Bill Conrad's Blog - Posts Tagged "people"
The Definition of Evil
Authors tap into their personal experiences to create story and characters. These experiences can be positive or negative. Within our negatives lies an element which we deem to be evil. This negative quality is beyond poor judgment and bad behavior. For me, the difference becomes apparent when a person embraces the negative and turns their back on the positive. Essentially, there is a joy in being bad.
Evil takes many forms in our lived and in our stories. The good detective hunting down the despicable criminal. The anti-hero Mad Max who saves a life one day and kills 10 people the next. The desperate Bonnie and Clyde criminal who are “just trying to survive” against the “man.” The trusted person who is a pedophile. The leader who removes subversive people to save society. The mental patient who “does not know any better.” Then there is the despicable Hannibal Lecter or serial killer Ted Bundy who enjoy torturing people to death.
Towards the lesser end of the evil spectrum is a “normal” person who appears to have bad judgment, but there is an element of evil contained within their core. For example, a best friend that steals from you. An alcoholic relative who rams their car through a crowd of people in a drunken rage.
People often justify their evil tendencies. “This is something that has to happen. I’m not enjoying this.” If we look at the deplorable people through history, the majority genuinely perceived their actions as good. “The bad people needed to die.”
Often an “honest” person feels they are performing good deeds with their deplorable actions. An extreme example is killing the “non-believers.” A less extreme example is a parent who constantly punishes their child to “keep them in line.”
The worst evil is when you realize that you, yourself are evil. You try to convince yourself that breaking your brother’s arm was an “accident.” That person looking back in the mirror is a drug dealer and not a “spiritual helper.” At one point, a person realizes that “breaking his arm was wrong.” From that time onward, this person must rationalize their existence. Sometimes a person can understand they are evil, make a change, apologize for the past and they try to make amends. I believe an evil person can become a good person. Other times, an evil person embraces their inner demon. “I like being a drug dealer.” “Breaking his arm felt good.”
Protagonists range from annoying to an ongoing deplorable level of evil that can only exist in outlandish fiction. Can a fictional character truly be considered evil? Stories are a collection of words and concepts that only become real when a reader thinks about them. Does this mean that a protagonist “brings out the evil” in a readers mind? In some ways, I think it does. Can a bad story corrupt a reader? There are many examples of bad people who got their inspiration from books or movies.
People are complex. They have a lot going on in their minds with a variety of backgrounds to guide them. People have witnessed actual events that range from acts of supreme kindness to unimaginable horrors. A good story will pull from experiences out of a reader's minds and allow the reader to visualize the story. This includes visualizing evil.
Let's explore two actual “evil” people from my life. This first is a former coworker. He is a pathetic man who overcame his incompetence by blaming others. I came into his crosshairs and suffered through his wrath. From my perspective, the result was hurt feelings and a messed-up project. I still harbor disdain for this individual all these years later. What did he think of me? I’m sure he felt that everybody around him was incompetent and out to get him. I was simply one of the people that upset him more than the others. He would likely summarize me as a non-team player.
Was he truly evil? At the time, I thought so. I have since thought about how evil this man actually was. He was suffering from severe arthritis and he took powerful medications. The medications had severe side effects including mental impairment. He was the only provider of a family with two children. I am sure he was under enormous pressure. However, there is no doubt he was fully aware of the medication effects and his poor job performance. However, we never asked for help, understanding or forgiveness.
The aspect of his personality that brought out the evil was his enjoyment to inflict pain. Rather than accept his circumstances and try his best to overcome them, he went out of his way to blame others for his shortcomings. When this happened, I felt his passion. He savored the success of his negative efforts. His actions were beyond poor judgment. Something else was present in that man. My guess is that this “evil high” distracted him from his own arthritis pain and prevented him from facing his own severe incompetence.
I based a protagonist upon this man. I copied the way he dressed, his bad decisions, the way he covered up his bad decisions, his supreme incompetence, low ethics, and the condescending way he spoke. My character served as a good foil. In retrospect, something positive came out of that situation. It’s fun to be a writer. Or is it budget therapy? Hmm.
Three years ago, our house got robbed. The traumatic experience harshly affected my family. A year later, they caught the person. Joey Ramos is a despicable man that committed several crimes. I was one of many people who testified against him. He was convicted and they are asking for 140 years.
In the courtroom, I faced my accuser. I could see the evil in his black eyes. [They were actually black. I absolutely could not see any white and I could feel his hate. It was very unnerving.] This man truly had no soul. He only existed to steal, cause pain and corrupt others. By the rules of society, he is the definition of evil and for me, he is the supreme proof that evil exists.
Am I going to base a character upon him? Absolutely not. He is far too bad for my style of writing. Readers would encounter with a vastly evil character with no positive attributes. However, I’m aware that other writers choose to use characters of this nature. He could easily be the despicable criminal that a great police officer chases. Or the criminal equivalent of Hannibal Lecter who likes to steal.
But wait. Joey Ramos is real, and he really affected me. Taking an objective approach, he is not that bad when compared to a fictional person like Hannibal Lecter or the real-life serial killer Ted Bundy.
