More on a Work in Progress

Not too long ago I wrote a blog on a villain in one of my novels and on some of the dynamics surrounding villains and how they use lies to create a false narrative. If you didn't catch it, you can read it here.

Roughly twenty-one years prior to the opening of my novel, working title "Draxis," there was a legendary infamous clash that became known as the Battle for Draxis (the working title of  my WIP novella). It was the first time in their over 13,000 year history that this planet had experienced a war between two factions, where citizens died as a result of the conflict, and it shook the civilization to its foundation. 

This terrible clash arose from a lie. Or more accurately, a series of related lies and half-truths. One leader repeatedly accused his challenger of being a would-be usurper and a pariah who would lead the planet to ruin and enslave the populace (when in fact, the one making the claims was actually the one plotting to do all of those things). 

A manipulator can always find clever ways to twist the truth and turn the tables on his enemy, even when the truth should be quite obvious to any reasonably intelligent human being (...or reasonably intelligent alien, in this case). Sometimes people will buy into lies simply because they want to believe them, and because they prefer the status quo over change. Even if it promises to be for the better, many see change as disruptive and unsettling. "Don't upset the apple cart!"

My mission in writing this story is to present the unfolding drama in such a way that the reader can't be sure who is truly the Good Guy and who is the Bad Guy. Only the two opponents' actions and decisions in the course of the events will reveal their true characters.

This story is told from the perspective of Giadius [GEE ah Dee us], who is an important figure in the saga not only for who he is, but for how he later influences two central characters in the following novel. But at this point in time, he's definitely standing firmly in the grey area of doubt. He, like the reader, will have to make his own determination who to align with as events unfold.

I anticipate this story will be novella length, and if all goes according to plan, I'll release it as a companion to the full-length novel. 

Here's a quick peek at the opening, which I'm just beginning to hammer out. It's still very much a work in progress. All comments or questions welcome.

________________________________________

The Great Palace 

The City of Tahr

Draxis

From the high balcony, Giadius watched a star fall from the infinite blackness of the heavens. A burning star, its light flooding the dark plazas below in an expanding circle of illumination. Sound followed the light, a low rumble that crescendoed into a terrifying roar. Next came the blasts of searing heat. Giadius raised a hand to shield his face from the burn.

In the city below him, those awakened by the calamity rushed into the streets, screaming in terror. He felt no panic. The knowledge and memories of such an event had faded from the conscience of Draxis a generation ago. But he understood. Ultas hadn't prepared his people, so what could this mean to them but the end of their world?

Members of the royal staff flooded onto the balcony beside him, freezing in place to cry and curse and stare. Giadius exploited the confusion to slip through their ranks and back inside the palace before any came to their collective senses. He sidestepped the squad of guards charging up the steps to the second level and made way down to the now unguarded entry to the royal chambers below. Pitting his full weight against the massive door, he pushed it open just enough to angle through. Outside, he found the halls of the palace deserted. 

This was his epiphany--his sign. A chance to slip his invisible bonds and disappear in the chaos. He knew what this meant. He knew who was coming. 

He would be the first to meet the invaders. 

 

Storytelling: Effective Villains and Believable Lies

Well, my posts have certainly become few and far between lately. I apologize for going dark. There's a lot happening in the background called "real life" but I won't bore you with the details because it's probably non-relatable. Let's just say, "It's been the best of times, it's been the worst of times." (Inspired by a quote from Charles Dickens.) 

Lately, I've been doing a lot of studying and thinking and applying it to my work.

I've been studying what has happened in the past, what is happening now, and what may lie ahead...and how those elements can be interwoven into fiction. (I won't go into a lot of detail because my personal experience "won't compute" for a large number of people.) 

Today, I want to just focus on one of the things I've been studying and that's the nature of lies....and people who lie....and people who use lies for their own purposes and gain. It's a pretty dark rabbit hole to go down in reality, so let's not do that. 

I'll just post a few memes on my philosophy on liars, which is pretty simple:

and

and especially...

In fiction, we often create characters who lie as a means to advance their own position, their own selfish plans or to defend themselves from being judged too harshly by others. A really effective villain can usually weave lies and deception that will fool and mislead a great many people. If they weren't capable of that, they'd be reduced to a mustache-twirling Snidely Whiplash. 

Old Snidely isn't very convincing, so a truly skilled villain learns three basic tactics: 

1) How to make lies sound like the truth, 

2) How to persuade a lot of other people to buy into his/her lies (usually with some sort of reward), and 

3) How to punish those who disagree with those lies.

"I'll get you, my pretty...and your little dog, too!"  

Number 3 may be one way to discern if someone is telling the truth. If they are telling the truth, and someone disagrees, they won't punish that person for not believing them or for being intelligent enough not to buy in to their deception. 

But the thing about villains is that in the end, they lose. Usually big time (...unless of course, the author is planning a sequel). 

If the story has no sequel where the villain returns, then the end is just The End. 

Justice is served. Judgement is rendered. The evil villain is doomed. Truth and goodness prevails.

These are the themes I'm working with in a current novel. The villain has credentials, power and influence and portrays himself as a good and decent man. He fools a lot of people and manages to convince them that he's their rightful leader, that his challenger is a threat to them and their way of life--and further, that his opponent is the one who lies and misleads. But beneath his shining white robes (literally) and his dark cloak of deception, he's not a righteous man, he's a self-serving and demented human being. (Okay, this is sci-fi so he's really an alien, but he's human enough to pass.)

But the thing about lies is they eventually ensnare the one telling them.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." 

That phrase is often attributed to Shakespeare, but it was actually said by Sir Walter Scott. According to the site No Sweat Shakespeare, it means: 

"...when you lie or act dishonestly you are initiating problems and a domino structure of complications which eventually run out of control."

Yes, he and his cronies make a pretty convincing argument. Jointly, they have a talent for taking the truth and twisting facts and circumstances to serve their own end game. You can fool many of the people all of the time...but eventually, the truth is going to win out.

I'm intentionally avoiding the name of the villain character because spoilers...but the current working title of the story is in the tags, if you're curious.

Have you read any books with a thoroughly convincing villain who cleverly manipulates the truth? Let me know the titles and I'll check them out. 

Until next time.