The Beauty of the Beast
One
of paranormal fiction’s special challenges is building supernatural
characters that are relatable. Readers are hooked by the fantastic, but
the creatures they remember most are rooted in the human.
We all know
the rules for our heroes and heroines. As multi-dimensional beings,
they must have strengths and weaknesses, even as they cast spells,
shapeshift and crave human blood. They need a back story and believable
motivations and goals. Some quirkiness adds texture and interest. Would
Mercy Thompson be as interesting if Patricia Briggs hadn’t made her a
mechanic? We think not.
A deeper challenge is applying those rules to
our villains. We’re tempted to cloak them in absolute evil. Randomly
bloodthirsty beasts and apocalyptic monsters are fun to create. Giving
them reasons for their despicable actions is more difficult.
Let’s
say upfront that we consider Patricia Briggs a master of
characterization. While she has developed her share of bad-to-bone
nasties, we remain most haunted by those that are more complex.
In
Blood Bound, Mercy Thompson and the Columbia Basin wolf pack grapple
with a vampire who is also a sorcerer and is attached to a demon. This
is one seriously wretched villain. He kills with abandon, most notably
in a horrific motel murder that an innocent human is blamed for. Make no
mistake, readers hate this guy.
But this vampire’s name is Corey.
Yes, Corey–like the two young actors from that 1980’s classic, The Lost
Boys. Corey conjures visions of the boy next door. When you learn more
about him, you find he didn’t ask to become a vicious killer. He did
seek the thrill of being a sorcerer, however, which makes him a truly
bad vampire. You can’t help but have a little sympathy for Corey even as
you root for Mercy to kick his ass.
The river monster in Briggs’
River Marked is equally complicated. The creature’s insatiable appetite
is fed by taking over minds and guiding humans willingly to their
deaths. Yeah, it’s sick. But you can relate on some level when you find
out the legend Native American legend about She Who Watches, the beast
who’s always hungry for humans. She’s so powerful and so persuasive,
especially when she’s trying to make deals with Mercy.
Some tips for building the perfect beast include:
The
unexpected. Vampires have most often been beautiful people, and they’re
usually very sexually adept, but again, Briggs comes through with a
member of the local vampire seethe who is an older woman with the mind
of a child. She’s a virtuoso on the piano but has to be watched
constantly because she acts without thought.
The tragic. The villain
in Awakening Magic, which features the Connelly witches of New Mourne,
is the Woman in White. She’s the ghost of a young woman who had
everything she loved taken from her by someone who should have been
trusted. As a result, she’s still haunting the small North Georgia town
inhabited by the Connelly coven and a variety of other supernatural
beings. Because she was grief stricken, she demanded a tribute when the
Connellys first came to New Mourne in the 1700s—the life of one of the
young witches. This has continued for centuries, but as the story
progresses, you begin to understand the Woman in White’s grief,
especially when the demon shows up.
The one rule to keep in mind when
creating your characters is remembering everyone’s goal is to move the
story forward. You have to create three-dimensional, believable
characters but only you may know much of their backstory. Sometimes it’s
especially easy to get caught up in the story of these peripheral
characters—just let them impact the story as necessary. In searching for
Corey, Mercy found her own supernatural powers increased. In our book,
the young witch, Brenna must fully embrace her magic before she can help
her family.
Nora Roberts is superb at dealing with secondary
characters. There may be a romance going on with them or a completely
different story line, but it will be subtle and all of it will support
what’s happening with the two main characters.
Whatever type of
fiction you’re writing, world building is at the core. All characters
matter and what motivates the villain to do evil matters too. It’s all
part of the story.
Neely Powell
@NeelyPowell3
www.neelypowellauthor.com
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