Every novel needs to have at least one major bad guy (or gal), an antagonist with flaws and desires that lead to chaos, crime and even murder. This bad guy must provide a certain amount of tension, even when he isn’t in a scene. Readers must feel him (or her) lurking, plotting and planning, creeping closer to his goal. To do this, writers must often “write the devil into a bad guy”.
By this I mean that writers must delve into the psyche and personality of their antagonist to find out what makes them tick and what they want. And they’d better want something they shouldn’t have. Money, power, control, sex or someone. What makes this character bad? Or evil? Whatever it is, amp it to a high level of devil-may-care, devil-made-me-do-it attitude.
In Lancelot’s Lady, I started with a private investigator. Winston Chambers seemed nice enough at first. He did a good deed; he helped a character locate someone. But then we learn a bit more about Winston. We learn he has a fondness for gambling, and he’s not very good. This presents a great time to add a bit of the Devil to his personality.
Desperate people do desperate things, but desperation isn’t the only reason Winston does what he does. He’s a survivalist who lusts after power, money and one particular woman―Rhianna McLeod. Lust is the Devil’s playmate.
We later learn something else about Winston, and here’s where the Devil really comes out. He routinely enjoys the pleasures of prostitutes. Now if that doesn’t make you wrinkle your nose in displeasure, this next part will. He doesn’t treat his women very well. In fact, he’s sadistically evil.
We learn all of this as the romance between Rhianna and Jonathan progresses. Winston lurks in the background, appearing now and then to add tension to Lancelot’s Lady. You just know something is going to happen. And it does. In the end, Winston makes a bold move that jeopardizes everything for Rhianna, including her own life.
Writing the Devil into a character is a great way to show conflict, terror and suspense. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats, waiting, wondering, chewing their nails. Even a character’s physical description can add to his or her evil persona. Winston is obese, balding, wheezing, huffing and sweaty. Slimy…
Don’t you want to meet him now? Well, you can. Just pick up an ebook copy of Lancelot’s Lady.
Lancelot’s Lady ~ A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.
Lancelot’s Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon’s Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and “Cherish the romance…”
You can learn more about Lancelot’s Lady and Cherish D’Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherishdangelo.com and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com. Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.
Who is your favourite “bad guy” in film or a novel, and why?
Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You’re guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you’ll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.
Now that sounds like one scary evil character. I do hope she is safe.
Without the evil, characters would be boring.
Teresa
Thanks so much for guest posting today, Cherish!
I like the idea of even using the bad guy’s physical traits to point to his wickedness!
Winston does sound evil and slimy. You have to have a really bad ‘bad’ guy for the hero to look even better.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
He sounds slimy all right!
Fave bad guy? Folke Bengtsson from Sjöwall and Wahlöö’s Roseanna because he was so ordinary, then he turned up as a suspect in Cop Killer too, but was actually innocent.
duncan.tim49@yahoo.co.uk
great post :)
raluk.93@gmail.com
You need the bad so the good is foiled in shiny :D
He does sound evil. I like that you expose his inner blackness little by little.
That’s so good. He really does seem evil. There are so many evil characters in writing – like the psychopaths in many of the mysteries I read.
CD
Winston Chambers was a creepy guy, but I loved reading Lancelot’s Lady. A great post Cheryl.
jessica_stratford[at]ymail[dot]com
Thank you all for dropping by during my tour and leaving comments. I enjoyed reading them. :-)
I always have to have a bad guy in my stories as I write suspense. Winston creates such tension in Lancelot’s Lady that you’re never too sure how far he will go or how much of his plan he’ll achieve.
Everyone who left their email address will be entered into my draws, so good luck!! :-)
Cherish
I think I’m writing the Devil into the hero of my so-called novel, and Godish hypocrisy into the major bad guy. Turning things a little bit up-side-down is a lot of fun >:)
Cold As Heaven
The best bad guys are the ones the reader wonders about even while the bad guy isn’t directly in the scene. Looks like you’ve written one of those!
jmfictionscribe at yahoo.com.au
I think you hit the nail on the head, Jaime. :-)
Cherish
Even a character’s physical description can add to his or her evil persona. Winston is obese, balding, wheezing, huffing and sweaty. Slimy…
Personally I see that as a writing cliche. Neither of my bad “guys” (one’s actually a girl) look unattractive since not all unattractive people are evil – and not all gorgeous people are good.
I get what you’re saying, Michele. Not all unattractive characters are bad. However this was how Winston’s appearance came to me.
In some of my suspense thrillers (under the pen name Cheryl Kaye Tardif), I have attractive bad guys. :-)
Cherish/Cheryl
I love a well written bad guy! It’s getting late and my mind is fading lol so I can’t think of a particular one at present.
Winston sounds like he is going to be an awesome one.
Pam S
pams00 @ aol.com
I am playing catch up!! I had a wedding to go to and got behind. Sometimes even stalkers take a break!!!
sarahcoulsey03 at gmail dot com