Pro tip: Letting someone else lead the discussion turned my opinion around

Honestly, I was sure the villain in our book was just evil for no reason. Tbh, when Jake took over and walked us through his backstory scenes, it all clicked. Ngl, seeing how his childhood shaped him made me sympathize more than I expected. Now I think he's the most complex character in the story.

3 comments

3 Comments

masonwilson5d ago

Actually, I see it the other way around. In my experience, a sad backstory doesn't automatically make a character deep or good. It can just feel like a cheap way to make bad actions seem okay. When my friend tried to explain the villain like that, it didn't change my mind at all. I still see his choices as pretty wrong, no matter his past. Letting someone else lead the talk might work for some, but it just made me more sure of my first take. To me, he's still mostly just a bad guy.

the_angela5d ago

In episode 45 of the Writing Room podcast, the host said sad backstories are often a lazy writing trick. Honestly, he explained that without strong present reasons, past trauma just feels like an excuse. So yeah, I get why you still see the villain as a bad guy.

jenniferh4716h ago

Ever try to excuse bad art with your own sad story? My old portfolio proves trauma doesn't make bad design good.