For me, such an evil character like Hannibal Lecter are impossible for me to relate to. I cannot alter my mindset enough to think like Hannibal Lecter. There has to be at least one foot in the real world. When I develop a character, they need a motive beyond embracing evil. Perhaps a bad circumstance they are attempting to overcome.
Is it ethical to write about an evil character? In past blogs, I stated that I am a deeply ethical person. However, my stories contain death, torture, murder, and hardship. My first book is about a 500-year-old murdering psychopath. In this [well-written] book [you should buy] [right now] [please!] I attempt to justify her existence. Essentially my story attempts to make her less evil. At very least, I attempt to justify the evil within her own mind.
Overall, my main characters are good, and I expose them to evil. Sometimes the evil stays around. However, the evil deeds are not rewarded and evil characters are not embraced. Why? That’s just who I am.
My goal is writing is to make a story that entertains the readers while retaining my ethical boundaries. In order to appreciate the bright positive parts, the negative parts must be experienced. A good story explores evil while good people do not. Within my own life, I try my best to be a good person and suppress my evil tendencies. When I find that I have crossed the line, I do my best to make amends.
It is clear that I allow myself to write about evil. Am I propelling the evil concepts that I write about? Hey, bad people here’s an idea. Go read Bills book and learn how to kill. At least get yourself in the mood. Hmm.
Would that make me slightly evil? I read books and watch movies that have evil characters. I play video games where I “kill people.” That’s me clicking the mouse button to shoot a gun. I fully comprehend that I’m no saint and I have regrets over my past negative actions. Does that make me at least some percentage evil? Dang… That’s certainly something to think about.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...
Evil takes many forms in our lived and in our stories. The good detective hunting down the despicable criminal. The anti-hero Mad Max who saves a life one day and kills 10 people the next. The desperate Bonnie and Clyde criminal who are “just trying to survive” against the “man.” The trusted person who is a pedophile. The leader who removes subversive people to save society. The mental patient who “does not know any better.” Then there is the despicable Hannibal Lecter or serial killer Ted Bundy who enjoy torturing people to death.
Towards the lesser end of the evil spectrum is a “normal” person who appears to have bad judgment, but there is an element of evil contained within their core. For example, a best friend that steals from you. An alcoholic relative who rams their car through a crowd of people in a drunken rage.
People often justify their evil tendencies. “This is something that has to happen. I’m not enjoying this.” If we look at the deplorable people through history, the majority genuinely perceived their actions as good. “The bad people needed to die.”
Often an “honest” person feels they are performing good deeds with their deplorable actions. An extreme example is killing the “non-believers.” A less extreme example is a parent who constantly punishes their child to “keep them in line.”
The worst evil is when you realize that you, yourself are evil. You try to convince yourself that breaking your brother’s arm was an “accident.” That person looking back in the mirror is a drug dealer and not a “spiritual helper.” At one point, a person realizes that “breaking his arm was wrong.” From that time onward, this person must rationalize their existence. Sometimes a person can understand they are evil, make a change, apologize for the past and they try to make amends. I believe an evil person can become a good person. Other times, an evil person embraces their inner demon. “I like being a drug dealer.” “Breaking his arm felt good.”
Protagonists range from annoying to an ongoing deplorable level of evil that can only exist in outlandish fiction. Can a fictional character truly be considered evil? Stories are a collection of words and concepts that only become real when a reader thinks about them. Does this mean that a protagonist “brings out the evil” in a readers mind? In some ways, I think it does. Can a bad story corrupt a reader? There are many examples of bad people who got their inspiration from books or movies.
People are complex. They have a lot going on in their minds with a variety of backgrounds to guide them. People have witnessed actual events that range from acts of supreme kindness to unimaginable horrors. A good story will pull from experiences out of a reader's minds and allow the reader to visualize the story. This includes visualizing evil.
Let's explore two actual “evil” people from my life. This first is a former coworker. He is a pathetic man who overcame his incompetence by blaming others. I came into his crosshairs and suffered through his wrath. From my perspective, the result was hurt feelings and a messed-up project. I still harbor disdain for this individual all these years later. What did he think of me? I’m sure he felt that everybody around him was incompetent and out to get him. I was simply one of the people that upset him more than the others. He would likely summarize me as a non-team player.
Was he truly evil? At the time, I thought so. I have since thought about how evil this man actually was. He was suffering from severe arthritis and he took powerful medications. The medications had severe side effects including mental impairment. He was the only provider of a family with two children. I am sure he was under enormous pressure. However, there is no doubt he was fully aware of the medication effects and his poor job performance. However, we never asked for help, understanding or forgiveness.
The aspect of his personality that brought out the evil was his enjoyment to inflict pain. Rather than accept his circumstances and try his best to overcome them, he went out of his way to blame others for his shortcomings. When this happened, I felt his passion. He savored the success of his negative efforts. His actions were beyond poor judgment. Something else was present in that man. My guess is that this “evil high” distracted him from his own arthritis pain and prevented him from facing his own severe incompetence.
I based a protagonist upon this man. I copied the way he dressed, his bad decisions, the way he covered up his bad decisions, his supreme incompetence, low ethics, and the condescending way he spoke. My character served as a good foil. In retrospect, something positive came out of that situation. It’s fun to be a writer. Or is it budget therapy? Hmm.
