The Bad Guy: How do you deepen him making it integral to your plot?
In the first draft of your novel, are the villains were plain old stereotypes?
Mines were just bullies, through and through. How could I create fully fledged three-dimensional characters?
Trying to deepen mine, I free-wrote scenes. Suddenly the bully turned into a goody-two-shoe! How did I do that?
When I woke up the next day, a line of dialogue from this character spoke to me. Next, I read over yesterday’s work. I had wasted the whole day!
I started over. When the character spoke to me, she accidentally (?) shared her secret desire. Bingo. It felt real. It felt right. Now this bully is hanging around with me as I take a walk, wash the dishes, and empty the washing machine.
Don’t worry if your first draft, first ideas, or even second or third drafts don’t quite hit their mark. We have to wade through our initial thoughts to discover the truth underneath it all.
Remember author Sid Fleischman’s words: “Nothing is wasted except the paper.” And in our electronic world, that’s not even an issue.
It’s all part of the process.
Writing Prompts:
- What is your most useful way you deepen characters? Do you hear their dialogue first? Discover them through narration? Illustrate them through art?
- Secondary characters are as important as major ones. Think about them as much as you do your protagonist. Write a journal for them. What is in their closet?
- Revising can be the most fun ever. When those tidbits and discoveries click your plot comes together. Write about your process on your latest project. Save it! Reread it before you begin your next writing. It helps to see what has worked for us in the past.