Each month an optional question is thrown out there. This month's question:
Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? And why?
I enjoy both perspectives but find the antagonist easier to write for. I like to get in the villain's mind so the reader can see why the bad guy thinks he's the good guy. That's more fun than pure evil.
If you're in the northeast like me, you were swatted with three snowstorms in four and a half days that wound up Monday morning. I'm tired of snow, but my granddaughter loves it. Shoveling and sled riding. Grammy has been walking a lot of hills this winter. I'm ready to plant some flowers.
"Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams than emperors." Mary Cantwell
This cold, snowy winter is really difficult for the homeless. I hope you remember the shelters and churches, and food banks that help those people.
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others remains immortal." Albert Pike
Participating in IWSG always reminds me how fast time is flying by. My granddaughter turned two years old this past weekend. Where does the time go?
The excitement is really building for the last season of Game of Thrones. I can't imagine the pressure the writers must feel with the weight of viewers expectations upon them. We all have our theories and want our favorites to survive. We all have anticipations about the upcoming reunions and hope they're as emotionally fulfilling as we expect. We all have a few characters we hope get their due. There will so much judgement when it's finally over.
"There has never been a statue set up in honor of a critic." Jean Sibelius
I recently binged The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. It was entertaining but not great. I do hope for a second season. Any suggestions on what to binge while I'm visiting blogs today?
A lot of things are going on this week. Ash Wednesday is today. Friday is International Women's Day and Captain Marvel comes out appropriately that day. It's also my youngest son's birthday. His closest friends always text him on his birthday and wish him Happy International Women's Day instead of happy birthday.
"It is the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Next weekend, Daylight Savings Time begins. A lot of people don't like the time change and I hate losing the hour of sleep, but I like having dark in the morning and sunlight later in the day.
Do you like reading the antagonist's POV? Do you have some expectations for season 8 of Thrones that will influence your enjoyment of the series' end? Are you a Daylight Savings Time fan or do you hate it?
32 comments:
Great post Susan, sorry about the snow, almost forgot about today being Ash Wenesday, how time flies.
Have a wonderful Wednesday despite the cold.
Yvonne.
That's great that you can write from both POV. The Umbrella Academy is on my wish list. I'll try to get to it soon. I'm into Call the Midwive series now.
That's funny your son's friends tell him Happy International Woman's Day.
We had two snows in December and I think that will be it for us.
I'm always thrown off for a good week whenever we change the clocks. Sigh.
I cannot wait for GoT! The trailer is AMAZING!
The Umbrella Academy is interesting. I'm still watching.
I just watched the last season of Game of Thrones on NetFlix but I might have to splurge for HBO for this final season.
I hate DST. Leave the clock alone already!
I love reading ALL POVs. But writing the antagonist/villain is especially fun.
And I'm ready for some warmer weather. And green. I'm tired of the cold and snow.
I wish the entire clock-changing thing would go away. I'm planning on binging The Umbrella Academy soon. I've heard so many good things about it. Stay warm!
Looking at my yard, I'm not sure spring will ever come. We have so much snow!
Writing from the antagonist's view is fun - not sure I could pull it off for a whole novel though!
I like reading and writing a little from the antagonist's point of view. I admit that I'm not a fan of thrillers where the antagonist gets half the page time and details his grisly exploits (I am a wimp). I am so sorry about all that snow. We don't normally get any more than an inch or two and this year it was here for 2.5 weeks - another way that I'm a wimp.
I love all of your quotes this month. And, I liked The Umbrella Academy, but I have a thing for super-powered but troubled characters.
I hope spring breaks through all of that snow soon!
Hi, Susan! I'm looking forward to GOTs final season, although I wish that it wouldn't be over. I'm very curious to see how they end it. I wish clock-changing would go away. Right now I'm loving extra light in the morning because I get up early. Thanks for the reminder about the homeless who are surely suffering during this cold and snow winter. Have a good one!
Happy belated Birthday to your granddaughter!
I can't wait for the last season of Game of Thrones!
Hi,
in answer to your questions, no I don't like writing in the villain's point of view. Don't laugh but I have never watched Games of Thrones, and I would much rather not change to daylight saving time.
Finally, Happy Birthday to your son.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
I'm with your granddaughter and love snow too. It's the best. :-)
Anna from elements of emaginette
OMG I am so tired of the snow and cold. Unfortunately, we've gotten over 120 inches so it's not going anywhere any time soon. x_x
It is fun to understand the antagonist's motivations.