Three years ago, our house got robbed. The traumatic experience harshly affected my family. A year later, they caught the person. Joey Ramos is a despicable man that committed several crimes. I was one of many people who testified against him. He was convicted and they are asking for 140 years.
In the courtroom, I faced my accuser. I could see the evil in his black eyes. [They were actually black. I absolutely could not see any white and I could feel his hate. It was very unnerving.] This man truly had no soul. He only existed to steal, cause pain and corrupt others. By the rules of society, he is the definition of evil and for me, he is the supreme proof that evil exists.
Am I going to base a character upon him? Absolutely not. He is far too bad for my style of writing. Readers would encounter with a vastly evil character with no positive attributes. However, I’m aware that other writers choose to use characters of this nature. He could easily be the despicable criminal that a great police officer chases. Or the criminal equivalent of Hannibal Lecter who likes to steal.
But wait. Joey Ramos is real, and he really affected me. Taking an objective approach, he is not that bad when compared to a fictional person like Hannibal Lecter or the real-life serial killer Ted Bundy.
For me, such an evil character like Hannibal Lecter are impossible for me to relate to. I cannot alter my mindset enough to think like Hannibal Lecter. There has to be at least one foot in the real world. When I develop a character, they need a motive beyond embracing evil. Perhaps a bad circumstance they are attempting to overcome.
Is it ethical to write about an evil character? In past blogs, I stated that I am a deeply ethical person. However, my stories contain death, torture, murder, and hardship. My first book is about a 500-year-old murdering psychopath. In this [well-written] book [you should buy] [right now] [please!] I attempt to justify her existence. Essentially my story attempts to make her less evil. At very least, I attempt to justify the evil within her own mind.
Overall, my main characters are good, and I expose them to evil. Sometimes the evil stays around. However, the evil deeds are not rewarded and evil characters are not embraced. Why? That’s just who I am.
My goal is writing is to make a story that entertains the readers while retaining my ethical boundaries. In order to appreciate the bright positive parts, the negative parts must be experienced. A good story explores evil while good people do not. Within my own life, I try my best to be a good person and suppress my evil tendencies. When I find that I have crossed the line, I do my best to make amends.
It is clear that I allow myself to write about evil. Am I propelling the evil concepts that I write about? Hey, bad people here’s an idea. Go read Bills book and learn how to kill. At least get yourself in the mood. Hmm.
Would that make me slightly evil? I read books and watch movies that have evil characters. I play video games where I “kill people.” That’s me clicking the mouse button to shoot a gun. I fully comprehend that I’m no saint and I have regrets over my past negative actions. Does that make me at least some percentage evil? Dang… That’s certainly something to think about.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...
The Lies We Tell
A big part of our minds seems to contain a built-in lie generator. The basic core of this mechanism makes our days go better. “Hey, Sam, what did you do last night?” “I went to a restaurant with some friends.” Sam actually sat at home and watched television. Sam lied to feel better about his life and the lie gave him something to talk about. When further questioned, Sam invented more lies about the events that occurred at the restaurant including the girl he met. Soon, Sam has created an entire fictitious backstory. Is that bad? Probably. It made Sam feel better, and it entertained the person he spoke with.
Of course, there are consequences to Sam’s lie. Sam now has to remember the lie, and this does not come naturally because the event never happened. Sam’s friends might find out about the lie and get angry for being included in the lie. The lie will continue to spread and entangle his life.
Is Sam proud of his lie? At first, he enjoyed lying was and now he regrets it. Is Sam going to lie next week about a different restaurant? Perhaps.
There is another class of liar. The people that truly believe the lie. For example, the flat earth believers. They use any means to keep the lie alive including deception, corruption, and even physical violence. One could explain this class of people with psychology and other mental issues. However, at their core, these people know the lie is a lie and yet, they still believe.
Where did all this lying start? As a child, we don’t have a lot going on in our lives. Our parents made all the decisions, and we were along for the ride. We obtained freedom on the playground. There, we met our friends and together, we embellished the truth. Perhaps we did it to rebel or perhaps to entertain our friends. Lying is a skill and we get better with age. Most people grow out of bold lying and limit their half-truths to a minimum. Some people embrace lying and take it to impressive levels. Con artists for example.
Are fiction writers liars? In a way, they are. The majority of them put a disclaimer at the beginning of their work to indicate their fictitious status. However, some go out of their way to fool people and others cannot tell the difference.
It’s easy to write a lie. “Sam decided to tell his friend that he went to a restaurant.” The reader, of course, knows that he stayed home. The reader does not have to be set up as they all can relate to lying. This is because they know what it feels like to deceive for the purposes of feeling better about themselves.
It’s also easy to write fiction with the full awareness of deceiving the reader. “The vampire walked into the room.” There have never been vampires and there never will be. However, that simple statement didn’t anger anybody. Readers know there are no vampires and that lie instantly became acceptable. Now, if I walked up to you (being fully honest) and said a vampire had just been here, then you would clearly know that I had lied to you. My lie wouldn’t be acceptable and there would be consequences.
Is it ethical to be a fiction writer? Or are they simply liars? I suppose the ethical questions can be answered in how the work is presented. If a writer fully acknowledges the fictitious aspect and they don’t pass their work off as real, then they are ethical people.
