So What’s Your Villain, Or Villainess Like?
Posted on Feb 25, 2009 07:09:32 PM
My, my; what a Question, It truly depends on who the villain (ness) is. Are they related to the character? Have they always been around manipulating from the sidelines? Or are they someone who has recently appeared? It also depends on the type of personality they have. Are they outgoing, possibly highly influential or are they
the type that hides and attacks when you back is turned.
Yes you have to give the villain some type of background without going to far, you also to consider are they misguided and will be redeemed in the end, or are they truly going to get what’s coming to them.
Each story has a different Hero/heroine so also each one has a different Villain/villainess as such it is only when the tale unfolds that you truly get to know all the characters involved.
I will always have to deal with evil and all around bad guys for the simple fact I write fantasy, if I ever branch out into other genres I may not even have a villain at all life itself is demanding enough, not too mention most of the hero’s are jerks we have to reform throughout the story.
So do I ever want to whip my bad guys, of course? They wouldn’t be bad guys if we didn’t.
I never really know my characters until they start to come to life on paper and then they surprise the hell out me. But I imagine for those who know what each character is like or at least a rough outline does the same thing for the villain. And some times a secondary character just becomes too nasty not to be the bad guy.
As far as how real we can make them, unless you go inside their minds you have to depend on the other characters to help you build them and tell their story some throughout and explain their actions in the end. While doing all of this you makes them real and believable while telling there past as well.
I am not sure if I answered any questions or just raised a few more. I do know one thing absolute on this subject, if you ask a hundred writers you are going to get a hundred answers, all will be different the only thing the same will be well aren’t villains characters too?
Writing – Job Or Hobby?
Posted on Dec 28, 2008 03:02:52 PM
Writing is a part of everyone’s life. Every one of us has had to write an article, a composition or a letter to a loved one, at least once in our lives. In schools, it is as common task as learning how to count or memorize multiplication tables. Yet as people grow old, some continue on to write until old age while some completely shun writing as if it’s a burden one needs to keep away from as much as possible. The difference between who you are among the two is how you answer the question, “Is writing a hobby or a job for you?” The answer you give could tell you of your perspective of the written form of art.
Job or Hobby?
When does writing become a job then? Some may think that when you get paid then it becomes work. But why then did the great poets of times past who died miserable, alone and broke continued to write until they were on their deathbed? By this example alone you could deduce that writing may still be a hobby even if you are great author as long as the passion and the love for writing is there. But once other factors affect that passion for writing then it’s a different story altogether. Apparently, some great writers have been burned out at least one time in their lives because of the pressure to beat the deadline, the anxiety of having to please the readers and the dreadful idea of not living up to the expectations that surrounds a best-selling writer.
Searching for the Reasons Why One Writes
So then how do you keep the passion to write a love letter, the fervor to churn out poetry and essays, or to still beat the deadline without having to feel that writing is a heavy burden? How do you make writing a productive exercise and still to still call writing a hobby? There are many ways to respond to the posed questions above, but the simplest and most efficient way is to ask yourself, to ask that writer within you what reasons you have that you bothered to continue writing in a journal, a daily diary or on pieces of paper around your flat when in fact no one asked you to. Searching the inner soul could produce many definite answers for you. Maybe you view writing as a way to blow steam off on bad days, or maybe you chose to write your dreams because you want to preserve a memory of yourself, afraid that when you get older, you would somehow become this senseless, disconnected person. Or maybe writing for you is a form of release or expression.
Whatever the reason is, you have to ask yourself if you still have it in you and if the tides of time have not washed away that passion and the reason for that passion to write. If you could answer that positively, then you’ll always be able to view writing as a hobby, as an activity that you will always cherish to do no matter what is going on in your life. A true writer will always write because of internal reasons, whether you are a novice playwright, a successful novelist, or a child who keeps a diary.
Seven Tips To Article Writing
Posted on Nov 15, 2008 01:02:47 PM
Having difficulty to start writing an article? Actually, writing articles isn’t as hard as you may think. If you understand the rules of proper grammar, own a word processor or word processing software that includes a spell checker, writing articles becomes quite easy. You will find the following 7 tips useful to you.
1. One step at a time. This is a common mistake, especially by the newbies in article writing. Think about what you want to say, then ignoring about spelling or grammar, just write until you have said all that you wanted to say. When all’s done, then that’s when editing comes in.
2. Know your topic. Don’t be stressed over it. Knowing what you want to sell is not enough. Visit forums to find out what your customers are looking for. Answer their questions through your articles.
3. The length of your article. Articles should be between 300 and 750 words. Most word processors come with the “word count” tool, so make use of this tool.
4. Submission of your article. Do not submit your article immediately after you have completed it. Read it over and make sure you included all that you want to say, and most importantly, get someone else to read it, and sincerely accept any criticism from the reader.
5. The objective of your article. Remember, you are writing an article, not a sales letter. The article should inform and lead readers to your website, where the selling will begin at the website. You do not want to risk losing your credibility with articles that are obvious sales letters.
6. Stay focused. That is, make sure your article stays on track. Should you deviate from your original intention, make a note about the new article idea that you have accidentally found, and get back on track with your original plan.
7. Last but not least, write in simple and easy to understand language. In short, write like the way you talk. In this way, your personality will shine through, and this is the first step to building a relationship with your readers.
Why Should I Submit Articles To An Article Directory
Posted on Nov 13, 2008 08:14:44 AM
Submitting articles to an article directory is a decision more and more people are making everyday. With the great increase in blogging sites and personal websites promoting articles the need for new written material increases by the minute.
Article directories enable website owners’ easy access to hundreds and thousands of articles they can add to their website pages. With new articles comes new viewer interest and reader traffic. These owners are smart and are already using affiliate advertising programs to generate money.
So why should you submit an article to a directory? One might wonder why one would want to submit a writing piece for free; it is after all one’s hard work. But there are many different reasons and surprisingly the outcome can be quite lucrative!
Some of these reasons follow:
1.If you are trying to break into the writing world what better way to get exposure than to submit articles to a directory that is targeted for website owners’ who want traffic to their sites and will use your article as a means to do so. This means your writing will be read and seen by hundreds, maybe even thousands of people. This is one sure way to get your name at least out in the public eye.
2.Sending your articles to directories is also a good idea because you can always add a direct link to your blogging sites and other websites. The more exposure your article experiences, the more hits to your other sites. If you are using affiliate programs on those sites, the money making potential can increase exponentially!
3.Some people choose to submit articles for more personal reasons. For the person who has never felt listened to, this might be a great safe avenue to be “heard” in. This can boost one’s self-confidence especially if many websites decide to use your articles. This boost of confidence can then help lift you up to other possible writing pursuits.
4.Another reason to send your articles to an article directory is simply for the self-gratifying feeling of seeing your name in print. For some people this accomplishment alone is enough.
5.Writing articles can simply be a fun hobby for someone else and they do not need the recognition nor do they need any monetary compensation. They simply want to have something in the world that represents who they are, what they think, and what they believe without having to face the tough, discerning and sometimes rejecting scrutiny of publishers and editors.
6.And, for some it is a great way to practice one’s writing skills. Writing every single day is one of the most beneficial practices for any writer. It is like a basketball player who goes to the court everyday to shoot some hoops and run some court plays. Practice sharpens one’s skill level in any endeavor.
So, as you can see, there are many great reasons why one submitting articles to article directories can not only be a lucrative and self-validating tool, but it can also be a powerful outlet and way to increase one’s intrinsic writing skills!