I have never seen Game of Thrones and rather doubt that I will see The Umbrella Academy. I tend to enjoy British murder mysteries.
I know I prefer reading stories where the villain has more motivation that just being evil.
I think we should have Daylight Savings Time all year. It just makes more sense.
A friend of mine recommended The Umbrella Academy to me but I haven't started it yet. It's just another series that I hope to get to someday. I'm really looking forward to GOT next month. I haven't watched the trailer yet because I'm afraid it'll be too spoiler-y for me.
And I love reading/writing antagonists/anti-hero POVs. Sometimes, it seems like they get all the best lines. :)
I like several of your quotes, especially the one about the gardeners and doing things for yourself v. others. I'm another one who hasn't seen GOTs. Well, I saw an early episode, and then gave up TV, not because of GOTs, but because I decided I could do more if I didn't have it. Love the time change. Wish they'd leave it set forward always.
I love your description of why you like to write from the antagonists point of view :)
No daylight savings time here, but when we did change the time, I did like springing forward over falling back. I like the evenings lighter like you do too.
I bet you got great leg muscles from so much hill walking and I bet that wore your granddaughter out doing so!
I'll have to check out the Umbrella Academy. I just finished 13 Reasons Why and I was sort of taking a Netflix holiday because I couldn't find anything "good" to watch, but maybe the holiday will be over, LOL.
betty
It is interesting to think about the antagonist. What i've never understood is how people, in real life or in stories, can choose to do something wrong or illegal and then blame the person who caught them instead of blaming themselves for doing the wrong or illegal thing.
Losing an hour just about kills me, i wish we could set the clocks forward by half an hour, in other words, split the difference, and then just declare that the new standard time and stay there.
No one likes a purely evil villain! It's no fun to read. I HATE daylight savings time in the spring. Ugh. The kids at school are horrible that week! (Me included:)
I was reading the books some time ago but never followed Game of Thrones on TV. I did borrow some episodes from the library but didn't really enjoy them. As for POV I agree, it is good to read the antagonist's thinking sometimes. Daylight Savings is unnecessary these days.
haha I wait at the bottom of the hill and let them climb up. Too old to go climbing hills. I'll catch them at them bottom. Stupid daylight saving times sucks. So need to get rid of it.
I'm with you about the snow, Susan. It can stop anytime. Same with the cold. Eternal winter? Are we in Narnia? Enjoy your granddaughter. These times go by so quickly. Blink and they're in school; blink again and they're off to college.
I hate the time changes. My cat doesn't adjust well because she takes her cues from nature. The dog is not quite as bad because she takes her cues from me and my schedule. I'm more like the cat, I guess, preferring to live by the sun and moon instead of the clock.
My husband's started watching The Umbrella Academy but I couldn't be bothered!
I don't think I've read much from the antagonist's POV but it would be interesting to try. I wrote two monologues once from Bathsheba, the woman with whom David committed adultery. In one she was the innocent and in the other she was the baddie, having planned it all. I have to admit I did enjoy the bad side - for once!
I HATE the time change. Besides messing with my sleep, it makes feeding babies in the NICU hell. It throws their schedules off. I'm for doing away with DST.
I'm waiting for Game of Thrones to finish before I dig into it. My sis-in-law owns the currently released seasons and will probably buy the last one once it comes out. I figure I will binge watch it all then.
I'm tired of cold, though thankfully I don't have snow in my neighborhood as of today.
I'd forgotten about the time change. Drats.
I like to write sometimes from the villains pov but have a hard time keeping them the villain.
How adorable your granddaughter like to shovel the snow.
I love reading and writing the antagonist perspective. Protagonists have to be so perfect, even with their flaws. Protagonists are allowed to take risks, fail, start again, be ingenuous, or generous, by turns. So much more you can do with the villain, lol. Yes, the world is good, and should be, and the antagonist only has a limited time for success, but that's also what makes them so much fun to write.
Glad you can enjoy your granddaughter in all the bad weather, lol. They grow up way too fast.
Ug, I can do without the seasonal time change.
I haven't seen the Umbrella Academy yet but I'm eagerly awaiting Game of Thrones. If you want to watch something lighter, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime is wonderful.
I'm rather tired of winter this year myself.
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