Janet Pywell's Blog - Posts Tagged "crime"
Narcissists are great characters in fiction — but never marry one…
As an author, when you create a strong and interesting protagonist you need an equally strong and interesting anti-hero — an antagonist who constantly works against the main character and the central goals to the story and final denouement.
The narcissist wants to be King — worshipped and respected.
NPD — “Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behaviour, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration.”
They are also, very often, extremely manipulative using superficial charm like carefully woven tarantula silk to engage and trap their partner into a relationship. Some people are drawn to men who appear confident and strong and who profess to be different and who strut their arrogance with pride.
More experienced people may see the NPD as someone who is cocky and manipulative. It can take time in a marriage until a wife realises she’s married to a patronising and demanding, spoilt child who will blame you and deny their cruelty and mistakes.
The complexities of a narcissist’s character is one of the appealing aspects of writing about them in a novel.
In my Mikky dos Santos Thrillers, some of my antagonists have an inflated sense of importance (check), delusions of grandeur (check), need praise and admiration (check), have a sense of entitlement (check) and they exploit others without shame (check).
In Stolen Script and Truthful Lies my antagonists are manipulative, clever and use exploitation as a means of power and control. Their blame and criticism knows no bounds — they see nothing wrong in their behaviour. They are perfect anti-heros.
However, they come in various shapes and sizes — it’s not ‘one size fits all’. You only need a few of the NPD’s attributes and you have the ideal “baddie” — the Panto “evildoer” — the person who upsets everyone and who upsets our protagonist and detracts them from their goal(s).
In real life they often demean, intimidate, bully, or belittle others…
But — a word of warning — to be successful you must use the character traits subtly. Weave their narcissistic tendencies through sleight actions, conversations, misunderstandings and most of all, allow your reader to be taken in by their natural charisma and confidence. So that when the tension escalates and their dysfunction is revealed your protagonist keeps a sense of worth and self value and has an escape— this is essential for a powerful and worthy ending to your novel.
And that’s fiction.
In real life it’s a different story. Once you’re trapped in a relationship or marriage, it’s hard to leave. Someone with NPD will lie, make crazy promises and, when they think you may leave them, will ‘love–bomb’ you with adoration and flattery. They also promise to change -– sadly, this is just another one of their lies.
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Emotional abuse can be subtle. It can affect you and often isolate you from your family. It can also have a detrimental long-term effect on your children.
The narcissist wants to be King — worshipped and respected — and when you can no longer do this – HELP IS AVAILABLE.
Freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
All Janet’s books are available on Amazon click here.
Visit Janet’s website: www,janetpywell.com
Subscribe to her newsletter for your free copy of the prequel to the Mikky dos Santos Thriller series – Golden Icon.
The narcissist wants to be King — worshipped and respected.
NPD — “Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behaviour, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration.”
They are also, very often, extremely manipulative using superficial charm like carefully woven tarantula silk to engage and trap their partner into a relationship. Some people are drawn to men who appear confident and strong and who profess to be different and who strut their arrogance with pride.
More experienced people may see the NPD as someone who is cocky and manipulative. It can take time in a marriage until a wife realises she’s married to a patronising and demanding, spoilt child who will blame you and deny their cruelty and mistakes.
The complexities of a narcissist’s character is one of the appealing aspects of writing about them in a novel.
In my Mikky dos Santos Thrillers, some of my antagonists have an inflated sense of importance (check), delusions of grandeur (check), need praise and admiration (check), have a sense of entitlement (check) and they exploit others without shame (check).
In Stolen Script and Truthful Lies my antagonists are manipulative, clever and use exploitation as a means of power and control. Their blame and criticism knows no bounds — they see nothing wrong in their behaviour. They are perfect anti-heros.
However, they come in various shapes and sizes — it’s not ‘one size fits all’. You only need a few of the NPD’s attributes and you have the ideal “baddie” — the Panto “evildoer” — the person who upsets everyone and who upsets our protagonist and detracts them from their goal(s).
In real life they often demean, intimidate, bully, or belittle others…
But — a word of warning — to be successful you must use the character traits subtly. Weave their narcissistic tendencies through sleight actions, conversations, misunderstandings and most of all, allow your reader to be taken in by their natural charisma and confidence. So that when the tension escalates and their dysfunction is revealed your protagonist keeps a sense of worth and self value and has an escape— this is essential for a powerful and worthy ending to your novel.
And that’s fiction.
In real life it’s a different story. Once you’re trapped in a relationship or marriage, it’s hard to leave. Someone with NPD will lie, make crazy promises and, when they think you may leave them, will ‘love–bomb’ you with adoration and flattery. They also promise to change -– sadly, this is just another one of their lies.
Image for post
Emotional abuse can be subtle. It can affect you and often isolate you from your family. It can also have a detrimental long-term effect on your children.
The narcissist wants to be King — worshipped and respected — and when you can no longer do this – HELP IS AVAILABLE.
Freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
All Janet’s books are available on Amazon click here.
Visit Janet’s website: www,janetpywell.com
Subscribe to her newsletter for your free copy of the prequel to the Mikky dos Santos Thriller series – Golden Icon.
If You Were Confident…. Would You Steal To Get What You Want - or is that just fiction?
If you could get away with it - would you?
When I began writing my Mikky dos Santos thriller series, I developed an idea that my strong, female protagonist would be an artist, art forger and thief. Her aim is to steal a valuable, stolen painting. She believes that it will change her life forever. More importantly it will give her what she needs - freedom and money.