Of course, we still want to believe the lie. For example, the early rocket pioneers dreamed of going to space just like their comic books.
What about me? Of course, I am guilty of lying to others and myself. I regret any harm that may have come from my lies. However, I fully acknowledge that my mind contains a fantasy world and I use this material to write. I enjoy my fantasy as it keeps me entertained. I would like to think I have come up with some creative plots as a result.
In my opinion, I keep my lies in check and I do my best to be an honest person. Or am I lying now? Hard to say because the thing that invents the lies is telling me not to lie about lying. There is one thing I do know for certain. I’ll never tell.
Of course, there are consequences to Sam’s lie. Sam now has to remember the lie, and this does not come naturally because the event never happened. Sam’s friends might find out about the lie and get angry for being included in the lie. The lie will continue to spread and entangle his life.
Is Sam proud of his lie? At first, he enjoyed lying was and now he regrets it. Is Sam going to lie next week about a different restaurant? Perhaps.
There is another class of liar. The people that truly believe the lie. For example, the flat earth believers. They use any means to keep the lie alive including deception, corruption, and even physical violence. One could explain this class of people with psychology and other mental issues. However, at their core, these people know the lie is a lie and yet, they still believe.
Where did all this lying start? As a child, we don’t have a lot going on in our lives. Our parents made all the decisions, and we were along for the ride. We obtained freedom on the playground. There, we met our friends and together, we embellished the truth. Perhaps we did it to rebel or perhaps to entertain our friends. Lying is a skill and we get better with age. Most people grow out of bold lying and limit their half-truths to a minimum. Some people embrace lying and take it to impressive levels. Con artists for example.
Are fiction writers liars? In a way, they are. The majority of them put a disclaimer at the beginning of their work to indicate their fictitious status. However, some go out of their way to fool people and others cannot tell the difference.
It’s easy to write a lie. “Sam decided to tell his friend that he went to a restaurant.” The reader, of course, knows that he stayed home. The reader does not have to be set up as they all can relate to lying. This is because they know what it feels like to deceive for the purposes of feeling better about themselves.
It’s also easy to write fiction with the full awareness of deceiving the reader. “The vampire walked into the room.” There have never been vampires and there never will be. However, that simple statement didn’t anger anybody. Readers know there are no vampires and that lie instantly became acceptable. Now, if I walked up to you (being fully honest) and said a vampire had just been here, then you would clearly know that I had lied to you. My lie wouldn’t be acceptable and there would be consequences.
Is it ethical to be a fiction writer? Or are they simply liars? I suppose the ethical questions can be answered in how the work is presented. If a writer fully acknowledges the fictitious aspect and they don’t pass their work off as real, then they are ethical people.
Of course, we still want to believe the lie. For example, the early rocket pioneers dreamed of going to space just like their comic books.
What about me? Of course, I am guilty of lying to others and myself. I regret any harm that may have come from my lies. However, I fully acknowledge that my mind contains a fantasy world and I use this material to write. I enjoy my fantasy as it keeps me entertained. I would like to think I have come up with some creative plots as a result.
In my opinion, I keep my lies in check and I do my best to be an honest person. Or am I lying now? Hard to say because the thing that invents the lies is telling me not to lie about lying. There is one thing I do know for certain. I’ll never tell.
Bad People Aren’t Evil
I grew up in San Diego, California and I went to college in Worcester Massachusetts. This proved to be a big change for a California boy. Apart from the weather, fashion, food, and geography, I found the people to be different. Overall, they all had a rough exterior with a nice interior.
A good example of this difference can be described by my roommate’s tire change experience. One winter evening, he got two flat tires and a police officer stopped to ask why he parked on the side of the road. The officer proceeded to yell at my roommate for not avoiding the pothole, having a dirty car and not having the foresight to carry a second spare tire. (What college student caries around two spare tires in a Honda Civic?) The officer then drove my roommate and both tires to a local garage. Afterward, he drove him back, yelled at him for not parking his car in an appropriate location to allow for a safe tire change and helped put the tires on.
To people who grew up in Massachusetts, that story makes perfect sense. The officer acted mean, but he didn’t have a mean soul. For me, this personality type took a lot of effort to get used to. College provided me with wide experiences both inside and outside of the classroom.
In life, we encounter many mean people. This might include a parent who demands their child to maintain a clean room, a boss who is upset at a worker who arrives late, a friend who insists we pay owed money or a driver who is upset at being cut off. Of course, people can cross the line. A nice parent has a rough day and yells at their well-behaved child.
What about that mean boss who is always in a bad mood? He never says anything nice and is critical of every decision. Let’s take a step back and look at the big picture. Managing people is difficult and we have to think about the company as a whole. Is this boss keeping the group in line and profitable? Are people treated equally? Is he evil?
If we look at the great business leaders, parents, teachers, and politicians they often are required to act mean. For example, a business leader needs to eliminate an entire division because it didn’t make a profit. Think of all the people who lost their jobs. However, if the leader decided to keep the division, it would take profit away from the profitable divisions. The company would have less money to invest in development. Eventually, the entire company could fail and everybody could lose their jobs. Side note. My last company eliminated their San Diego division and put me out of a job. This (in part) resulted in a billion-dollar lawsuit. In hindsight, not a good decision. Black to the blog.
