Cheesy or not?

[Euodia]

@freedomwriter76

thankssssss

I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child

[Euodia]

@folith-feolin

Okay! Thanks for the tip! 😁

I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child

[Esther]

@euodia-vision

Of course!!

For examples, I know that in the first book of the Wingfeather Saga, (On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness), Peterson does some chapters from the villains POV. I believe he only does that in the first book tho.

Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende

[Euodia]

@esther-c

Oh yes, that’s a wonderful example! Thanks so much! *is very excited to write now*

I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child

[Jayna Baas]

@euodia.vision.

Just don’t show too many positive thoughts toward the protagonist while he’s in full-swing villain mode. That could seem a little creepy. And be careful of a victim-villain setup where he’s not really responsible for his own choices. As the others said, it’s all in the execution, but it may fall flat if his transformation comes across as “oh, I’m only a villain because of these bad things that happened to me; I’m really a good person deep down…” Not realistic or biblical, so watch out for that, and make sure you plant seeds of his transformation so readers don’t feel cheated. That’s my two cents’ worth. 🙂

​Jayna Baas
Christian Author/Editor
www.booksbyjayna.com

[Euodia]

@booksbyjayna

Ooh, that’s very helpful. Thanks so much!

Okay, question, so you mentioned that the whole ‘brainwashing’ thing isn’t that realistic, so would you stick with that even in a fantasy story? Where brainwashing could be very realistic? Or not?

I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child

[Jayna Baas]

Okay, question, so you mentioned that the whole ‘brainwashing’ thing isn’t that realistic, so would you stick with that even in a fantasy story? Where brainwashing could be very realistic? Or not?

@euodia.vision. I didn’t realize you were talking specifically about brainwashing. I’m not a fantasy reader, so I can’t tell you what works in your world, but brainwashing is certainly a possibility. Here are some things to think about, though. Do readers know he’s being brainwashed? If they don’t, and at the end there’s this sudden reveal that he’s been brainwashed and was a good guy all along—that can rub readers the wrong way, since they’ve been rooting against him this whole time. They’ll feel cheated in that case. If they do know he’s being brainwashed—then is he really the villain? Or are the real villains the people brainwashing him? What happens to those villains? I’m definitely not saying it can’t happen or make a great story. I’ve read books where there were clear signs all along that the villain wasn’t satisfied with his life or was searching for a way to change, and in that case, a transformation can be very fulfilling. What I meant by a “victim-villain setup” is the sort of villain who has always been a good person deep down (because that’s really biblical, LOL) but turned to crime because somebody bullied him on the playground or whatever, so it’s really not his fault and it’s okay that he did what he did. I’m not saying being bullied couldn’t influence a character to make bad choices, but that’s different from saying he’s not responsible for those choices. Now, brainwashing—that’s a whole different thing. I don’t know if I’ve helped here or made things more complicated for you. Sorry. :/

​Jayna Baas
Christian Author/Editor
www.booksbyjayna.com

[Author]

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