I didn't want a pretty, "girl next door" type of heroine but more of a tough, "kick-arse" woman. Her body is an elaborate canvas of inked artwork. She covers her sensitive soul with a tough, no-nonsense attitude, while she looks for the one thing she craves- Love.
The six books in the series are all stand-alone thrillers and set in different locations around the world. Mikky finds herself confronting unscrupulous narcissists, violent criminal gangs, as well as drug and human traffickers while uncovering the whereabouts of priceless looted artefacts.
As an author, it was essential that the cultural and valuable items were worth Mikky risking her life.
Each book in the series features important, cultural items that are meaningful in different countries, religions and sects around the world.
In Masterpiece, book 1, Mikky is about to steal Vermeer's The Concert - the world's most expensive stolen painting, taken from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. It has been valued at $200 million and - to this date - has never been recovered.
Now, that would sort out your financial problems - wouldn't it?
Perhaps it's not a case of confidence. Maybe you'd find it morally repulsive to steal something, afterall, it's one of the seven deadly sins and against most religious teachings in the world.
Balancing right from wrong and the sense of injustice are strong themes in all my books.
So, in order to weigh the scales of justice honestly and favourably, I have created Mikky dos Santos who finds out the truth; the perpetrators of the crime and provides suitable punishment or revenge. Nothing is ever worse than the criminals original crime but a high price is finally paid - in the world of fiction at least!
And, does Mikky find love?
Mikky finds herself through various friends, lovers and experiences. Stay reading until Broken Windows, book 6, to see if she becomes the woman she is meant to be.
If you enjoy reading exiting, gripping page-turners then start with Masterpiece, book 1, in the Mikky dos Santos thriller series.
Masterpiece is FREE between 13th - 17th April to download here.
There are more free books - Chills & Thrills at the end of this blog.
Happy Easter.
Janet is a tutor at CCCU. She writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here. She also provides an elite one-to-one novel writing mentoring service: https://www.subscribepage.com/the_nov...
Masterpiece - You will be instantly hooked!
★★★★★ "A very apt title! This book offers so much - mystery, thrills, culture and entertainment. A real page-turner! Despite her flaws, you find yourself rooting for the heroine from the beginning."
★★★★★ "Highly Recommend this book & this series. Relatable characters that are also complex & very human. There are enough plot twists to keep you turning the pages without stopping. The author has a great talent for describing the locales & setting the scenes ….it's as if you are right there with the characters."
★★★★★ "The intro of the new characters is well done and keeps you guessing. The series is unique and reminds me of the same twists and turns as another author's series The girl with the dragon tattoo."
★★★★★ "I loved the intrigue and histories that surrounded each character and the twists and turns and journeys that the book took you on."
For some more FREE books simply chick here.
When I began writing my Mikky dos Santos thriller series, I developed an idea that my strong, female protagonist would be an artist, art forger and thief. Her aim is to steal a valuable, stolen painting. She believes that it will change her life forever. More importantly it will give her what she needs - freedom and money.
I didn't want a pretty, "girl next door" type of heroine but more of a tough, "kick-arse" woman. Her body is an elaborate canvas of inked artwork. She covers her sensitive soul with a tough, no-nonsense attitude, while she looks for the one thing she craves- Love.
The six books in the series are all stand-alone thrillers and set in different locations around the world. Mikky finds herself confronting unscrupulous narcissists, violent criminal gangs, as well as drug and human traffickers while uncovering the whereabouts of priceless looted artefacts.
As an author, it was essential that the cultural and valuable items were worth Mikky risking her life.
Each book in the series features important, cultural items that are meaningful in different countries, religions and sects around the world.
In Masterpiece, book 1, Mikky is about to steal Vermeer's The Concert - the world's most expensive stolen painting, taken from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. It has been valued at $200 million and - to this date - has never been recovered.
Now, that would sort out your financial problems - wouldn't it?
Perhaps it's not a case of confidence. Maybe you'd find it morally repulsive to steal something, afterall, it's one of the seven deadly sins and against most religious teachings in the world.
Balancing right from wrong and the sense of injustice are strong themes in all my books.
So, in order to weigh the scales of justice honestly and favourably, I have created Mikky dos Santos who finds out the truth; the perpetrators of the crime and provides suitable punishment or revenge. Nothing is ever worse than the criminals original crime but a high price is finally paid - in the world of fiction at least!
And, does Mikky find love?
Mikky finds herself through various friends, lovers and experiences. Stay reading until Broken Windows, book 6, to see if she becomes the woman she is meant to be.
If you enjoy reading exiting, gripping page-turners then start with Masterpiece, book 1, in the Mikky dos Santos thriller series.
Masterpiece is FREE between 13th - 17th April to download here.
There are more free books - Chills & Thrills at the end of this blog.
Happy Easter.
Janet is a tutor at CCCU. She writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here. She also provides an elite one-to-one novel writing mentoring service: https://www.subscribepage.com/the_nov...
Masterpiece - You will be instantly hooked!
★★★★★ "A very apt title! This book offers so much - mystery, thrills, culture and entertainment. A real page-turner! Despite her flaws, you find yourself rooting for the heroine from the beginning."
★★★★★ "Highly Recommend this book & this series. Relatable characters that are also complex & very human. There are enough plot twists to keep you turning the pages without stopping. The author has a great talent for describing the locales & setting the scenes ….it's as if you are right there with the characters."
★★★★★ "The intro of the new characters is well done and keeps you guessing. The series is unique and reminds me of the same twists and turns as another author's series The girl with the dragon tattoo."
★★★★★ "I loved the intrigue and histories that surrounded each character and the twists and turns and journeys that the book took you on."
For some more FREE books simply chick here.
