Tuesday, June 28, 2011

My ABC's of Writing: Brought to You by the Letter V


My ABC's of Writing series continues today with the letter "V."


Some may say "V" is for "Vendetta." But every story needs an antagonist. Wait...this isn't the letter "A!" (cough, cough) Every story needs a VILLAIN! We like our heroes, yes, but sometimes the villain becomes the most memorable part of a story. In movies and TV, actors often say it's fun to play the bad guy.

I can understand that. Instead of being forced to play by society's rules, they get to brandish guns, blow stuff up, spit in the face of authority, tell people to shove it, and delight in merry chaos.

In terms of a story, though, the villain propels everything. They plot, they plan, they collude, they tempt, they tease, they torment. Without their grand machinations, our protagonists wouldn't have much to do.

And that is why, today, we salute you, villains!

A is for AGENT
B is for BETA READERS
C is for CRITIQUE GROUP
D is for DESCRIPTION
E is for EDITING
F is for FICTION
G is for GENRE
H is for HUMOR
I is for IDEA
J is for JEDI
K is for KEYCARDS
L is for LEGEND
M is for MANUSCRIPT
N is for NOVEL
O is for OUTLINE
P is for PROTAGONIST
Q is for QUERY LETTER
R is for REJECTION
S is for SUBMISSION
T is for TWITTER
U is for UNFINISHED