A homicide detective once said to me, “I’m no longer amazed by what I find humans beings will do to one another.”
Fiction, in my mind, is about the struggle between good and evil. Whether it is a character’s inner conflict, or an actual external crime, a story is about the resolution of that conflict. It’s a tragedy when the main character loses the battle, a happy ending when he or she wins.
Anything can trigger an intriguing plot. When preparing to write James Street, I was watching a true crime show about a man who married women, murdered them for the insurance money and then moved on to he next one. He slipped into their lives seeming to be the perfect guy. He was handsome, helpful and he preyed on his victims loneliness, desire for a partnership, and love and family. Lucky for society, he was caught by a wary woman on his third try.
What a perfect villain for my novel! I thought. Then I was tasked with fleshing out that villain and the research began. The questions of how and why had to be answered believably. My home office was littered with books on poisons and weapons and their various effects on the human body. There were books and articles on the traits of sociopaths strewn all over my desk. I had to create an answer to the question of what happened in my bad guy’s life to make him do what he was doing. What made him snap and choose evil rather than good?
As a writer, I can find villains everywhere. They can be literally ripped from the headlines. As I write this, a bomber has injured himself and four others in the New York Subway system because his explosive devise detonated prematurely. Otherwise, there would’ve been more victims. When reading a shocking new article about a crime or seeing a report about one on television, like this one, I realize that there is no need for a devil, humans are evil enough in their own right without one. What made this man choose evil rather than good?
Heroes in fiction are easy to write if they are in law enforcement. They chose hero as a career. They are trained to anticipate and defuse dangerous situations, and to follow the clues of a crime to where they lead. They have all the modern tools available to law enforcement, many of which are fascinating.
Today’s bombing leads me to contemplate characters who aren’t trained in law enforcement. Imagine an ordinary person, minding his or her own business, carrying on with their life. On their way to work, they are thrown into a situation where they are forced to confront evil. Will they flee? Will they become a hero?
I look forward to hearing from you. Please post your comments below!
Thank you,
Sarah Vail
