• About Janey
  • Future Book Signing Dates 2017-2018
  • Guest Post
  • My Books
    • Thane
    • The Liar and The Mob
    • The Sebastian Series

janeyrosen

~ Random thoughts on writing and life

janeyrosen

Tag Archives: Psycho

Dear writer, do your readers like me? Love, your antagonist…

29 Sunday May 2016

Posted by Janey Rosen in I'm just saying ...

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

#amediting, #amwriting, antagonist, Hitchcock, protagonist, Psycho, storytelling, Writing

(Insert evil cackle)

We all love to hate the bad guy in a movie, in a book, in life!

Screen Shot 2016-05-29 at 15.48.48

I’m looking right through the screen at you!

Let’s take Mr. Norman Bates as an example.  Creepy guy without a doubt.  I’m sure that you have seen the film Psycho, 1960, brought to us by the portly terror-peddling genius, Alfred Hitchcock.  Am I alone in actually feeling empathy for Norman by the end of the film? (If so, then that makes me weird so let’s pretend you felt for him too).

I cared about him!  He loved his poor, rocking, dead mother so very much that he used to cross-dress in her frocks––that’s love!

Screen Shot 2016-05-29 at 15.57.06

I love you Mommy, mwahaha

His backstory was heartbreaking.  Misguided as he was in slashing doe-eyed ladies in full makeup in the shower (I mean, do not try this at home!), I could sort of understand how he was as psychotic as he was.  If I hadn’t known about his mother’s love then I would have pegged him as a nasty piece of work who slaughtered without motive.  I wouldn’t care what happened to him!  He could have had his eyeballs chewed out by mice and I’d have applauded, or worse still I wouldn’t have cared.

Screen Shot 2016-05-29 at 15.55.56

Who turned off the hot water?

A wise owl, the wonderful Ms. Paula Munier,  told me recently that readers need to be invested in our antagonist as well as the protagonist.  This made sense to me.  I don’t necessarily have to like the baddies in the books I read, but I need to understand their motivations.

Antagonists need to have something to lose and something to gain also!

What does Norman Bates have to lose?  He never got over the death of his sweet mother who butchered her lover then killed herself.  Desperately trying to continue his abstract life where his mother lived on, he hid her body in the fruit cellar (as you do) and created her inside his own mind (he could be a writer!).  With his altered personality he became two people and it was the real Norman towards whom viewers empathised.  We became invested in him and that emotional investment meant that we cared about him, even if we didn’t like him.

And, as Norman Bates finally got his comeuppance, sitting in a police cell, his dead mother’s voice could be heard protesting that the murders were her son’s doing.  That she wouldn’t even ‘harm a fly!’  Poor Norman.  His devotion to his mother was impressive and yet, when the s*** hit the fan, she turned on him like a rat.

We want our protagonists to rise up gloriously at the end of our stories but, in order for their achievements to be monumental, we need to see them overcome our antagonists and for the battle between them to be real, to be emotional, for all to be at stake on both sides.

What have you thrown at your antagonists?  I’ve wept for my baddy when I threw her off a high building, have you cried tears over yours?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Janey x

Sharing is caring! Please share this post if you enjoyed it.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 15,973 other subscribers

Please like my Facebook fan page

Please like my Facebook fan page

My Community

Progress on my next book

I'd love to hear from you...

janeyrosen@yahoo.com

Social

  • View JaneyRosen’s profile on Facebook
  • View @JaneyRosen’s profile on Twitter

Recent Comments

33Concetta on Self-Doubt, The Story Sla…
Janey Rosen on Tips for Writers: Frustrate Yo…
Janey Rosen on Dear writer, do your readers l…
Janey Rosen on Dear writer, do your readers l…
Janey Rosen on Dear writer, do your readers l…

Archives

  • August 2017
  • February 2017
  • November 2016
  • August 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • January 2016
  • October 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • October 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013

Clickety Clicks

  • 4,382 hits

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • janeyrosen
    • Join 37 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • janeyrosen
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: