Am I Crazy?

Researchers recently studied the language of convicted murderers who have been diagnosed with clinical psychopathy. The speech patterns they use and the words they choose betray their psychopathy to a surprising degree. They tend to speak in terms of cause and effect, as if nothing they do is done by choice or under their control. Ask them what’s important, and they’ll identify basic needs like food and shelter, whereas normal people will mention love and family, or even Star Wars. When asked questions about their motivation, they frequently pause, as if strategically putting on a “mask of sanity” (researcher’s words, not mine) before committing to a response. When discussing the motivations of others, they are quick to assume, and generally assume others are trying to balk their plans.

This research helps me immensely. A character in my WIP is something of a psychopath in that he would sooner see the world burn than see his plans fail. Research like this is helping me to round out my antagonist so he’s not just an old-school, mustache-twisting villain. I can have him come across as a well-intentioned servant of humanity while hinting at his true nature through his speech and mannerisms. I’m hoping that by the time readers become aware this guy is the villain, they’ll think they should have seen it coming all along.

Oh, but I’m still giving my villain a black goatee. I mean, come on, he’s the villain. How could I not?

4 Comments

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  By Peter Cawdron, February 4, 2012 @ 22:18

  I like the black goatee… George Lucas got away with a villain dressed from head-to-toe in black, patronising his audience and their ability to figure out the role for themselves, and yet the audience loved him for it. Your seeding of comments sounds more mature/plausible than Darth Vader blowing open a door and strolling through with heavy breathing and a black cape.

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  By AndroidAstronomer, February 4, 2012 @ 22:53

  Peter, that’s a great idea! A black cape! That’s what my villain needs! A helmet would be going too far, though, because then nobody could see the goatee.

  I remember an interview with Lucas (around 1980, as the second movie — the REAL second movie — was coming out) in which he expressed pride in having the Stormtroopers dress in white, which is traditionally reserved for the good guys. I recall the phrases “blow the audience’s minds” and “confuse the heck out of them” were used.

  Of all the tools in a writer’s toolbox, subtlety is the most… Ah forget it. I’m using the big hammer!

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  By Peter Cawdron, February 4, 2012 @ 23:01

  Hah… stormtroopers may have worn white, but there was nothing subtle about Darth. He was Dracula, Frankenstein and the Black Knight all rolled into one.

  BTW. 30+ years on and I still think the stormtrooper outfits are the bomb, but, damn, they didn’t have much in the way of armour to protect them from blaster rounds.

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  By AndroidAstronomer, February 5, 2012 @ 16:05

  I think you missed the point. It was the *stormtrooper’s* job to stop the blaster rounds, not his armor’s.

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