Feb 7, 2022
What character have you created that you despise/hate the most?
Every hero needs a villain and I’ve created my share of both.
Now, I prefer to spend more time and energy on my heroes and the bad guys get shoved into the background. That makes sense for my mysteries, because the reader doesn’t get to know who they are until the end of the story. It would ruin things for the reader if I revealed the identity of the antagonist too soon.
But my characters have minds of their own, and I’ve had good guys reveal themselves as bad guys and vice versa. So, when I’m asked which of my villains I despise the most, it’s hard to decide. I’ve got a long list to choose from. The one that sticks out is one that I wrote as a minor hero for most of the story, Henry Fairwood of Wolves’ Pawn.
I envisioned Henry as the strong and benevolent leader of a wolf pack of shapeshifters, existing in a modern world and hiding their dual nature. His job was to protect the pack and its members against all enemies. He throws off a very 1950s patriarchal feeling, but he is also trying to bring pack politics into a more up-to-date structure.
However, he sometimes imposes his will to make things go smoothly. And that’s where the villainy comes in. Because what happens when he has to hurt one person for the good of the others? It can be an impossible choice.
That’s the situation I put Henry in. But he took it a step farther and deliberately hurt my main character to
gain an unneeded edge in an old feud and elevate his own standing. No, he doesn’t kill anyone, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t attempt to destroy a life.
What makes me pick him as my most despised? How easily he slid into the role of antagonist after being a good guy for most of the story. I hadn’t planned or expected it, but there it was. The story needed the twist and my protagonist became stronger because of it. The hero needed the villain.
You can find more information about the book HERE.
What villains to the other authors on this hop despise? I’m looking forward to finding out. Just follow the links below.
And, as always, please stay safe until the next time we meet.
Feb 7, 2022
What character have you created that you despise/hate the most?
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