Bullies, Bastards and Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction, Paperback

Get to Know Your Character's Sinister Side

A truly memorable antagonist is not a one-dimensional super villain bent on world domination for no particular reason. Realistic, credible bad guys create essential story complications, personalize conflict, add immediacy to a story line, and force the protagonist to evolve.

From mischief-makers to villains to arch nemeses, Bullies, Bastards & Bitches shows you how to create nuanced bad guys who are indispensable to the stories in which they appear. Through detailed instruction and examples from contemporary bestsellers and classic page-turners, author Jessica Page Morrell also shows you how to:

• Understand the subtle but key differences between unlikeable protagonists, anti-heroes, dark heroes, and bad boys
• Supply even your darkest sociopath with a sympathetic attribute that will engage readers
• Set the stage for an unforgettable standoff between your hero and your villain
• Choose the right type of female villain--femme fatale, mommy dearest, avenger, etc.--for your story

Bullies, Bastards & Bitches is your all-encompassing bad-guy compendium to tapping into any character's dark side.

Jessica Morrell is the author of Between the Lines: Mastering the Subtle Elements of Fiction. She has been teaching writers since 1991 through a variety of venues, including online at iVillage.com. She works as a developmental editor and writing coach working with a variety of fiction writers, and currently writes a monthly column for the Willamette Writers newsletter as well as her own monthly newsletter, The Writing Life.
www.writing-life.com
thewritinglifetoo.blogspot.com