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See title. So, I’ve got a character who I really want people to like. So it will be really dramatic when I reveal he’s evil! (MWAHAHAHA!) Ok, a little backstory; My MC, Dianne, has two brothers. (she also has a sister, but that’s beside the point.) Her oldest brother, Wyatt, is nice enough, but irresponsible, unpredictable, and really bad at governing the dukedom he inherited from his father. Her second oldest brother, John (Junior to his family), is brilliant, kind, a little careless and clumsy, but that’s his only fault. BUT! He is actually an evil person! But I don’t want anyone to suspect that (readers or characters in the book). So, *cracks knuckles and looks around sneakily* when you’re reading, what makes you really like and trust a character? What qualities make you think a character has absolutely nothing to hide?
Ok, I’m just going to tag a few folks, fully knowing I will miss a few people that I really should tag:
@PrincessFoo
@Winter-Rose
@Graceofspades2017
@daeus
@aratrea
@Kate-flournoy
@That_writer_girl_99
@ethryndal
@GracieGirlBlog: https://weridasusual.home.blog/
@DaughteroftheKing *excessively evil chuckling*
This topic.
I likey.
Well, it sounds like you have a good thing going already— he seems a very detailed, duplicitous character just on the surface without people knowing he’s got an evil layer, and that’s brilliant. If the character seems complete as he is (with his own little contradictions and problems so he’s not suspiciously perfect) the reader will be very likely to accept him without question as he appears.
However, when you do make the big reveal, you want the reader to say, not ‘I never saw that coming’, but ‘How did I not see that???!!’
You achieve that by making it clear in the subtext that this character has layers we’re not touching. That he’s deeper than he appears. Slightly secretive. Has things he doesn’t tell. That could mean anything, and you shouldn’t necessarily make it obvious that they’re dark layers, but just that he has secrets. That there are pieces of him covered over in shadows. Sort of cushion the impossibility of the reveal by subtle foreshadowing that only makes sense looking back.Thoughts?
@DaughteroftheKing My own personal way of wording this (which is infinitely better than Kate’s way, by the way) is that you want the villain to seem like an enemy of the villain. At least, that’s one good way to do it. There are probably others.
So, like Kate was saying, you want him to seem like he has secrets. People are naturally going to wonder about him then. So how do you divert their attention? Well, you make it seem like he’s hatching some *wonderful* plot in secret. You want people to suspect him, but suspect him of good.
🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢
@daughteroftheking
I second @kate-flournoy.
If you wanted to be really sneaky about it, have John, in general, be really honest and open. He can say things everyone is thinking, but no one wants to say. He acts like the most honest person in the world, like he has nothing to hide. Then afterwards, Dianne looks back on things that he has said, where he appeared to be vulnerable and amazing, and wonders how much of that was an elaborate mask to make her like him. But as Kate said, there needs to be little hints too.
And/or, you could make him the Person So Amazing They Have to Die. That person that everyone loves, and is just so adorable and amazing that everyone knows they are going to die. Take that character stereotype, and spin it. He doesn’t die, he’s been the villain this whole time!What makes me trust a character is genuineness.
Although, what really gets me, is if it’s the main character. Or second MC, because no one expects the 2nd MC to be a badguy. Also, you should make him good friends, or supposedly so, with your MC. If Dianne trusts him, I will too. 😀☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
@Kate-Flournoy
@daeus
@PrincessFoo
@Dragon-Snapper
*high-fives and ice cream all around* All of this is awesome advice!! If he had a few secrets, that would fit his character perfectly. He’s the lord of a small manor, so he could constantly be dealing with “stuff” that everyone assumes has something to do with the manor. Ooh, and there are other villains in my story, so he could thwart them, seemingly because he’s a good person, but actually because they are getting in his way. Ah yes, the Person So Amazing They Have To Die. I could definitely do that. *maniacal laughter* THIS IS TOO MUCH FUN!! And I could make John Dianne’s best friend in the whole world!!!!!!! *evil plans* Thanks, y’all! This really is the bestiest place in the internet.Blog: https://weridasusual.home.blog/
*High fives back, and accepts ice cream. Eats ice cream.* Thanks! You are going to break those reader’s hearts when they find out he’s really evilish. *Laughs diabolically along with @daughteroftheking*
Being the bestistest place on the internet is what us Kapeefers do best. 😀
☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
Well, looks like everyone said it first. So… *gestures above* I second what they said.
@dragon-snapper Thus it was that Daniel DeGraaf became a Kingdom Pen legend. XDINTJ ➸Your friendly neighborhood mastermind. ➸https://thesarcasticelf.wordpress.com/
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I was going to say something about an element you already touched on, @daughteroftheking. The thing that shocks me is when a character really close to the MC is a traitor. If the hidden bad guy loves the MC and has a great relationship with him or her, but is actually on the dark side the whole time, it’s dumbfounding.
@dragon-snapper Good glory it’s already caught on. *Face palm* Oh Kapeefers.@DaughteroftheKing
Hey, it looks like you’re pretty much covered here but I thought I’d just jump in for a tiny moment. 😉
One thing that puts a character high in my trust books is when they do quiet acts of kindness. Sure, I really
appreciate it when character jumps out of an airplane to save a person plummeting to their death, but that tiny pep talk they gave the MC when the MC was feeling down is worth so much more in my books. Just little things like laughing with the MC over a horrible joke will make my heart break once the character’s nature is revealed.*is probably geeking out about something*
@ethryndal
@winter-rose
@GracieGirl
Thanks! There is a lot of potential for a heart-breaking character here, wouldn’t you say? 😉 I may have to redeem poor John at the end, to avoid riots 😛Blog: https://weridasusual.home.blog/
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