I'm back for yet another Round Robin Blog Fest!
October was a bit hectic since I was packing to move to a much nicer place than the one I'd been living in for the past 5 years. This one is above ground, has lots of windows, and my cats and I LOVE IT!! My office new office actually has heat!
So, all pleasantries aside, what are we discussing this month? Describe a flawed or evil character you have or might use in a story. How did they become so flawed? What part will they play in the story and what will happen to them?
In
general, a good character should be flawed. It’s hard for a reader to root for
a “perfect” character than one who has taken their share of hard knocks. When
it comes to evil characters, the opposite is true. They can’t be all bad or
they become stereotypes and unbelievable.
In
mystery novels, a good “bad” character needs to have redeeming qualities to throw
off the reader and created a series of red herrings. As readers get to know the
suspects and weigh the good and bad of each, they see motives and opportunities
appear.
One of my favorite flawed characters is the victim in “All That Shines”, book two of my Glitter Bay Mystery series. Sebastian Hayward the Third ends up dead in the middle of Vintage Sage, a vintage boutique owned by Sage Miller. Here is how the reader is introduced to Sebastian and his protégé, Hamlet.
The
front door opened behind us. Before we even had time to turn around, a man groaned.
“That is the most hideous shade of yellow I have ever seen.”
I
bit my lip. Hard.
The
man in the doorway was slim, but of average height with a short, black Liza
Minelli wig and pasty skin that, judging from his sharp incisors, probably
hadn’t seen sun since the early 1500s. His pointy face reminded me of a
hairless gerbil. He wore a loose white shirt, a pair of tailored, knee-length
pants, and yellow, three-inch heels covered with sequins. I raised my eyebrows.
His lips were pinker than my sister’s cheeks. At least his handbag matched his
shoes.
“Oh,
dear.” The larger figure who strolled in behind him was taller and wore hot
pink, tailored pants. His broad shoulders and hint of a belly stretched his
yellow dress shirt to its limits. His fingernails resembled short daggers
painted the same hot pink as his pants. He wore a platinum bobbed wig and bore
the hint of a five-o’clock shadow.
I
tossed Laken a worried glance.
She
cleared her throat. “Sebastian. You’re early.”
“No
way.” I gasped. “Seriously?”
It
was a good thing the furniture was already in place. From the waif-like look of
Sebastian, we would have had to move everything on our own if we’d waited for
his help. While his sidekick might have been more helpful, he probably would
have worried about breaking one of his nails.
Sebastian
shot her a dramatic look. “What are you talking about, darling? We said noon.
I’m here at noon. Good thing, too. This place is a complete disaster.”
“What
disaster, it’s your furniture?” I snorted.
“It’s
already noon?” Laken scowled. “No wonder I’m hungry.”
“Hungry?”
Sebastian handed his handbag to the man with the pink nails to hold before he strutted
closer to give my sister air kisses. “Darling, you’re a model. Hunger is a
perpetual state of being.”
While the reader sees a flawed, self-important, pompous figure, we are reminded of his goodness later on. He helped Sage’s sister Laken get into the modeling industry then later to get out of a bad marriage to a B-list actor. He remained her friend long after others in Hollywood shunned her.
To Sage, he's someone who can't be trusted.
To Laken, he's one of the nicest people she knows.
So where does the truth lie? In that fuzzy gray line down the middle. Right where it should.
In the end, it's Sebastian's own actions that lead to his demise and not even his friends can save him. But they can help solve the mystery of his death.
Let's do some blog hopping and see what the rest of the gang thinks!!
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2ue
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
My last word today comes from Sebastian's protege who is in mourning:
It's interesting that the two sisters have different viewpoints of Sebastian, for that relates to everyone's life. Different people like and dislike different people. Enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteEnjoyed the sisters differing viewpoints as I found that so realistic. I'm nine years older than my sister and we've been on different tracks all our lives.
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting!
DeleteFirst, congratulations on your move! I hope you write many more novels there. 😊
ReplyDeleteSecond, I’ve never really thought about how suspects in a mystery have to walk that line, but you’re right. I’m generally good at figuring out who did it, but now I’m going to be mulling that over in the back of my head. LOL
LOL! Thank you. I'm working on the next one for Nanowrimo.
DeleteHi Diane, Yes, families hold different viewpoints on almost everything and sometimes one feels like an alien. Sebastian's appearance would split opinions without doubt. Great post. Anne
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anne!
DeleteLoved the description of Sebastian. He will certainly be an interesting characters that will liven up the novel.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderfully provocative character descriptions. Seeing the very different ways two sisters see another character adds dimension to that character, as we see different sides of him.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteDiane, I enjoyed the posting of two sister's point of view. Even though my sister and I are only 4 years apart in age, the way we viewed life was quite different. Does birth order play a role in how we view life or the way we 'perceive reality?
ReplyDelete