you are xo

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    2. It's All Good! *g*

      Feeling better with each passing day. Just have to remember to give my neck a rest ever so often. That feels weird. And it kind of slows me down a bit. So, now am struggling with finding the balance. Also, The Girl's 16th birthday has now passed and I can get back to *my* thing.

      I missed both of my regular postings this week and have just been skimming my friends' spaces. But YOU... YOU I save to answer!

      On a good note: I'm finally diving back into my reading. Got three going all at once at the moment. Unheard of for me to read more than one book at a time. Accidental really. But really enjoying them!

      How's the white coats treatin' ya? Any news? Please tell me you just have a bad case of the Gorgeous Evil in you, not Zombies. Though I'd love you even if your flesh was falling off. Just sayin'.

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    3. Glad to hear you're on an upswing. And finding balance? Ugh. But it is key, isn't it? Damn it. Going overboard is so much fun, but our bodies tend to disagree.

      Awww, thanks Scarlett, I feel the same. x

      Three books at once?? Yeah, that IS a lot. But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Are these all fiction or?? Would love to know!

      Hopefully it's more Gorgeous Evil and not Zombies, but knowing me it's a little of both. Gorgeous Zombies??? Okay if I send you an e-mail? x

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  8. Email away!

    My son set up a new phone app on my new "smart"phone the other day, and now due to the lonnnngggg reach of Google, I have a Gmail account which, apparently, must be my default email now. So, when I reply using (Google)on blogs, all mail goes to that account. I'm dealing with it. But only because I must. More work. Hmpf!

    However, you can still reach my personal email at scarlettcolleen@yahoo .com... any time!

    A little tiny bit of Gorgeous Evil in my newest book that I'm reading, I suppose. It's certainly yummy. I jumped on that band wagon that was all a flutter over "Fifty Shades of Grey". Her use of the first person threw me off just a bit in the beginning and I don't particularly care for her style, but I'm willing to overlook it 'cause... well, read the book and you'll see! *G* Wowzer! It is kinda growing on me.

    The other two are new releases by bloggers I follow...

    The first, "Oppression" by Jessica Therrien is a YA paranormal romance. Really enjoying it! Bought it 'cause it's got a great twist, I think, on the old mythologies. Also, I was trying to determine whether my WIP is YA... and/or a Paranormal Romance. I've since determined mine is NOT YA, but might be considered paranormal, and definitely has romance involved.

    The second (only a page or two in yet) is, "Whole Latte Life" by Joanne DeMaio. Bought it 'cause I like her metaphors and I'm a sucker for stars, and because her Main Character loses her mother, as my MC does, and I wanted to read the differences and the similarities. Plus it just sounds like an interesting storyline.

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    1. Lovely! I'll e-mail you now! :)

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    2. FYI... and Hellloooooo, Again!

      Just want to let you know I'm sharing YOU over at my space today! I'm fascinated, so appreciative, and downright excited to yell to the world (well, my little piece of it, anyway) that we're Friends!

      *waves from my pajamas at 1:15 in the afternoon*

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    3. Aww, thanks, Scarlett! x

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  9. fantastic post!
    love the oxymoron!

    one thing I believe about the gorgeous evil: he has to be real

    sometimes having a bad guy being bad for the sake of being bad is fun
    but in general im really drawn to antagonists who are evil because of something that has made them that way or because of the situation they find themselves in... its just more believable for me.... i've been around for some 30+ years, and ive never met anyone who kills people because they just like killing! (then again, sociopaths do exists..........)

    great post!

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    1. You're absolutely right, Jeremy. "Real" is essential, because if the antagonist isn't believable, what is the point??

      Glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks, Jeremy!

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  10. Excellent post on needing an antagonist to make for a good story. Gorgeous evil, indeed.

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  11. I love the way you examine both sides of the evil character. Your critique of the use and effects is right on target. Thanks for stopping by my blog too.

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    1. Anytime, Penny! I really enjoy your insights and stories, as well as the subjects you chose on your blog. Thanks for dropping by!

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  12. I read a book called *Save the Cat* in which it is suggested that all villains must have a redeeming quality in order to gain a reader's appreciation. I love this idea & have thus been pondering how to include the gorgeous evil in my story while not making the antagonist "evil for the sake of evil" (what I like to think of as the "cue scary music and waggly eyebrows" obvious bad guy who's just all meanie-pants through & through). I will come back to the post again as I carve out this character to remind myself why he's necessary to the plot, how important is his role in story motion, & what made him choose his path. Thanks for this awesome advice! :)

    Andi-Roo /// @theworld4realz
    http://www.theworld4realz.com/
    theworldforrealz@gmail.com

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  13. I really need to read Save the Cat. I agree that the best villains have a redeeming quality...or at least a great back story, i.e. they weren't always villains. We can all be villains, given the right set of circumstance. And we can all be heroes, depending on the choices we make. Thank YOU, Andi-Roo (what a great name!), for the fabulous comment! :)

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  14. Lestat from Interview with a Vampire is a perfect example of a Gorgeous Villian. He is a ruthless selfish survivor with extremely good looks. You want him to win. I love my vampires.

    Hannibal Lector is another great example of a villian. Not handsome, but smart and there is certainly something about him that makes you route for him. Even if he does eat brains and that is just disgusting!

    Then there is your serial killer, Ted Bundy is a good one to use. He was handsome charasmatic and smart. He did horrible things had a dark evil violent side and killed a great amount of girls. Yet there was still something very likeable about him.

    There is something sick and twisted about our attraction to villians of all kinds, but personally I wouldn't have it any other way.

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    1. Lestat is the epitome of Gorgeous Evil! Hannibal Lector is another fabulous example. And I agree, I wouldn't have it any other way, either. We need our villains!

      Kranky you are damn good at the Gorgeous Evil thing. Hmm...perhaps TOO good. Mwhaaaaaaa!

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