Heroes and villains
For the past few months I've subscribed to Holly Lisle's newsletters. They're full of wonderful insight into improving your writing. My favorite so far was the post on making your villain stronger than you hero. If the hero can fell the villain with a wave of his arm, what's the point.
This made me think of my WIP. It's the sequel to the manuscript I'm shopping and is by far better than anything I've ever written because there is so much emotion tied into it. Including the villainization of my hero. He doesn't rape or plunder or anything like that, he's just selfish and thinks he knows best. His actions, though, are as devastating as any true murderous bad guy. It changes the heroine more than death ever could and I feel bad about it.
He was the first character "born" in this world. He's also the one people like the least. Not to be sappy, but everything he does he does for love. He makes the tough decisions that we don't want to make because we don't want to be the bad guy.
My guy couldn't give a shit what people think as long as the heroine is safe.
I find myself hesitating when he enters onto the scene. There is so much to him, so much that he wants to do, but he can't. He burned a huge bridge to become bigger and stronger and there's no way for him to get to the other side. I hate what I'm about to do to him, but it can't be helped.
This made me think of my WIP. It's the sequel to the manuscript I'm shopping and is by far better than anything I've ever written because there is so much emotion tied into it. Including the villainization of my hero. He doesn't rape or plunder or anything like that, he's just selfish and thinks he knows best. His actions, though, are as devastating as any true murderous bad guy. It changes the heroine more than death ever could and I feel bad about it.
He was the first character "born" in this world. He's also the one people like the least. Not to be sappy, but everything he does he does for love. He makes the tough decisions that we don't want to make because we don't want to be the bad guy.
My guy couldn't give a shit what people think as long as the heroine is safe.
I find myself hesitating when he enters onto the scene. There is so much to him, so much that he wants to do, but he can't. He burned a huge bridge to become bigger and stronger and there's no way for him to get to the other side. I hate what I'm about to do to him, but it can't be helped.