When
creating a main character, is it better to start with a good girl/guy with a
drop of "bad", or a bad girl/guy with a drop of "good"?
I have been
pondering this question for three days now. First, that is way too much energy
for my little brain to expend. Second, I have been so stuck I actually asked my
husband for his opinion.
Seriously?
I am going to tackle
this to the best of my ability. If the answer is convoluted I apologize :0)
I am guessing my
struggle with this question comes from none of my characters being all good or all
bad. Each individual has the potential for both extremes. Therein come the fun
in playing with them. Pushing their limits and watching what happens.
Personally, it is more fun to push a good character over the edge than making
an evil character good.
My logic-- simple
human nature leans toward good. No one is pure good, or angelic, there is
always a sliver of bad in the foreground, that keeps them human.
Pure evil, all bad
is much more accepted. Think about it, if someone is too good we automatically
assume a screw is loose. No one is without darkness.
However, there are
characters that are truly embraced because they are the essence of evil. Is
this because in the bad we want to find the good or the other way around?
Some of the most
romantic tales are those portraying true love conquering pure evil. A strength
of emotion between two people blurring all lines and erasing all fear and
doubt.
Now, so I can say I
honestly answered the question. Is it better to start with one or the other? I
say neither is preferred. It is all gray to me.
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