This is really vague and really wordy, but if I stop and try to condense it, or just try to make it seem clearer, I’ll never get to work today.
So... jumping in.
I’d love to know your thoughts, however half-formed or rambly (such as the above). The only sure answer is ‘as each story dictates,’ I know that. But for those of you who have written Lois and Clark vs. a Villain how have you done it? And why did you do it that way?
Once I hid the villain until the very end for the ‘surprise.’ The upside was that it was a fun challenge, and meant to add suspense for the reader-- as they and L&C figured it out together.
The downside was that once discovered, the villain fell immediately into the cliché of the Talking Killer. He talked for pages to explain himself, which I didn’t like. But I wanted to get his motivations, which had stayed as hidden as he was, out in the open, and I couldn’t think how else to do so.
There’s presenting who Lois and Clark are up against from the beginning-- letting the readers in on it right away. One nice advantage is you can fully develop your villain, use him/her more often, no worries you’ll show your hand. And the readers can watch our heroes, step by step, as they move towards the truth.
A potential disadvantage is that Lois and Clark have to discover the villain without appearing to be too slow, or, worse, too stupid to realize what the readers already know. They have to be smart, but not smart enough to uncover the truth before you want them to, so they won’t blow the last half of your story to bits.
The middle way—hidden initially, revealed gradually, discovered by L&C eventually-- is a nice, shiny option. (And looking shinier by the minute...)
For those of you who have tried this, even just once, what worked for you? What didn’t? What did you like about your villain and his/her reveal? What didn’t you? What were the challenges? How many more questions can I toss in this paragraph? What’s your favorite color? Mine’s yellow? And what about readers? What are your ideas as you read along and unravel the plot against the good guys?
I want to know.
And thank you very much for indulging this long, winding... whatever it is!
CC
