Complicated/Conflicted Characters

So, I've talked about Villains and Heroes already. No, I' not going to go through every single type of character I can think of. Actually, I wasn't going to do any more with that little 'series'. But then I thought of another kind of character that I really need to mention. It's very possibly my favorite.

I would call them 'Antiheroes'. The dictionary defines an 'antihero' as "a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes." However, that description doesn't quite fit some of the ones I'm thinking of. So instead I'll call them 'complicated (or conflicted) characters'.

Now, in my opinion and experience, there seem to be two categories of these characters. First, there are the ones that more closely fit the description of an antihero. These characters are the ones that you seriously feel like you should hate and yet for some reason you just... can't. They're too interesting and have something good that intrigues you and makes you want to like them even if it defies logic. I would say they're more on the 'complicated' side of the spectrum. Here are a few examples I thought of:

Severus Snape, from Harry Potter. I know, I also used him as an example for a villain, but he really fits this category better. Throughout the first six books (and most of the seventh), he's rather despicable. But there are still those moments when you find out something wasn't what you thought. It's so obvious that there's more to him than first 'glance' will tell that he's intriguing even though you don't want to like him. And of course there's the one chapter in book seven that changes just about everything... (but I don't willingly give out spoilers, especially big ones *nodnod*) (By the way, many other 'relatable villains' come very close to this category too, but not quite like Snape.)

Mrs. Thornton, from North and South (both book and movie). I'm not sure I can explain how much I like this character. It seems bizarre that I would like her, of all people, but I think it goes back to what I said before. At first she doesn't really seem likable, but as you learn more about her and 'see her in action' it makes her incredibly interesting. Hopefully this example makes sense, because I really don't want to give anything away to people who aren't familiar with this story (it's just so good!)... but I would LOVE to talk more about it if anyone wants! :D

Ok, the second category. I'll say they're more to the 'conflicted' side, to keep things simple. They tend to be with the 'good guys' more clearly than the first type, and yet they have something so unusually interesting about them (at least to me). Often, they have complicated and rather sad backstories (both categories do, now that I think about it), and the influence these backstories have on them and their actions contributes a large part to their 'interestingness'. The reason I call them 'conflicted' is because they seem to be reluctant in a large, important, somewhat mysterious area. I'm not explaining this very well at all, so let's see if some examples help:

Elrond Half-Elven, from The Lord of the Rings. He's an elf, and he really has no desire to be thrown into conflicts other races are dealing with, but he's wise enough to know they (the conflicts) will impact him too, whether or not he gets involved. In the movies, they also put more emphasis (than the books) on his dealings with his daughter, Arwen. Because she loves a mortal man and [MILD SPOILER] decides to become mortal to be with him, Elrond is faced with being separated from his only daughter forever. It's kind of a big deal. When you know his history, you feel for him all the more. (Just for an idea of what I'm talking about, his parents "left" [it's complicated] when he was around 20 [I think]. Elrond and his brother, being half elf, half man, were allowed to choose for themselves whether they would be mortal or immortal. Elrond chose the life of the elves, and his brother chose men. So there's another separation. Also, Elrond's wife was seriously injured [sometime before LotR--not sure exactly] and left Middle-Earth too. It's very sad. This was longer than I expected, sorry.)

Peet the Sock Man[SPOILER ALERT]a.k.a. Artham Wingfeather[END SPOILER ALERT], from the Wingfeather Saga. He practically encapsulates the word conflicted. Obviously, he cares about the Igiby children, yet he forces himself to stay away from them. As you move along in the series, you (again) learn more about him and he becomes even more interesting. I can't say much more without giving a lot away, so I'll just leave it at that. (I'm not going to give you his backstory. I know you won't go look for all the interesting details of Elrond's, but you really must read the Wingfeather Saga.)