The same logic could be applied to the parent who insists a child’s room be clean. Why? A dirty room is unsafe and unsanitary. Of course, the child doesn’t understand. The politician raises taxes to fix our roads. The judge who is tough on crime. All of these people act mean, but they improve society and allow it to grow just as a forest fire clears out the deadwood.
At some point, a person might become evil. The parent who enjoys punishing their child, the power-hungry politician or the vindictive neighbor. The difference is these people have crossed a line without remorse.
Do evil people move society forward? In some cases, they do. Otherwise, evil people do serious damage. To make matters worse, evil parents often raise evil children. One could argue that truly evil people have improved our world. As a result of war, we invented new medical procedures. Not a great argument.
Let’s invent an evil character. This character will put obstacles for our hero and make us hate them. At the end of the story, our hero will defeat this evil character in an epic battle. Please hate this bad character so much that you buy/watch the sequel.
Are these evil characters realistic? Truly evil people do exist in real life and movies/stories love to embellish. However, there is a problem. Evil characters must be one-dimensional. The boss is simply evil an evil person. Why? The reader/viewer does not always have to know. Over the course of the plot, we grow to hate them and appreciate their destruction. In many ways, the evil character is like a bug that we splat and then feel good about it.
To complete matters, we now have anti-heroes in our plots. Are there Robin Hoods in real life? Is the tire changing police officer an anti-hero? I would argue that this is not a good analogy and we don’t have true anti-heroes. Characters must be evil without consequence. Darth Vader is a bad guy and nothing more. We watch a movie about him and go home. The tire changing police officer had a boss, real rules and consequences for his actions. For the rest of his life, he will need to live with to consequences of all his decisions.
Is it bad that bad fictional characters don’t require a back story, can always get away with atrocities and have no consequence? No, it’s wonderful. This helps normal people to overcome real-life and cope with horrific events. It gives authors the freedom to quickly enter a story and get out without explanation or consequence. Even Darth Vader gets a break when he blows up an entire planet. His only real concern is improving ticket sales.
A good example of this difference can be described by my roommate’s tire change experience. One winter evening, he got two flat tires and a police officer stopped to ask why he parked on the side of the road. The officer proceeded to yell at my roommate for not avoiding the pothole, having a dirty car and not having the foresight to carry a second spare tire. (What college student caries around two spare tires in a Honda Civic?) The officer then drove my roommate and both tires to a local garage. Afterward, he drove him back, yelled at him for not parking his car in an appropriate location to allow for a safe tire change and helped put the tires on.
To people who grew up in Massachusetts, that story makes perfect sense. The officer acted mean, but he didn’t have a mean soul. For me, this personality type took a lot of effort to get used to. College provided me with wide experiences both inside and outside of the classroom.
In life, we encounter many mean people. This might include a parent who demands their child to maintain a clean room, a boss who is upset at a worker who arrives late, a friend who insists we pay owed money or a driver who is upset at being cut off. Of course, people can cross the line. A nice parent has a rough day and yells at their well-behaved child.
What about that mean boss who is always in a bad mood? He never says anything nice and is critical of every decision. Let’s take a step back and look at the big picture. Managing people is difficult and we have to think about the company as a whole. Is this boss keeping the group in line and profitable? Are people treated equally? Is he evil?
If we look at the great business leaders, parents, teachers, and politicians they often are required to act mean. For example, a business leader needs to eliminate an entire division because it didn’t make a profit. Think of all the people who lost their jobs. However, if the leader decided to keep the division, it would take profit away from the profitable divisions. The company would have less money to invest in development. Eventually, the entire company could fail and everybody could lose their jobs. Side note. My last company eliminated their San Diego division and put me out of a job. This (in part) resulted in a billion-dollar lawsuit. In hindsight, not a good decision. Black to the blog.
The same logic could be applied to the parent who insists a child’s room be clean. Why? A dirty room is unsafe and unsanitary. Of course, the child doesn’t understand. The politician raises taxes to fix our roads. The judge who is tough on crime. All of these people act mean, but they improve society and allow it to grow just as a forest fire clears out the deadwood.
At some point, a person might become evil. The parent who enjoys punishing their child, the power-hungry politician or the vindictive neighbor. The difference is these people have crossed a line without remorse.
Do evil people move society forward? In some cases, they do. Otherwise, evil people do serious damage. To make matters worse, evil parents often raise evil children. One could argue that truly evil people have improved our world. As a result of war, we invented new medical procedures. Not a great argument.
Let’s invent an evil character. This character will put obstacles for our hero and make us hate them. At the end of the story, our hero will defeat this evil character in an epic battle. Please hate this bad character so much that you buy/watch the sequel.
Are these evil characters realistic? Truly evil people do exist in real life and movies/stories love to embellish. However, there is a problem. Evil characters must be one-dimensional. The boss is simply evil an evil person. Why? The reader/viewer does not always have to know. Over the course of the plot, we grow to hate them and appreciate their destruction. In many ways, the evil character is like a bug that we splat and then feel good about it.
