The evil protagonist

kal-el · Feb 4, 2010

I believe I have a very good idea for a novel about two serial killers working together. I want to write it in 3rd person limited and have the two killers as the main characters in all scenes (obviously I'll switch between them from scene to scene).

Does this plan give me a mountain to climb if I wanted to publish it? Am I right in assuming it's more difficult to reel people into a story when the protagonist is the evil one?

kuwisdelu · Feb 4, 2010

Are they sympathetic?

kal-el · Feb 4, 2010

Sometimes. One is a little more sympathetic than the other, but they kill their victims in a brutal fashion.

kuwisdelu · Feb 4, 2010

Protagonists brutally murdering people is nothing new. All that really matters is whether they're interesting and sympathetic enough to read about.

Try American Psycho.

thothguard51 · Feb 4, 2010

The Main character/s do not have to be the good guys, but there should be both a protagonist and antagonist character, or group. In your case, the antagonist might be the good guys trying to stop the protagonist. Both should have goals, and the reader should feel something different about both groups or characters. Love one, hate one, no matter their characters are, pro or an... IMHO...

kal-el · Feb 4, 2010

Funny you said that, as I was thinking about buying it next week.

kuwisdelu · Feb 4, 2010

You don't need an antagonist, just a conflict.

Well, you can always personify whatever causes the conflict and call it the antagonist if you want, I suppose.

thothguard51 · Feb 4, 2010

Yep, the antagonist could be an event, or even nature, or something material, so long as it conflicts with the protagonist needs.

maestrowork · Feb 4, 2010

Don't even have to be sympathetic, as long as they are interesting.

For reference, read American Psycho (and it was even written in 1st person!)

And no, you don't have to have antagonists -- at least not as people. Antagonistic forces could be anything: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. world, man vs. self...

katiemac · Feb 4, 2010

American Psycho, Lolita, Dexter...

kuwisdelu · Feb 4, 2010

I sympathised with Mr. Bateman.... Mr. Humbert, too....

Maybe there's just something wrong with me.

That's quite likely, actually.

Purple Tulip · Feb 4, 2010

Does the evil protagonist brutally murder children or pedophiles? I think it just depends on how you go about it.

PortableHal · Feb 4, 2010

For a terrific read with an evil protagonist, try Ira Levin's A KISS BEFORE DYING.

Caitlin Black · Feb 4, 2010

I'd read a book with an evil MC, whether or not they're sympathetic.

Slushie · Feb 4, 2010

I'd rather read a book about an unredeemable bad person than I would an unredeemable good one. Bad people are shiny.

shaldna · Feb 5, 2010

everyone loves Hannibal, right?

kal-el · Feb 5, 2010

Purple Tulip said:
Does the evil protagonist brutally murder children or pedophiles? I think it just depends on how you go about it.

They murder families, children included.

gothicangel · Feb 5, 2010

I always have BIG issues with the term 'evil.'

I don't want to see evil, I want to see motives.

Slushie · Feb 5, 2010

gothicangel brings up a good point.

Why do they murder families and children?

maestrowork · Feb 5, 2010

Slushie said:
Why do they murder families and children?

Chicken's expensive these days. Haven't you checked their prices at Kroger?

shaldna · Feb 5, 2010

I think that alot of it is to make the character more repulsive.

Very few serial killers murder children. But in books/ movies it's often thrown in to show how 'evil' the character really is.

gothicangel · Feb 5, 2010

shaldna said:
I think that alot of it is to make the character more repulsive.

Very few serial killers murder children. But in books/ movies it's often thrown in to show how 'evil' the character really is.

Still doesn't explain why they are evil.

In my opinion, killing children just shows their evil on a rating skill is pretty damn lazy. There are better ways to develop character.

Lady Ice · Feb 5, 2010

gothicangel said:
Still doesn't explain why they are evil.

In my opinion, killing children just shows their evil on a rating skill is pretty damn lazy. There are better ways to develop character.

Exactly. You still need motivations, consequences, the lot, so we can see why they might be evil. Please don't do 'abused as a child' as a motive- it's cliche and manipulative.

PeterL · Feb 5, 2010

Nicely evil protagonists are their own worst enemies, so they would also be the antagonists. As has been mentioned, it might work, even if they kill babies as long as they are sufficiently interesting.

Libbie · Feb 5, 2010

Slushie said:
gothicangel brings up a good point.

Why do they murder families and children?

Exactly.

Evil is a wholly relative thing (at least in Libbieland, it is.) Motivation is what matters.

The evil protagonist

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