Villain Speeches At The End and Writer Speak
As a reader, I like villain speeches at the end pretty much if they add to the motivation of the character. When I was revising Heart Quest, I changed the ending at the persuasive logic of my mentor, Cassie Miles, who is better at writing mysteries and suspenses than I am. And, heavens, figuring out police procedure on Celta was NOT easy for me...
Anyway, she advised a villain speech at the end. Well, I just didn't think it was needed. Frankly I didn't care about what the villain had to say. No excusing his actions. So I DID revise, but when I let Cassie know I'd sent her an email (she doesn't always check), I said in writer speak. "I didn't do a villain speech, it was more like 'I'll get you,' 'No, you won't,' 'Yes, I will.' Big struggle. Bang. Bang."
The writer-speak amused me because there is NO "bang" "bang" on Celta. This particular scene was written with blazers -- laser ray guns, etc. I suppose I could do "sizzle. sizzle." But EVERYONE knows what "bang, bang" means -- at least in a mystery/suspense. I suppose it means something else in sensual romance/erotica....
May you get a lot of bang into your writing today.
Robin
Anyway, she advised a villain speech at the end. Well, I just didn't think it was needed. Frankly I didn't care about what the villain had to say. No excusing his actions. So I DID revise, but when I let Cassie know I'd sent her an email (she doesn't always check), I said in writer speak. "I didn't do a villain speech, it was more like 'I'll get you,' 'No, you won't,' 'Yes, I will.' Big struggle. Bang. Bang."
The writer-speak amused me because there is NO "bang" "bang" on Celta. This particular scene was written with blazers -- laser ray guns, etc. I suppose I could do "sizzle. sizzle." But EVERYONE knows what "bang, bang" means -- at least in a mystery/suspense. I suppose it means something else in sensual romance/erotica....
May you get a lot of bang into your writing today.
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 4:55 AM
4 Comments:
LOLOL! Robin you are sooo funny! Yours is the only blog that I check on a daily basis. So, yeah. I am one of those people who look in even on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
;)
Interesting about the villian because I am struggling with my own. He has biiiig plans to tilt the balance of power in his favor. And he is just arrogant enough to NOT spill his guts at capture. He would smirk since other things have already been planned (of course this character hasn't seen fit to clue me in on anything.)
Anyhooo...It's comforting to know that you struggle with defining Celtan police procedures. It give me hope as I construct my own world. Makes me think I am not alone in my frustrations.
Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but as you know, some days are a heckuva lot more solitary than others.
terri
Love the "bang-bang" comment referring to how it's meaning is changeable in different genres.
Ironically, I recently did a post about the James Bond theme song from The Man With the Golden Gun.
In the lyrics..there's a line,
"Who will he bang, we shall see"
However..the preceding line takes that line and blurs it. Originally, I thought, as would a mystery/suspense writer would, that it asked "who was his next mark", but, in light of my Other interpretation with another lyric line before that....it Could be asking who his next female conquest is...to get him in the mood to use his Golden Gun.
So, yes...a word, a phrase...a twist of the mind and your experience becomes richer due to the complexity of the English language.
Which of course, as a writer, you know SO well.
Villain-speak can be incredibly fun....just look at Darth Vader.
Excellent comments...and Terri, I think you should corner your villain and interview him...Michele, I didn't know that about Bond, James Bond...
Robin
Villian update. He's talking. Backstory. Yep, the man has some warped perceptions and he's smart and manipulative. Oh yes, he has his sights on a new world order and the destruction of my hero as revenge.
Thank you muse!!!
I was really REALLY scared he would never open up. And I am planning on interviewing him, Robin.
terri
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