Like I said before, the 'complicated (or conflicted)' characters are some of my favorites. I think part of it is that they tend to be minor characters (or at least not the main character) so there is more opportunity to show an 'equal balance' of good and bad. It's not always equal, of course. But heroes need good that outweighs the bad, and villains need bad that outweighs the good. You know what I mean? That isn't essential to these characters, so they can be even more relatable than good heroes and villains. We all have struggles, but I don't think we often 'feel' like we're on one side or the other. Also, when we see a 'complicated' characters actions, and then compare them with, or see how they flow from, that character's history, we often pity them, and then admire them, for doing something 'heroic' despite what they've gone through.

So, who are some of your favorite 'complicated (or conflicted)' characters? Why?

My Main Character {Sci-fi novel}

You're going to get to hear a lot about my OW novel, I'm beginning to think. I suppose it makes sense, since it occupies a lot of my mind. Sorry if it's not something you're super interested in or if it's confusing...

Anyway, I'm going to tell you a little bit about my main character (MC). It might be difficult seeing as I haven't named her yet, but hopefully it'll still be mostly clear.

Here's what I think she's going to look like:

You know, basically. Light blond hair, blue eyes.
I also considered this picture as my 'main image', because of the lighter hair:

But I like the first one better. I don't know exactly why, but she seems to fit sci-fi better, I guess. And she seems a little less... bouncy? Happy? Bubbly? You know...

Now, more about her. As you might have been able to tell from what I said just now, she's not a particularly playful person. I haven't decided a whole lot about her personality, but she is mature for her age (18), because she has a lot of responsibility. Maybe I shouldn't say she's not playful--she just doesn't have time to play. Like I said, I'm still deciding some things, one of which is whether she's an introvert or an extrovert. Both of my previous main characters have been introverts, so I kind of want to make this one different, but I don't know how well I can pull it off. I'm seriously lacking in experience of how it feels to be an extrovert.

Let's see... She's a hard worker, and has to be to support herself and her mother. (I haven't decided what kind of job she does yet though.) The way I'm setting things up (and having fun with it! :), the government/whoever (possibly changing) controls how much money people can earn at specific jobs and specific times of life. For example, jobs working with the element thing that I told you about in the last post pay better than, say, working in a clothing store. Of course, the owners of the factory or store or whatever aren't under as much control as their employees (and they're probably part of the richer upper class that mainly make up the government anyway, so... yeah.) But hopefully you get the idea. In relation to that, parents make enough money to support their children when they have them (according to number of children as well) but the additional money automatically stops when the child turns 18 unless they are already 'registered' as having a disability that keeps them from working (and you can't avoid it or lie and say your child's not 18 yet--this is sci-fi, people can know stuff like that). So once you're 18 you have to support yourself. (You can get a job younger than 18, but it also doesn't pay as well). So my MC has to support herself, but there's the added complication that her mother is unable to work because of illness (I won't go into detail now). She (the MC) has to take care of her mother, but is only earning enough to comfortably support one person.  Yes, it's a little complicated, but hopefully you see why this is a problem... because I don't know how to explain it better... Anyway, there are other factors that play into this whole problem too, but I don't want to confuse you too much with a ridiculous amount of information.

Just remember that none of this is set in stone :). I'm still in the beginning stages of planning all this out, so some of it is likely to change. I hope I've interested you in my main character, though! 

Update on my Sci-fi stuff

As I've told you before, my sister and I are doing Other Worlds this school year (see this post).

One of the first things the teacher emphasizes as we begin creating our own 'other worlds' is that we should choose one main thing that makes the world different from the real world. For example, having no written language. Almost everything else that's different stems from your 'one thing'.

Now, this of course applies to both fantasy and science fiction, but I've discovered in the last week that in sci-fi, your 'one thing' needs to be scientifically sound.

What I came up with for my 'one thing' is that people have found a newer, more clean and efficient power source. My first ideas were... well, they were interesting, but certainly not scientific. So I checked out some kids' books about alternative energy from the library to help me come up with a more reasonable idea. I wanted something that would work with the scientific side of sci-fi but would still allow me to be creative and come up with stuff that doesn't exist yet. So it was... a little complicated to say the least.

