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Heather Day Gilbert

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Who’s Bad?

Just a quick Friday question:

In all your fiction reading, classic or modern, who’s the baddest of the bad villains you’ve ever come across? Or even the worst main character that you loved to hate?

Both of these two were pretty bad! But we still loved reading about them…

Or for a modern bad girl, how about Hilly Holbrook, from The Help?

And let’s not forget the strange, yet sad Gollum. Sometimes you’re screaming “Don’t trust him!” and sometimes you’re feeling sorry for him.

Sometimes these baddies redeem themselves and change, sometimes they don’t. But the best-written baddies have one thing in common–they’re multi-faceted.

****SO who’s your baddest of the BAD? Does he/she change throughout the story?****

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bad characters// character development

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Comments

  1. TC Avey says

    March 9, 2012 at 5:54 pm

    Gone with the Wind is one of my all time fav's! It's such a complex story that you find yourself liking and hating various characters throughout.

  2. Sarah says

    March 9, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    Totally agree that Hilly is the worst! When I was reading that book I kept waiting for her to have SOME redeeming feature, but she didn't!

  3. Sarah Pearson says

    March 10, 2012 at 11:28 am

    Oooh, this is a tough one. In all the best stories, I go from hating to liking a character so many times 🙂

  4. K. Turley (Clutzattack) says

    March 10, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    Can't think of any books off the top of my head, but one of my favorite villains is the Joker from Batman. He's just so wicked how can you not be impressed?

  5. mshatch says

    March 11, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    I'm going to have to Snape, because out of all the many villains I can think of he has the most depth to his character.

  6. Heather Day Gilbert says

    March 11, 2012 at 7:19 pm

    I hate to admit that I haven't read much of HP books (up to the 3rd book, maybe?). But I think they picked a good actor for Snape in the movie version–you were never sure if he was good or bad. Good example!

  7. Susan Gourley/Kelley says

    March 11, 2012 at 7:51 pm

    The baddest changes with what I'm watching or reading. With the Games of Thrones resuming in April, I'm watching the first season over again and I vote for Little Finger as the worst ever.

  8. Heather Day Gilbert says

    March 11, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    I'm totally behind the times, but that's a TV show, right, Susan?

Hi, I’m Heather…

I write contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Born and brought up in the mountains of West Virginia, I enjoy writing about small towns, family relationships, and women who aren't afraid to protect those they love. Read More…

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Happy #WestVirginiaDay! You might know that I love Happy #WestVirginiaDay! You might know that I love setting my contemporary mystery series in my home state of WV. What you might not know is that there was a time I wanted nothing more than to move away and spread my wings (somewhere like NYC! Where I wound up living for a year when I got married!). But years down the road, I felt my mountain roots pulling me back. Suddenly, I could see nothing but beauty in these comforting mountains and moody skies and honeysuckled summers. West Virginia is so many things—good and bad as any state is—but it’s entirely unique. My husband once marveled at how many people “came back” to their home state here, even after being gone for years, and I see that all the time. These #Appalachianmountains have a way about them, and it becomes a part of you, a love you don’t want to let go of. I’m a #mountainmama, and I’m glad to bring this truly #wildandwonderful state to readers with my books.
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