Yep, it’s the first Wednesday of another month and that means time for another Insecure Writers Support Group post, which is perfect because I am feeling very insecure today.
The awesome co-hosts for the March 2 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, Pat Garcia, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence!
March 2 question – Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not?
This question works on multiple levels for me. As I write this blog post, I’m using it as The Perfect Excuse to not work on my current WIP, where I’m thinking about the Problem of Evil (all in caps).
Can I say that I’m conflicted over every story? I’m constantly thinking – oh my gosh, sure I have this deadline to hit, but the dishes are dirty and what kind of animal is a wombat and oh look I should probably work on IWSG because February is almost over.
I especially have conflicts about conflict. All the time. Like, a story has to have conflict, but I really want for everyone to get along and hug at the end. You can fight and try to murder each other, characters, but in the end I want you all joining each other on an extended meditation retreat where the only argument is about who loves each other more. I am not kidding. I want ALL my stories to end like that.
Right now, I want to write about a really bad, bad guy, one who is not actually hurting deep down inside. This person genuinely cares only about themselves, and they have found – among other things – that hurting other people and making them suffer can be an enjoyable activity. Compassion and empathy are huge downers for this guy, so he got rid of those ages ago. Life is simpler that way.
He wasn’t wounded as a child, none of that.
Pretty great childhood actually – until the part where he murdered his whole family in order to seize sole control of the family estate, because he’s not really the “sharing is caring” type. I want him to know it makes him “not a very interesting character” to have personality type: evil. But, he doesn’t seem overly concerned with his author’s opinion of his character.
If I manage to write this story, it will be a miracle. To me, all story creation basically is: a miracle. It is a fight to get anything out, every time, to construct an idea, decide to share it, and then – to put words on a blank page. For every time I decide to share some (highly edited) version of the resulting work product, I don’t even know how I do that, actually.
I am pretty sure there’s fairy magic involved somewhere.
What about you? Have you ever struggled with a scene? Is there a story you are conflicted about writing right now? Why not get it out and maybe, one day share it with the blank page at least. No one else ever has to know.
Anne Higa 
Hi,
It sounds like you’re on to something with this story. I hope you write it. Try it! Miracles do happen.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
I have lots of scenes that I have trouble with. It’s especially bad if I have somewhere I want the story to go but the story doesn’t want to go that way. Forcing it it almost never the answer.
I have never heard of this group but it seems really interesting and necessary
Ooh, sounds like you’re going inside the mind of a serial killer. Even if he doesn’t have a troubled past as an “excuse,” he might have a backstory where he first discovered he liked hurting others. Maybe if you examine the details of his motivation, he can be complex without the reader sympathizing. Maybe he’s chasing the high it gives him. Maybe he likes getting at the true nature of people when they experience pain. Bad guys are so fun (to write)!
All I know is there is no such thing as evil for the sake of evil unless you’re watching Supernatural. hehehe
He is coming from a place of greed and entitlement, which can really get nasty when anyone gets in the way. That of course explains the scatter of dead family members.
Have fun with it. 😉
We must be sisters, I struggle with writing the scary/heavy/nasty scenes. I’m an optimist who avoids conflict in life and in my fiction. I have to force myself to create characters who disagree.
If I write something that may be too conflicting such as controversial or obscene, I’ll keep it in my first draft and out of the final one. The first draft is about getting everything down no matter how bad or ridiculous it may be. After that, revising makes the story more suitable for the audience.
I love the idea of an evil antagonist who just like being evil. Pure evil for evil’s sake. I’d love to see you write it.