To complete matters, we now have anti-heroes in our plots. Are there Robin Hoods in real life? Is the tire changing police officer an anti-hero? I would argue that this is not a good analogy and we don’t have true anti-heroes. Characters must be evil without consequence. Darth Vader is a bad guy and nothing more. We watch a movie about him and go home. The tire changing police officer had a boss, real rules and consequences for his actions. For the rest of his life, he will need to live with to consequences of all his decisions.
Is it bad that bad fictional characters don’t require a back story, can always get away with atrocities and have no consequence? No, it’s wonderful. This helps normal people to overcome real-life and cope with horrific events. It gives authors the freedom to quickly enter a story and get out without explanation or consequence. Even Darth Vader gets a break when he blows up an entire planet. His only real concern is improving ticket sales.
Changing People
One of the biggest challenges is to convince somebody they have a problem and support their transformation into a better person. Why is this so difficult? People like the way they are and hate confronting their faults. Plus, it takes deep personal effort to stop one mindset and adopt another.
Some big issues include drug addiction, poor health, bad attitude, or obesity. I have been trying to convince somebody close to me they are depressed and have an empathy issue. This ten-year battle has had many painful confrontations, false promises, and no success.
Yet… I can fix that quickly. “Sam was depressed, which concerned Lisa. The next day, she convinced him to turn his life around.” Wow, that was easy.
Writers can change their characters in a few words with no consequences. Want to convince your best friend to lose weight? “Matt lost 100 pounds.” Done!
Now, wait a minute. Immediate changes only occur in fiction. A biography or other truthful work would never gloss over the painful process of transforming a person. Nope. Authors jam excitement into every sentence, and a drawn-out change reads poorly. Hit me hard and fast. Wrap this change mess up in a single paragraph and then get to the good stuff.
Is this fast change process realistic? Not at all. Then why do intelligent readers get taken in so quickly? When somebody opens a book, some magic happens. The reader knows the story is a story and allows themselves to become engulfed by the action.
Of course, readers complain about awful or unrealistic plots but are always up for a new book. We never tire of book magic and will always accept characters that do not match real life. Plus, it is fun to dream. Perhaps I could lose 100 pounds just like Matt? (Side note. I would settle for 25.)
Should readers be more critical? I would argue the opposite. Readers should be more open to new possibilities. Have you ever read a space opera, Zane Grey cowboy novel, vampire book, Danielle Steel romance, or even one of my books? Reading something outside our comfort zone can be rewarding.
Should authors do a better job of making realistic characters? No, characters must be larger, bolder, stronger, and brighter. The act of changing a character is tedious, and readers crave excitement. Harry Potter can have a magic wand, which is physically impossible, like when an autobiography glosses over inappropriate activities and focuses on accomplishments.
I find it fascinating that books have vast limitations and immense possibilities. Knowing that a writer can immediately transform a villain into a better person is comforting. How about the hero who overcomes their limitations? I wish it were me.
You’re the best -Bill
September 13, 2023
Some big issues include drug addiction, poor health, bad attitude, or obesity. I have been trying to convince somebody close to me they are depressed and have an empathy issue. This ten-year battle has had many painful confrontations, false promises, and no success.
Yet… I can fix that quickly. “Sam was depressed, which concerned Lisa. The next day, she convinced him to turn his life around.” Wow, that was easy.
Writers can change their characters in a few words with no consequences. Want to convince your best friend to lose weight? “Matt lost 100 pounds.” Done!
Now, wait a minute. Immediate changes only occur in fiction. A biography or other truthful work would never gloss over the painful process of transforming a person. Nope. Authors jam excitement into every sentence, and a drawn-out change reads poorly. Hit me hard and fast. Wrap this change mess up in a single paragraph and then get to the good stuff.
Is this fast change process realistic? Not at all. Then why do intelligent readers get taken in so quickly? When somebody opens a book, some magic happens. The reader knows the story is a story and allows themselves to become engulfed by the action.
Of course, readers complain about awful or unrealistic plots but are always up for a new book. We never tire of book magic and will always accept characters that do not match real life. Plus, it is fun to dream. Perhaps I could lose 100 pounds just like Matt? (Side note. I would settle for 25.)
Should readers be more critical? I would argue the opposite. Readers should be more open to new possibilities. Have you ever read a space opera, Zane Grey cowboy novel, vampire book, Danielle Steel romance, or even one of my books? Reading something outside our comfort zone can be rewarding.
Should authors do a better job of making realistic characters? No, characters must be larger, bolder, stronger, and brighter. The act of changing a character is tedious, and readers crave excitement. Harry Potter can have a magic wand, which is physically impossible, like when an autobiography glosses over inappropriate activities and focuses on accomplishments.
I find it fascinating that books have vast limitations and immense possibilities. Knowing that a writer can immediately transform a villain into a better person is comforting. How about the hero who overcomes their limitations? I wish it were me.
You’re the best -Bill
September 13, 2023
Ignoring How the World Works
I attended college in Worcester, Massachusetts. Like all (old) large towns, it began with a big industry. For some cities, it was cotton; for others, it was oil; and still others, it was cars. For Worcester, it was steel. Unfortunately, the American steel industry experienced a significant downturn in the early 70s, and Worcester was no exception. Out of the ashes, a new industry emerged for the plucky town. They became a powerful university town with many prestigious colleges and businesses to support the thousands of students who invaded their city during the school year migration. How did the students get there?