Here's my solution: The people in this country/planet have discovered a new element (like, one that's not on the periodic table). It's kind of like a rock or a crystal that they mine, but the thing is, it lets off a glow with properties like sunlight. They use it by basically just setting it on solar panels, so the energy collection isn't dependent on whether or not the sun is out. Also, they could have the solar panels inside or even underground if they wanted. The energy produced can either be stored in a battery-like thing and used to power various technology, or the element/solar panel combination could be directly connected to whatever needs the power. Also, since I made the thing up anyway, I decided to make it even more different. This element breaks the 'rule' that things go from solid to liquid to gas and just slowly evaporates from the solid phase (starting at a certain temperature, but I haven't decided what yet.) The cool thing is, the element is never used up by burning or anything (like other fossil fuels would be) so people can collect it from the air as a gas and 're-condense' it, and it can be used again.

I'm really excited. It's been fun to invent something that's not quite realistic and probably will never exist, but still has mostly scientific properties. Everything's not worked out yet, of course, but it's been a good start in my opinion, so I'm looking forward to coming up with more for my sci-fi world!

The Fish... thing

You may (or may not) have noticed the new little fish thing on the right side of my blog. If you click on the white part, it drops some 'food' and the fish swim around and eat it :) (so cute!). Anyway, I just felt like pointing it out.

Also, I kind of feel like naming the fish (because names are fun and I'm weird that way) so if you have suggestions, please comment! There are only two right now, but I'll probably add more as the weeks go on (I didn't want to start with only one because it might get lonely *nodnod*).

Heroes

For lack of a better topic and because I recently did a post about villains, I now get to talk about heroes :).

I think what makes a good hero is, like a villain, being able to identify with them. They need emotion, faults, and realistic actions/reactions. Basically, they're normal people in relatively abnormal circumstances (although the circumstances don't really matter that much--it's more how the hero responds). My favorite heroes are the ones that aren't perfect, but they still have something(s) that is(are) good, even great. I don't feel like I'm explaining this well, so let me give you a few examples:

Bilbo Baggins, from The Hobbit. He's not very brave (at first for sure), he's kind of sulky, and there's nothing really exceptional about him. But he keeps trying, and he really cares about his friends. He does have some moments of genius, but they aren't "the norm", so it's easier to relate with him.

Frodo Baggins, from The Lord of the Rings. (Seeing a theme here?) He is also a great example of perseverance. He's kind, merciful, generally good, but at the same time, he succumbs to the Ring's power (sorry, slight spoiler...). He undertakes this huge quest, but he really just wants to go home, so once again, I understand how he feels.

Janner... Igiby ;), from the Wingfeather Saga. He's a relatively normal kid in some pretty outlandish situations, but he still seems normal. He struggles with jealousy of his brother, and sometimes he gets angry when Tink/Kalmar is being obnoxious. But he's willing to give of himself to help his family all the same, even putting himself in danger more than once. And he learns to love his brother no matter what (sorry, more slight spoilers...)

Elinor Dashwood, from Sense and Sensibility. She has got to be one of my favorite Jane Austen characters, mostly because I feel like she's so much like me (so again, relatability. made-up word...). She has a lot of emotion, but she keeps it to herself and tries to stay strong for her family. She is strong, too, but... maybe this is more in the movie, but I think she tries to be stronger than she is or than is good for her.

This is kind of hard because I usually love books for more than just the hero. And I sometimes love books even if the hero isn't the best they could be. But hopefully you get the point. Heroes must be relatable.

What really gets me is when the hero's emotion isn't included. When they're going through this awful thing but there's no feeling written out, I unconsciously take it to mean that they don't have any feelings about whatever it is. Which is bad because, of course, I then stop relating with them. (This is why I always try to imagine how I would feel when I'm writing a scene. It sometimes has the not-exactly-desired effect of making my heroes significantly more like me, but at least it's some emotion.)

Also, I don't like it when everything goes well for the hero and they don't really have to fight for anything. Granted, this has more to do with the author and the overall story than the hero, but still. Easy isn't always best.

