NATURE OR NURTURE

Many years ago, as an aspiring writer, I ventured into the punishing realm of seeking a book deal for my first novel, “Peril in Paradise.”

Oh, what a glorious dream until the inevitable “No Thanks” letters began to arrive. Yes, I’m “rejection letters” old.

But I found encouragement among the “Sorry, “Peril in Paradise” doesn’t fit well with our current publishing format,” or “We don’t feel your novel is right for us” letters. Several no-thank-you letters commented similarly: “You do, however, write a very good villain.”

Besides giving me much-needed hope as a struggling novelist, their kind words told me two things: Since I wrote my villain in the third person, I write better in that voice than I do in the first person. And… I’m a tad dark and twisted!

When I wrote my villain, Damian Garza, in “Peril in Paradise,” I gave little thought to his backstory. Instead, Damian revealed himself to me as I wrote the book, creating a need to understand him better. Of course, this caused me to ask myself the “What, Why, When” questions, which led me to the age-old curiosity … Are villains born, or are they formed by their environments?

Now that I’ve written five novels and three novellas, I’ve learned to ask the three W’s sooner and outline what caused my villain’s evilness. Why does he or she desire to hurt people? When did their darkness begin to shadow their personalities?

Or were they simply born evil?

In my quiver of Google-related searches, I have a file labeled: Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). This term encompasses both sociopath and psychopath disorders. Mental health professionals define ASPD individuals as having a consistent disregard for rules, social norms, and repeated violations of other people’s rights.

When I started my journey with Damian, I knew I wanted him to appear to be “Prince Charming,” which fits the persona of someone with ASPD. I also knew Damian would have little regard for other people’s feelings. Before I did my deep-dive research, I had created a villain who broke the law, was manipulative, and deceitful. Damian didn’t think twice about aggressively mistreating women and felt no remorse for his nasty behavior.

As much as I needed Damian to be a sociopath, I also felt a need to explain his wickedness, which brought me full circle. Did Damian mistreat people because he was born evil, or were his actions a byproduct of believing his stepmother had his mother killed? Had he been a beguiling child or wicked youngster biding his time until he could unleash his anger on those around him?

Recently, a reader shared how much she likes that my villains feel like real people, not cartoon stereotypical characters.

With each novel, I introduce myself to a new villain or villainess and ask myself the same questions: What? Why? When? Nature or Nurture?

Personally, I’m not sure if people are born evil. Although, with all the crime in the world, it seems as if this scenario could be true. It’s just hard to imagine a tiny baby destined to be a serial killer or a terrorist from birth.

I tend to believe people are genuinely good at heart … until they are not. My villains could have all been heroes at some point in their lives. Sarita Garcia could have married, had children, and learned to love running her father’s leasing company. Raptor might have lived a wonderfully boring life with Belen if the two had made it safely to Arizona. Carl Yates probably would’ve made a decent husband if he hadn’t suffered abuse at the hands of his aunt. But Sam Arnold seemed destined to abuse women, allowing his dark side to determine their fate.

When I met Joe Carson in “Whispering Willows,” I was conflicted. Joe wanted to be good, but his mother’s darkness smothered him, driving him to evilness. Joe created an opportunity for me to see if a villain could be changed and nurtured back to goodness.

As a Christian, I’ve always believed in forgiveness, so I asked this question for Joe: If he truly believed in Jesus and asked to be forgiven for his sins, would his newfound faith deliver him from his wicked ways? Would he embrace the comfort of God’s word and the peacefulness of knowing his soul is saved? Would Joe Carson rejoice with joy in his new-found destiny in heaven?

Happy Fall, Ladies of Mystery!