Worcester’s entry into the world of aviation began in 1925, and today, they have around 55 commercial flights per day. And this is no tiny regional airport. They fly A320 and Embraer 175 planes with big airlines. American, JetBlue, and Delta.
The geography of Worcester played an essential part in this revitalization. Like all cities, there are good parts and less ideal ones. The areas around the universities have apartments, supermarkets that cater to a younger crowd, and hip clothing stores. Yet, the areas around the closed steel mills suffered from decapitated buildings and crime.
Worcester lies within a massive valley, and the center has a mountain where the city planners placed their airport. This choice was perfect for three reasons. The high location saved fuel, reduced noise, and if there were a crash, it would be far away from the citizens.
The city zoned the sides of the mountain (it is not rocky) to be a forest. This choice was great because the mountain has beautiful trees. Great job, planners!
Well… Living on prime land with a great view was too tempting. So, a big developer petitioned the city (bribed with backroom deals, there was no public debate), and they allowed a housing development.
Despite underhanded behavior, the city leaders did one thing right. They insisted that all residents of these new houses sign a document stating there would be aircraft noise. Apparently, the threat of an aircraft crashing into them was not a concern. Did I mention Worcester gets ultra cold (wing icing), the mountain is super windy, and it has fog thicker than pea soup?
The houses got built, disclosures were signed, and people moved in. “Hey, planes are loud.” So, the residents filed a lawsuit, and the city responded by limiting the airport to a few daily flights. There, done!
Of course, the airlines had broken contracts and sued the city. (Side note: The universities were also not pleased with the limited flights. They have lots of power but use it quietly.) The lawsuits went on for years. The last time I checked, the flight times were restricted from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and new residents must sign a heavy-handed disclosure.
What the heck was going on? It does not take a rocket scientist to know that planes are loud. And what was the city thinking? Anybody could see a lawsuit coming from a mile away. Are you canceling contracts with a company with lawyers more powerful than the Pratt and Whitney engines that lift their planes into the sky? It’s a no-brainer.
Did these people lack common sense? My answer is that many people ignore how the world works. We see this with the Darwin awards, drivers without auto insurance, parents who take no interest in raising their children, and companies that do not read their product reviews.
Is this really what is going on, or were they pulling a fast one? “Hey, let’s sign the paper and then sue. Yay!” Umm, no. Why? “So, I must slog through a lawsuit? Does this mean testifying, legal fees, paperwork, and court time? Pass!”
I do not think a lawsuit entered the homebuyer’s mind. Instead, they thought, “The noise will be no big deal.” They did no research and did not think ahead. And what research would be necessary? Drive to the house and sit in your car until a plane takes off. Then ask yourself: Can I live with this?” Call it an hour’s worth of easy work to understand the situation. Nope, they skipped that step. “But look at that view.”
Every day, more and more people ignore how the world works. I now regularly see kids on electric bikes/scooters flying down the middle of my street. Just this morning, I had to slam on my truck’s brakes, and the kid did not even flinch. Then he glared at me like I was a criminal. He was on the wrong side of the road, heading directly toward me without a helmet! Did he not understand that a truck always beats a kid on an electric scooter?
The word “always” sums up my point. This is not law, common sense, or an IQ issue. It is basic physics. A Toyota truck traveling at 25 MPH has a giant moving mass. It is dumb iron that will always squish a kid. No logic, law, well-meaning parent, self-driving technology, or AI smartphone application will help that kid.
Yet… I guarantee I will see that same kid riding on the wrong side of the road next week. Is he corner-cutting or being lazy? Nope. Buying a house underneath a flight path or riding on the wrong side of the street without a helmet is an intentional choice. A choice means that thought and logic were applied at the beginning.
And let’s not forget me as a kid on a bike. Sure, I rode without a helmet. We all did in the 70s. Wrong side of the road? Sure! But when a car came, we pulled over and let it pass. The ‘70s kids knew how well a car could smush them.
So… Why am I writing about this? Story characters cannot ignore how the world works. Let’s take the airport example. “Wow, this house is wonderful.” “But Fred, it’s under a flight path.” “Who cares?”
Readers care because they identify the issue and must understand the motivation behind a character’s decision. Perhaps Fred likes airplanes, or he is deaf.
What about riding an electric bike without a helmet? Let’s add some details. “Paul was the type of kid who never thought about consequences.” “He forgot to wear his helmet and texted his friend.” “Paul had no idea he was riding on the wrong side of the road.” “This was his first day riding a bike.” Readers can grab onto that logic.
What if Fred or Paul were arrogant, stupid, or delusional? It is certainly possible to have such characters, but I do not recommend this trait when creating a main character. Readers like clear motives, good decisions, and something they can relate to.
I find it fascinating to explore the disconnect between books and real life. Yet, they both must follow the rules, or there will be consequences. In real life, the consequences are lawsuits, being fired, or ending up in the hospital. The only problems with a bad character are bad reviews and low sales.
It would be nice if fewer people ignored how the world works. Then, there would be fewer accidents, more civilized conversations, and happier days. Alas, no. The best we can do is read books and watch movies in our less-than-ideal world.