Now, I suppose I should give some examples of heroes I don't particularly like. This is a little harder because I've (thankfully) been spared from many horrid heroes. And I've probably forgotten many of them that I have read. Actually, they might be more in movies than in books. I don't know. I still don't remember (m)any. So maybe some basic types of heroes then:

The superhero. Overall, they have too much natural power and not enough goes wrong. They always win everything. There are some exceptions, of course, but in general... yeah.

The perfect hero. Think Cinderella. Things go wrong, but she never complains, she's always happy. Snow White too. It's an ideal temperament, I suppose, but I don't want it and I can't relate to it. (The one exception to this is Sam Gamgee. I can't think of anything wrong with him, yet I still love him. I'd love to discuss if you want...)

The 'fake' hero. They seem to have emotion and/or faults, but if you look a little deeper, it's all empty. This probably applies to many modern movie heroes. I'm specifically thinking MK from Epic (no offense if you like the movie a lot).

I can't think of anymore right now, but once again, I'd love to hear some of your favorites or least favorites!

A small, story...thing

Ok, so I'm kind of copying Avery's idea here, but a little different. More of a story starter thing (and only one picture). Anyway, this is a picture I've wanted to do something with for a while so now seems as good a time as ever! Just so you know, I'm going to be writing this on the spot, so don't hold it to too much of a standard ;). Now, the picture:

Cool, huh? Here goes...

"Miss Ellie, Miss Ellie, will you tell us a story?" The children crowd around me in the kitchen, eager looks on their dirty faces. 

"A story?" I wipe my wet hands on my skirt. "What story do you want to hear?"

All of them answer at once.

"A new one!"

"The princess's kitten!"

"No, the king and the giant snake!"

"Alright, alright, come outside where it's light," I say. I grab a couple of blankets, spread them out on the front step and the ground nearby, and sit down. The children gather in a circle around me, waiting as patiently as I've ever seen them. 

"Let's have a new story today," I say, and I make a thoughtful face as I decide which one. 

"Is there adventure?" asks a girl.

"And danger?" adds an older boy.

"And a princess?" the youngest girl says, climbing into my lap.

"All three," I reply, smiling. "Long ago, before the king was king, or his father was king, or his grandfather was king, the kingdom of Saren warred against our enemies in Lorgon. It was a terrible war, and Saren's king almost lost his life twice. The second time he was badly injured, and his officers, fearing for his life, convinced him to return home. But little did they know," I lower my voice to a whisper, "the king's escort was followed. A band of Lorgons traced their path and, in disguise, snuck into the Great City. For three days they studied the city, learning everything about it, without being detected. Then they brought their information back to the Lorgon army. With knowledge of the city on their side, the Lorgons were able to find a way into the Great City, past all the guards, and right up to the castle itself." 

"All of Saren's soldiers were behind the Lorgons, expecting a normal battle, so the Great City was unprotected. Our enemy destroyed much of the city and took many captives. When they left, the remainder of the people were overjoyed to hear that the king was safe, but the king was distraught. Not only had the Lorgons taken his city, but they had captured his only child, the princess." 

"Oh no!" gasps the little girl on my lap.

"The princess was put in chains and made to walk all the way back to Lorgon to be sold as a slave. The army of Saren tried to follow, but they were fought off. Desperate, the king sent an offer to the king of Lorgon to ransom his daughter with a huge amount of wealth, but Lorgon refused unless they should be given the Great City of Saren itself. Though he would have given his life for his daughter, the king could not let his country fall to its enemy, and so he gave the princess up as lost unless some brave man could rescue her. He would have gone himself, of course, had he not been injured, but there was still no possibility of anyone succeeding." I pause. Just then, the horn sounds, signaling afternoon rest. 

"What happened?" asks a small boy, but I shake my head. 

"Hurry home now or we'll all get in trouble," I say. The children moan, and I smile. "But come back as soon as the hour's up and I'll finish the story."

