You all know I've been working on tweaking my romantic suspense. Originally when I wrote this story I totally fell in love with the bad guy and kind of redeemed him in the end. I knew he couldn't end up with the heroine, but I felt he deserved his own story...and to find love. Well, I remember my agent saying no. Here was our conversation:
Agent: "He needs to die."
Me: Whaaat??????
Agent: "You have to make him meaner and kill him off."
Me: Whaaatt???? But I like him, and I have a story planned out for him.
Agent: "You have to kill him."
Me: Okay.....
So, while I finished the story I had a post-it note on the corner of my computer screen that simply read: KILL HIM. But, the more nasty I added to his character, the easier it was to have him die in the end. But...(don't you hate those?), now that I'm making another pass through it (years later) and I'm adding a couple sub-plots to hopefully get rid of the category-feel....I'm loving my bad guy all over again!!!!
Just this week I was working on one of his scenes, and realized while he is greedy and power hungry, he's kind of become a victim of circumstance, and due to situations far beyond his control due to the VERY NASTY man he's working for, he can't get out. Things are snowballing and the very people he loves are going to be in danger. (which kind of runs parallel to the hero/heroine plot and at some point they will collide) While I know I can keep him bad.....I am feeling the need for him to have a story again! Hell, we all know he's not going to end up with the heroine!! But maybe if I ship him off and give him diplomatic immunity or whatever it's called....he can take on a new identity, find a new (clean) life and live happily ever after!!!
Does that make sense? Do I have my rose colored glasses on too tight? OMG...does he REALLY have to die??
I'm going to keep working through the rest of the story and see how he develops. Maybe something will happen and I will feel the need to kill him. Things will start to get more intense and illegal where he's concerned. I'm not worried that the subplot will take over, as much as it has given me a different perspective on my villian.
Have you ever had a character who you were supposed to get rid of, but realized you couldn't?
What do you do when you fall in love with your bad guy? Can he be redeemable?
Enjoy the holiday weekend everyone! Remember our soldiers past and present. Travel safe and party responsibly!!
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3 comments:
Haha I remember that! But he only had to die because you loved him so much it showed through loud and clear until we all wanted the heroine to end up with him instead of the hero :-)
I think if you make him the bad guy, he can still be redeemable, just make it clear he is not the right guy for her...yet he just might be perfect for (fill in the blank :-)
I'd love to see his story sometime!
You can always go the route of television, especially soap operas. If there is no body, they can show up years later.
I love a good guy who used to be bad :)
Kari - I know he deserves a story!! And the favorite female is waiting patiently for him to appear!!
Katt - I haven't even considered the soap opera route!! I was a HUGE Guiding Light fan (back in the day). How many times did Reva die and magically reappear?!? Hmm....I kind of like the "no body" approach.
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