There is no point to telling a story if you're only going to talk about the good bits. This world is cruel and nasty and unforgiving but also beautiful and wonderful and heartbreaking. Why would you just sit and sunbathe when there are all those creepy caves over there begging to be explored? Who knows what you might find! And honestly, which one would you rather read about?
When you start plunging into the murky depths of the human experience, it can put you in some uncomfortable territory, socially. What will my parents think? My grandparents? My coworkers? Which special interest group is going to write me a letter telling me that my book has been banned from their curriculum? Well you know what? Fuck em. Love them, but also fuck em. Stephen King says you have to step outside of polite society if you want to be writer; because telling the truth isn't always pretty and it certainly isn't PC. You're going to have characters who use racial slurs or hurt people or make really bad decisions and that's all part of it. You can't be a good writer if you are going to make judgement values on them and you definitely can't be a good writer if you are worried about the judgements that other people are going to make.
But you know what? That's such a delicious opportunity. How much richer is your world if you aren't worried about who is "good" and who is "bad"? Because that's not really how it works. Everyone is the star of their own show and everyone is trying to live their life the way they think is best. If you are willing to step back and let people be who they are and then try to report that as honestly as you can, then I think you have fulfilled your obligation as a writer. I mean obviously there are some more technical bits but I think at the heart of it, that's what the real point is. Because really the good doesn't matter without the bad. And the bad doesn't matter without the good. You need all of it. And I am so excited to explore what that means for my life and for my stories. Stay tuned.
A lightning bolt of excitement just shot through my spine and lingered around my brain stem region from reading that last bit.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to what you have to say.
This, among other reasons, is why you are my favorite.
DeleteI find that comment offensive! I thought I was your favorite! Just kidding. I find that in my stories and table top rpg it is hard for me to betray a believable villian or to play evil characters. I often wonder if that means at heart I'm just not evil or if my definition of evil just isn't the same stick by which others measure it. What is a story without a good hero and an evil villain? Day without night gets as you said boring.
ReplyDeleteGgrrr, is there an edit option that I don't know about?
DeleteI think its getting caught up in the idea of a "villian" because really what is a villian? It's just someone who puts their needs and desires over the needs and desires of others (I know for a fact that is a foreign concept for you <3). I think if you focus on motivation and self-service rather than there inherent "evilness" that you might be able to get somewhere. But hey, I'm new at this so take that with a grain of salt!
DeleteI love how there can be such in betweens to this and my favorite is when you get to play with the fact that the villain is not just pure evil but truely believes they are in the right. Its fun to make your hero question then if what they believe is right and even better if they are somewhere in between as well.
ReplyDeleteabsofuckinlievable ;)
DeleteInteresting thoughts. You're right about good not being good without the bad and vice versa. We wouldn't know the difference between the two without both. Very thought provoking. Here's my slice for today: http://iheartpurplestuff.blogspot.com/2017/03/teacher-prep.html
ReplyDelete