McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Anyone have good tips on writing a Conspiracy Thriller?
Blaze:
Make the Antagonist SMART. I really can't stand it when the bad guys act like idiots just so that the good guy can win.
Paynesgrey:
I think that's one of the hardest parts. An author just can't create a character who's smarter than they are. Might manage the illusion from time to time, but not a whole cast.
Blaze:
Yes, you can write a character who is smarter than you are! You have to cheat a little and get input from people who know more about a field than you do. (For example, when I write a doctor character, I always discuss what she does with my family GP.)
Since my background is in technical writing, I know that one can immerse oneself in a subject and be able to come across with a great deal of authority, even if you have not personally had first hand experience.
But mostly I was stating that when you have bad guys who suddenly shoot each other or act out of character in some way, simply ecause you need the plot to move along, that makes for a lame thriller.
How many people have just wanted the bad guy to blow Bond away instead of talking him to death? Or, why in the world did the Emperor not realize that Vader might have his own agenda?
Smart bad guys are difficult to write. Smart likable bad guys are even more difficult to write. But the rewards in having a smart likable evil dude is immeasurable. And that would make for superior fiction.
Paynesgrey:
Let me clarify that...I don't mean knowledge in a field smart, but cleverness smart, the general brain meat capability type of smart.
Blaze:
Yeah, well the benefit is that the hero and villain will both be constrained by the author's smarts. So they will be on a level playing field. ;D
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