The foil character who I blogged about last time is working out excellently in East of Yesterday. (I know I said I'd be working on Forging a Legend, and I am, but I can't revise when my daughter is awake, so I revise FAL at night and draft during the day on my Neo. EOY is the only novel I'm drafting at this time.)
Anyway, I decided to call him Brad, and he's a muscle-bound moron. I decided that too many muscle-bound guys are the romantic love interests, so I'm going for muscle-bound villains instead. It will make the job for my good guys all the harder. Here's a brief description from Ashley's eyes. It's short because she tries not to look at him much:
He was about 5'8", with spiked brown hair and arms as big as his head. He wore a tight golf shirt and a thick gold chain.And that's about all her glance takes in. This isn't one of those she-hates-him-but-grows-to-love-him stories. She really despises him. They've known him since they were all about 1o or 12, and he's been trouble every moment.
Here's an example of the kinds of trouble he's going to get them into. This is just after they found out they are traveling back in time. Mike has sent Brad into a convenience store to find out what year it is. This excerpt has stronger language than you have ever seen on this blog; my apologizes; I'll bleep it out to keep this blog with a PG (or so) rating.
"What do you think?" Mike asked.
"I think Brad's voodoo woman theory has merit."
"How the heck are we supposed to -- oh s--t!" He sat forward in his seat. Brad's posture was evident -- he had pulled a gun on the cashier.
"Where the f--k did he get the gun?" Ashley shrieked.
"He always carries one -- he's got a concealed carry permit."
"Yeah, but you're only supposed to use those in a LAWFUL manner."
Brad came running out. Mike threw it in reverse. By the time Brad was opening the door, Mike was putting it in first gear. They pealed off.
"Money problems over," Brad said, flinging a fistful of twenties in the air.
Ashley whacked him on the side of the head. "Don't you ever do that again!"
"Look, all you have to do is go down the road a mile or two, and the crime never took place and no one is looking for us. It's the perfect crime!"
It's fun. I just get them to a certain place and I think, what's the worst thing that Brad can do now? I've barely started and already the word count has gone up 2000 words.
Have you ever just had fun writing about a complete jerk?
This Brad does sound fun to write, at least for a while. I don't know how long I could spend inside his head before I began to feel uncomfortable, tho. I'm funny about thinking about villians, tho; I tend to prefer less to more there. {Smile}
ReplyDeleteAnne Elizabeth Baldwin
It doesn't bother me at all. I hope it doesn't mean I'm sick in the head!
ReplyDeleteIt might make it easier because I'm not in his head. I'm not writing from his point of view. Mike and Ashley just get to experience his jerkiness.
I've got a character in the epic fantasy series that I'm working on who is ridiculously bad. He isn't human to start with, and while he isn't actually on the side of the 'bad guys' he is, himself, such an awful, mean-hearted guy that his companions are perpetually in shock of his behavior.
ReplyDeleteI have the best time writing him because I get to think 'what is the most inappropriate response he could ever have?' The hard part is orchestrating his behavior in a way that gives you a reason for his companions putting up with him and cleaning up after his games.
My characters are definitely stuck with Brad. He isn't mean, exactly. It's more that he's completely self-centered and has no self control. And he enjoys having power over people, which will show its ugly head when he get to the segregationist 20s.
ReplyDeleteYour bad guy sounds fun, too! Nothing like giving your protagonist someone awful to deal with.