How I write: part one - Villains
I’ve always preferred the bad guys. Come to think of , who doesn’t?
My love for a good villain over a hero is due to a villains capacity to that which we would never do. But secretly want to. They’re mysterious , sexier, more interesting and more capable of freedom than the heroes they fight. In other words they know what they want and they’re willing to do anything to get it.
Personally, I always rooted for the bad guys because, quite frankly, the good guys were so annoying, They won. All. The. Time. As a child I’d find myself increasingly frustrated with the constant victories of the perfectly chiselled super-humans, the snooty kids and their irritating dog, the red white and blue giant robot and every other untarnished, unbeatable Saturday morning hero. When would the villain get a look in.
I’ve been wondering how much of this played a part in the initial conception for my first novel. A story where I wanted too, finally, show that the bad guys could “win”. And “win” BIG. What eventually grew out of this was something that, I hope, delves into the ramifications of true, pure evil and the dangers of sacrificing so much for something which to them seems important. Plus the question…
How much of ourselves do we lose in the endless struggle for all that is right?
Maybe in my novel you’ll find out, maybe not.
Sukhdev Singh
