The Villain Redeemed by AR DeClerck

We all know him. The man in the dark mask. The shadow that lurks just out of view. The harsh laugh that foretells the doom of the hero. The VILLAIN. Every well-rounded story has one to some degree, and it’s a very basic part of literature.

What is it about the villain that captures our imagination? Whether the villain be male, female, AI, or something all -together alien, there seems to be certain qualities that all villains possess.

Number one: the motivation. This is the main point the villain hopes to achieve. Revenge? Riches? Power? Knowing your villain’s motivation can help you create the basis for the character. This is the thing that your character will do anything to achieve or obtain. The AI in Asimov’s I Robot hopes to bring about the safety and continued existence of man by creating a world in which man has no free will.

Number two: the nemesis. Every villain has a nemesis. A hero with a heart of gold. The light to his dark. Without the hero’s illustrious good character the reader could never realize the villain’s true darkness. Some would argue that we would never know the true depths of Moriarty’s depravity without the shining example of Holmes to compare him to.

Number Three: A deep, dark secret. This is your villain’s deepest secret. The one thing that no one knows, and may, in fact, redeem the villain in the eyes of the reader. (I’m a huge fan of the villain redeemed, and love it when the villain gets his own HEA). This is a story of the villain’s past that even the hero does not know. The wrong done to the villain, or the abuse suffered, that has warped the villain in some pressing way.

Number Four: Some tiny speck of humanity. Your villain has feelings. Your villain had a mother, a father, and perhaps a loved one. Your villain was once a child, and has suffered. (In most cases. Sometimes the villain is a robot, but then you might argue that he was at the mercy of his creator for his evil ways). There are outside forces that have acted on your villain to make him/her into the person they are today. This acts on your character’s motivation. Maybe your villain has a soft spot for girls with green eyes because they remind him of his sister, or maybe he kills them on sight for the same reason. Know your villain’s emotions and know that he feels things just as deeply as your hero.

Whatever your character’s motivation, your villain is an important part of the story. Whether the reader needs to know him as intimately as the hero depends on the story, but the author should know everything about him. Let your villain become as three dimensional as your hero, so that your hero’s victory is that much sweeter. Or, redeem your villain and bring him into the light as a main character at a later date.

Amy R. DeClerck

Author AR DeClerck

AR DeClerck is a mother, wife and dialysis technician who lives in the Quad Cities, IL. An avid reader, reviewer and writer she favors sci fi and scifi romance genres. She attributes her love of books and all things literature to her mother, who always has a book nearby.

Current SFR novel available:

Forged in Fire by AR DeClerck via Nevermore Press Dec 2014

http://www.amazon.com/Forged-Fire-AR-DeClerck-ebook/dp/B00R3B0ZFE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420499403&sr=8-2&keywords=Ar+Declerck

Music Notes: Writing to Music by Amy Riddle-DeClerck

Creative people need inspiration, too. I consider myself a rather creative individual, and I have ideas for stories that might make a list a mile long. What I don't have, most of the time, is the forward momentum to put those ideas on paper. This is where the music comes in. I pop my headphones on, crank up my YouTube play list, and put my fingers to the keyboard. The beat of the music, the melody, and the visual video effects can push me to think, and then I write. With the music on in the background the outside world fades away and I become entrenched in the world my characters live in. Later, when the songs have ended and my hands are tired, I look up at the clock and marvel at exactly how long I managed to concentrate.

When writing my science fiction romance novel, Forged in Fire, I listened to I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin over and over. This became the theme song for my hero, Gin Draven. Driven by honor and duty he faced his fears in an effort to save his galaxy from a terrible threat. Every time I hear this song, even today, Gin's face comes to my mind. It rounded him out and helped me build his persona into a three-dimensional character with emotions and motivations beyond what I had originally planned for him.

It is a proven fact that music can alter brain waves and make it easier for the left and right brains to communicate, increasing creativity.

I got the list below from the book The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit by Don Campbell.

Classical music (Hayden, Mozart) has clarity, elegance, and transparency. It can improve concentration, memory, and special perception.

Impressionist music (Debussy, Faure, Ravel) is based on free-flowing musical moods and impressions, and evokes dreamlike images. A quarter hour of musical daydreaming followed by a few minutes of stretching can unlock your creative impulses and put you in touch with your unconscious.

Rock music by such artists as U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rolling Stones, etc., can stir the passions, stimulate active movement, release tension, reduce effects of unpleasant sounds in the environment. It can also create tension, dissonance, stress, and pain in the body when we are not in the mood to be energetically entertained.

Slower Baroque music (Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Corelli) imparts a sense of stability, order, predictability, and safety and creates a mentally stimulating environment for study or work.

Romantic music (Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Liszt) emphasizes expression and feeling, often invoking themes of individualism, nationalism, or mysticism. It is best used to enhance sympathy, compassion, and love.

So, the next time you find yourself in the dreaded neighborhood of Writer's Block...just remember to turn on your I-pod, put on your headphones and close your eyes. Choose a sound that will personify the scene you're trying to write and wait. Chances are, you won't wait long for inspiration to strike!

About the Author:

 

Amy Riddle-DeClerck writes as AR DeClerck. She grew up in Western NC and currently resides in the Quad Cities, IL with her husband and two daughters. She loves romance and adventure, and prefers redeemable heroes and strong heroines. Her debut novel, Between: A Keyholder Novel, will be released 8-1-14 from Nevermore Press. Her sci-fi romance novel, Forged in Fire, will be released in December 2014. Look for her on facebook at https://facebook.com/authoramydeclerck or find her on Twitter https://twitter.com/ARDeClerck.