I recently received feedback from a reviewer at my publisher
on the sequel to eHuman Dawn. The reviewer's job was to take the story and
analyze it from a reader's perspective. Each of the main characters was
assessed, especially the antagonist. It turns out that this character is the
most essential to any story line. Without him or her, there's no plot. The hero
has nothing to prove in a world of saints, so to speak. When I first started
writing, my villain, Edgar Prince, was weak. It was hard to believe he posed
any real threat. To remedy this I began to research psychopaths, and dove into
the world of the bad guy for months in order to create an antagonist worthy of
the story. I'm now happy to hear that after spending the time, Edgar has
evolved to become, "an enjoyable trickster, appearing and disappearing to
wreak havoc within and without his world."
I was pleased that someone other than myself enjoys
this evil man. He just might be my favorite character. Yet this admittance
gives me pause. What happens when you fall for the villain? Why are some bad
guys so good to have around? I've long been enamored with the trickster: Loki
is the most dear to me, and I will admit that Tom Hiddleston does a great job
bringing him to life in the recent movie series. I also adore the Coyote figure
in most Native American myths. Dark wizards, witches and dragons top my
favorite villain list as well. I recently watched "Thor: The Dark World,”
and when I thought that Loki was dead, I actually felt like crying. Yes, I know
he's a bastard, but there's no story in Asgard without him. Which makes me wonder,
while we bemoan the evil ones in the world, could we ever really know joy
without them? Can there be a Savior without the Judas? Even more curious—does
the story have to end with the bad guy dying? Can the evil one ever be
forgiven?
As I explore these themes I’ve come to realize that
the villain rests within each one of us, as does the hero. Our subconscious
mind lives in the realms of light and shadow ceaselessly, without pause. Our
rational mind processes that which it sees around us, and makes decisions. Our actions then depend on both
processes, our rational thinking and the more mysterious psyche. Those who know
their shadow are more likely to be aware of their choices in the present. This
is an age-old teaching across many philosophies. The role of stories then is to
help us see what’s living beneath the surface as well as the archetypes that
govern our reality. The more stories we hear, watch and read, the more aware we
become of our own humanity. Thus, the villain is just as important as the hero,
not merely because he or she causes the plot to thicken and makes the action
possible for the hero, but also because of what the villain teaches us about being
human. As the old Native American fable goes, two wolves live within you—you
become the wolf you’re willing to feed.
I love Edgar Prince, and as I edit the sequel in order
to publish it, I begin to turn to the final book in the trilogy. What will be
his end? Must he be vanquished? Must he die? Or can he be redeemed? Many people
believe that authors know every detail of their story before they begin. This
hasn’t been true for me. All of my characters are still revealing themselves
and have more to say. With each scene, I get to know them better. Living in the
eHuman world has been a chance like no other to see the wolves within myself,
and get to know both my shadow and my light. It has also awakened me to the
choices being made within the political and technological realms in our own
world.
Indeed, stories truly are a pathway to understanding
the human condition.
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