Jerry’s answer to “Enjoying Left Behind KIDS. Was this series always part of the plan? Also, if I can ask anothe…” > Likes and Comments
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One of my favorite GO TO bad guys was a character by the name of SWAN played by Paul Williams in Phantom of the Paradise. I love it! The guy who WROTE Old Fashioned Love Song playing a guy who would have STOLEN that same song!
Buy WHY did Swan steal the life's work of some young, hopeful songwriter? Simple. Swan's early success (he wrote and produced his first gold record at 14) made him an EGO-maniac, who did not want to lose the youth that he began with. So he made a Faustian bargain for youth, that would rob him of the ability to create the music he'd become known for. What to do? Well, he had reputation so who'd believe the poor kid he ripped off . He had to keep his empire. Swan's EGO robbed him of the ability to empathize with the young songwriter he had once been.
Buy WHY did Swan steal the life's work of some young, hopeful songwriter? Simple. Swan's early success (he wrote and produced his first gold record at 14) made him an EGO-maniac, who did not want to lose the youth that he began with. So he made a Faustian bargain for youth, that would rob him of the ability to create the music he'd become known for. What to do? Well, he had reputation so who'd believe the poor kid he ripped off . He had to keep his empire. Swan's EGO robbed him of the ability to empathize with the young songwriter he had once been.
Cool. I was a fan since 1974 when I was 10. Do NOT do the math! 😄 Anywho, if you want to have fun with villain motivation, Swan is a good place to go. The whole project SINGS "poetic irony'.
Funny, though, that both men (Carpathia and Swan) were handsome or cute. SO much so that most people didn't see beyond the package until it was too late.
Okay, a BIT simplistic in Nicolae's case. He came onto the world scene when the world was in chaos. He was handsome and he spoke of PEACE. Little by little he he took the world down the primrose path.
Funny, though, that both men (Carpathia and Swan) were handsome or cute. SO much so that most people didn't see beyond the package until it was too late.
Okay, a BIT simplistic in Nicolae's case. He came onto the world scene when the world was in chaos. He was handsome and he spoke of PEACE. Little by little he he took the world down the primrose path.
You know what I'd LOVE to do, if I could figure out the angle.... write a bit of flash fiction where you end up in a literary debate with Agatha Christie, over who is the less-likeable character; Carpathia or Poirot.
I'm imagining her telling you how she liked this about Carpathia and how you did that with the character. You'd be like, "Thank you. I enjoyed writing for the character, but..um... you DO realize Nicolae is the devil incarnate, right?"
"True enough, but at least he wasn't obsessed with symmetrical organization."
"Nicolae Carpathia deceived MILLIONS of people. Damned them for all eternity. Person wise, Hercule Poirot was harmless. Mildly annoying at worst."
Christie cussed before adding, "Try writing for the little drip, dear."
I think I have the angle. It could be a dream. Dreams are weird. Can you think of a kind of meal you would eat that might conjure up such a wild dream; A literary debate with a woman who's been dead for 40 years? I haven't done any writing in a while. 2022 was a stressful year for me. This might just loosen me up.
May I give it a try?
I'm imagining her telling you how she liked this about Carpathia and how you did that with the character. You'd be like, "Thank you. I enjoyed writing for the character, but..um... you DO realize Nicolae is the devil incarnate, right?"
"True enough, but at least he wasn't obsessed with symmetrical organization."
"Nicolae Carpathia deceived MILLIONS of people. Damned them for all eternity. Person wise, Hercule Poirot was harmless. Mildly annoying at worst."
Christie cussed before adding, "Try writing for the little drip, dear."
I think I have the angle. It could be a dream. Dreams are weird. Can you think of a kind of meal you would eat that might conjure up such a wild dream; A literary debate with a woman who's been dead for 40 years? I haven't done any writing in a while. 2022 was a stressful year for me. This might just loosen me up.
May I give it a try?
Stephen King, in his book ON WRITING, spoke about a villain in The STAND, I think. The villain's motivation has to be genuine and for the greater good, at least in their thinking.
Of course, the enemy's motivation was the damnation of humanity, but it was a reason and he was passionate about it. Of course, he wasn't going to out and out admit this to humanity. He was going to deceive them into believing that what he was doing was for their good. And they bought it.