The children scramble to their feet shouting, "Yay!" and "Thank you, Miss Ellie!" I wave until they all disappear and turn back inside to finish the dishes.

Villains *evil smirk*

So, I found this thing on Pinterest.

Villains can be fascinating characters. Or they can be awful. The list above contains several of the 'stereotypical villain actions' that are rather cliche at this point. They can be fun when used in jest, but if you want a realistic, 'dreadful' villain, you should avoid them.

Now, like I said, villains are fascinating. At least, good ones are. I know, I know, 'good villains' is an oxymoron, but what I mean is villains who are well-written and/or well-portrayed. Personally, I think the best villains are the ones who have some kind of 'good' in them still. Not the ones that are purely evil, because we can't relate with them. The good ones are those villains who still have evidence of being great people, the ones who we see could have been heroes if only they'd made better choices. I think we like them because we see some of the same things in ourselves. No one is perfect, but we're not usually all evil either (to clarify, I'm speaking in terms of actions--all people are born with a sin nature and are naturally bad.)

Here's a few of my favorites as examples:

Captain Hook, as portrayed in the 2003 movie version of Peter Pan. I like this version especially because Hook is shown as an intelligent man with some kind of sad backstory that we don't know, yet can see evidences of. Does that make sense? He almost seems like a lost boy himself, except he's a grown man who has chosen the wrong path. I'm not trying to justify his actions at all, or anything like that, just trying to get the point across. You'll just have to watch the movie. Actually, Captain Hook is probably the best part about that movie...

Loki, specifically in the movie Thor (because I haven't seen The Avengers). He is so obviously struggling to get his father's approval, but he goes about it the wrong way. Throughout the whole movie, I was trying to figure out how he would turn bad because, at least at the beginning, he seemed like a better guy than Thor. Again, I'm not saying he did bad things because of his situation, but throughout the movie, you see him dealing with so much... emotional stuff, I guess, and you see where he goes wrong. (Side note, it's just as important to develop your villain as your hero, in my opinion).

Severus Snape, from Harry Potter. Yes, I'm counting him as a villain, because that's what he is for most of the series. (I'm really sorry if you have a problem with Harry Potter. I don't want to start a huge discussion or anything here, but if you have questions, please feel free to email me or something.) Anyway, Snape obviously (obviously) hates Harry and at first we have no idea why. We slowly learn about him, but through all that, and even without it, there's something so intriguing about him. Just with his actions, for example, the times he saves Harry, we see that he's not just a big bundle of hate. He's also incredibly intelligent. (I have to say, though, some of the main reasons I liked him were his sarcasm (and that you could never tell if he was joking) and that he was pretty much the only teacher who consistently enforced the rules... anyway...)

I wasn't going to include him, because he's not quite in the same category as the others, but Gríma Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings. He's not really one of my favorite villains, mostly because I just can't stand him, but part of that is because he's still well-written. He's an awful person, and Tolkein shows us what he's like, which is what makes us hate him.

Now, some villains I don't like. (These are ones I don't like because they're badly written, not because they're bad). Just a few:

Captain Hook in the Disney version of Peter Pan. Stupid villains annoy me so bad... All he does is chase Peter and yell at Mr. Smee and run from the crocodile. *shudder*

Mr. Wickham in the 2005, 2-hour version of Pride and Prejudice. Ok, so he's not really a villain, but still! He's fine in the book, but... ugh! How could they ruin such a perfectly good bad guy?! You see him, like, once before he funs off with Lydia. Badly done, people. ;)

Sauron in the Lord of the Rings. In reality, I don't consider him the actual villain of the story (I won't  elaborate here, but it's the ring). But really, all he does is sit in Barad-Dúr (I think that's right) and freak people out with his giant creepy eye. Anyway...

I can't think of anymore right now (I'll let you know if I do!) But hopefully you see my point. I think we're drawn to conflicted villains for the same reason we like flawed heroes: we relate to them. And because we relate to them, we can learn about ourselves through watching them.

So, who are your favorite and/or least favorite villains?