Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Inspired by Evil: What's new with Amanda Arista

Thanks for the comments, ladies. Its good to know that I'm not the only one who likes to tread on the dark side. June M is the winner of the giveaway. See you next month!!
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           So heres what going on with me. Writing. Writing. Writing. My muse is on some sort of crack that is illegal in most states and my brain is going in a million directions at once. But there is something about working on three projects at a time that seems to be getting me back into the swing of things. Im plotting faster, the dialogue is sharper, and my characters are flying onto the page.

            The Villains seems to be extra sharp for these projects as well. I have to admit. Im pro-villain. My favorite characters in literature seem to the antagonists, because they usually get the best lines. Good villains are strong, driven, have their own moral codes and usually more motivated than the heroes at the beginning of the stories. They are on their own journeys and, frankly, sometimes Im routing for them because the heroes just cant seem to get their acts together faster enough.

            So some of my favorites are:

1. Maleficent. Probably the first villain to really institute the adage If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. Powerful woman and sexy as hell. She is the reigning queen of villains in my book, because she almost got exactly what she wanted. In the end, remember, she was just out-manned, not out smarted (those three meddling fairies). Really looking forward to Angelina Jolies portrayal of her next summer.





2. Hannibal Lector- I dont know if you guys have been watching NBCs Hannibal, but there is something both eerie and alluring about Mads Mikkelsens portrayal of the psychiatrist. You know that hes eating people, but somehow, youre a little okay with that because you just want to know what hes going to say next.  
3. The Nothing from The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. Though the Nothing is really a phenomenon that is happening to Fantastica, is still was a powerful source of fear for the main characters, Atreyu and Bastian. And it was creepy, because there was no getting away from it and it drove creatures insane by just looking into it. And, it had the best emissary in the world!




4. Tyler Durden from Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Now, technically I dont know if you can count Tyler Durden as a villain, but I was routing for Project Mayhem the entire time. And I tote a lot of Tyler-isms in my life. There was a surprising amount of truth spoken by that character and yet, he is still the antagonistic force for the narrator.



5. The Joker, all his incarnations ever. Probably the best villain and hero relationship that has ever hit the page or the screen. The perfect juxtaposition of Jokers love of chaos and Batmans need for logic defines how heroes and villains are supposed to work together, their harmony are what make the stories good and tension-filled and keep us watching and turning the page.



There are so many more, other villains who were just fun to watch, like Miranda Priestly from Devil Wears Prada as well as others who will stay with me forever, like Lady Catherine de Bourgh from Pride and Prejudice.

For me, a good villain is the root of a good story. Do you some times route for the bad guys?  Im giving away a signed edition of the Supernatural Undergrounds Vampires Gone Wild to a random commenter who can tell me who their favorite baddie is and why. 

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Amanda Arista
Author, Diaries of an Urban Panther Series


9 comments:

Amy Valentini said...

Hi Amanda, I love bad guys. I'm writing one right now that chills me to the bone. But it's the ones who charm you and draw you in with their sociopathic/pyschotic thinking that I love best. Take the character, Dennis Peck - played by Richard Gere - in INTERNAL AFFAIRS. He could literally charm the pants off any woman. His ex-wives loved him but couldn't live with him. He had more children than he knew what to do with and loved them all. He rationalized every bit of his criminal behavior including killing his best friend. He's the villian you love to hate. I actually felt bad when he died at the end. I only wished I'd conjured him up first. : )
Thanks for the giveaway - I'd absolutely love a signed copy. Amazing anthology!

amyvalentini(at)aol(dot)com

Helen Lowe said...

Great post, Amanda!

I've always rather liked the Duke of Andover in Georgette Heyer's "The Black Moth" although he may be more of an anti-hero rather than outright villain, so maybe I'll go for Glenn Close's Marquise in the film "Dangerous Liaisons."

Elizabeth H. said...

My favorite villain is Loki from Thor! I feel bad for him that he's the lessor son and it kinda breaks my heart. Too bad he is evil because he is super gorgeous!! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!!

ehaney578 at aol dot com

SandyG265 said...

I like Dracula because even though he's a bad guy I always wish he'd escape from the vampire hunters.

Terri Garey said...

I'm a huge fan of DEXTER. It's almost unbelievable how a writer can take a serial killer and turn him into such a sympathetic character. My second favorite evil baddie would have to be the original Hannibel Lector from Silence of the Lambs - what a creepy movie!!

Great post, Amanda!

Unknown said...

Great insight, Amanda. I think more people root for the villain than they're willing to admit! My favorite isn't even a villain in my eyes - it's King Kong. (Stop laughing.) He's more of a tragic figure who falls for the beauty and is taken out of his environment. I can't stand watching him get shot ... I cheer when he grabs a plane out of the air. So there you have it.

June M. said...

It depends on the villian. I must admit that I love Dr. Hannibal Lector. If he wasn't a cannibal and seriel killer, he would be cool to hang out with, LOL.

Minna said...

Here's a second vote for Loki!

Amanda Arista said...

Thanks for the comments!!
Good to know I'm not the only one who routes for the dark side.