In this past week's #FridayFlash, "A Level-Headed Man", as well as in "Third Shift at McSweeny's" and (to a lesser extent) in "The Death of Lee Harvey Oswald", I gave the reader characters that were supposed to be objects of irritation and dislike, if not actual hate.
By contrast, in "Nearer Comes the Moon", the main character was intended to be sympathetic.
I think I'm having better results writing villains than heroes in these. Is this because it's easier to throw flaws into high relief, or because I'm more familiar with human failings and frailties than with nobility and grace? Deeply flawed bad guys have always struck me as much more interesting, because they seem to lead more active and challenging lives.
Still, you can't have any dynamic tension if it's all bad guys all the time; there would be nothing for them to act in opposition to. Therefore, the challenge for next week will be to create a character that you will like, one you will root for.
As I sit here at this moment, this seems like a more daunting authorial challenge than writing a stimulating yet believable sex scene. (That will come at some point in the future.)
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