You’re the best -Bill
July 24, 2024
Worcester’s entry into the world of aviation began in 1925, and today, they have around 55 commercial flights per day. And this is no tiny regional airport. They fly A320 and Embraer 175 planes with big airlines. American, JetBlue, and Delta.
The geography of Worcester played an essential part in this revitalization. Like all cities, there are good parts and less ideal ones. The areas around the universities have apartments, supermarkets that cater to a younger crowd, and hip clothing stores. Yet, the areas around the closed steel mills suffered from decapitated buildings and crime.
Worcester lies within a massive valley, and the center has a mountain where the city planners placed their airport. This choice was perfect for three reasons. The high location saved fuel, reduced noise, and if there were a crash, it would be far away from the citizens.
The city zoned the sides of the mountain (it is not rocky) to be a forest. This choice was great because the mountain has beautiful trees. Great job, planners!
Well… Living on prime land with a great view was too tempting. So, a big developer petitioned the city (bribed with backroom deals, there was no public debate), and they allowed a housing development.
Despite underhanded behavior, the city leaders did one thing right. They insisted that all residents of these new houses sign a document stating there would be aircraft noise. Apparently, the threat of an aircraft crashing into them was not a concern. Did I mention Worcester gets ultra cold (wing icing), the mountain is super windy, and it has fog thicker than pea soup?
The houses got built, disclosures were signed, and people moved in. “Hey, planes are loud.” So, the residents filed a lawsuit, and the city responded by limiting the airport to a few daily flights. There, done!
Of course, the airlines had broken contracts and sued the city. (Side note: The universities were also not pleased with the limited flights. They have lots of power but use it quietly.) The lawsuits went on for years. The last time I checked, the flight times were restricted from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and new residents must sign a heavy-handed disclosure.
What the heck was going on? It does not take a rocket scientist to know that planes are loud. And what was the city thinking? Anybody could see a lawsuit coming from a mile away. Are you canceling contracts with a company with lawyers more powerful than the Pratt and Whitney engines that lift their planes into the sky? It’s a no-brainer.
Did these people lack common sense? My answer is that many people ignore how the world works. We see this with the Darwin awards, drivers without auto insurance, parents who take no interest in raising their children, and companies that do not read their product reviews.
Is this really what is going on, or were they pulling a fast one? “Hey, let’s sign the paper and then sue. Yay!” Umm, no. Why? “So, I must slog through a lawsuit? Does this mean testifying, legal fees, paperwork, and court time? Pass!”
I do not think a lawsuit entered the homebuyer’s mind. Instead, they thought, “The noise will be no big deal.” They did no research and did not think ahead. And what research would be necessary? Drive to the house and sit in your car until a plane takes off. Then ask yourself: Can I live with this?” Call it an hour’s worth of easy work to understand the situation. Nope, they skipped that step. “But look at that view.”
Every day, more and more people ignore how the world works. I now regularly see kids on electric bikes/scooters flying down the middle of my street. Just this morning, I had to slam on my truck’s brakes, and the kid did not even flinch. Then he glared at me like I was a criminal. He was on the wrong side of the road, heading directly toward me without a helmet! Did he not understand that a truck always beats a kid on an electric scooter?
The word “always” sums up my point. This is not law, common sense, or an IQ issue. It is basic physics. A Toyota truck traveling at 25 MPH has a giant moving mass. It is dumb iron that will always squish a kid. No logic, law, well-meaning parent, self-driving technology, or AI smartphone application will help that kid.
Yet… I guarantee I will see that same kid riding on the wrong side of the road next week. Is he corner-cutting or being lazy? Nope. Buying a house underneath a flight path or riding on the wrong side of the street without a helmet is an intentional choice. A choice means that thought and logic were applied at the beginning.
And let’s not forget me as a kid on a bike. Sure, I rode without a helmet. We all did in the 70s. Wrong side of the road? Sure! But when a car came, we pulled over and let it pass. The ‘70s kids knew how well a car could smush them.
So… Why am I writing about this? Story characters cannot ignore how the world works. Let’s take the airport example. “Wow, this house is wonderful.” “But Fred, it’s under a flight path.” “Who cares?”
Readers care because they identify the issue and must understand the motivation behind a character’s decision. Perhaps Fred likes airplanes, or he is deaf.
What about riding an electric bike without a helmet? Let’s add some details. “Paul was the type of kid who never thought about consequences.” “He forgot to wear his helmet and texted his friend.” “Paul had no idea he was riding on the wrong side of the road.” “This was his first day riding a bike.” Readers can grab onto that logic.
What if Fred or Paul were arrogant, stupid, or delusional? It is certainly possible to have such characters, but I do not recommend this trait when creating a main character. Readers like clear motives, good decisions, and something they can relate to.
I find it fascinating to explore the disconnect between books and real life. Yet, they both must follow the rules, or there will be consequences. In real life, the consequences are lawsuits, being fired, or ending up in the hospital. The only problems with a bad character are bad reviews and low sales.
It would be nice if fewer people ignored how the world works. Then, there would be fewer accidents, more civilized conversations, and happier days. Alas, no. The best we can do is read books and watch movies in our less-than-ideal world.
You’re the best -Bill
July 24, 2024
