I came across
this article by author DV Berkom, written a few years ago but well worth
re-posting. Here it is.
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| Author DV Berkom |
So there I was, minding
my own business writing one of those truly twisted novels that grabs hold of
you and has to come out when I came
to the killer's debut. I'd never attempted to write a character quite so creepy
and wasn't relishing that first passage. In fact, I continually wrote around him,
putting off the scene until I felt I could do justice to him instead of
creating a killer cliché. Yes, I could have abandoned the effort and gone on to
something else, but a disturbing dream I'd had several months prior provided
the inspiration for the story and I felt compelled to follow it through.
How do you write a fresh
psychopath? Readers today have been clubbed over the head with serial killers
(pardon the pun) to the point that it's become a joke in many literary agencies
and publishing houses. The only way I could think to do it was to go to my default:
research. I love learning new things. Researching has a way of surprising you
with oddball connections, often to be used in ways you'd never expect. A
reference here, a notation there, it's similar to a treasure hunt. Like I said,
I love research.
Until I started to investigate killers.
"
Now, I haven't lived
what anyone would call a sheltered life, but I'd so far avoided learning specific
details about the habits of serial killers. The information I came across in my
search made my skin crawl.
Reality is so much more
frightening than fiction.
The information creeped
me out to the point I'd find myself vacuuming the living room, unsure how that
Hoover ended up in my hand. One thing to understand about me: I don't like
housework. I'll let dust and dirt accumulate until I can't find the couch or
someone decides to visit. Apparently, I found something I like even less.
I followed this routine whenever
I delved into the bizarre world of a psychopath, and though you could eat off
my living room floor, my manuscript was going nowhere. No closer to fleshing
out my killer, (I know- another pun. Sorry) he wouldn't budge from the twisted
caricature of a human being I'd created and I was close to giving up. Sure, I
could give him odd quirks and mannerisms, but it felt as if I was making him
play dress up: all show, no substance.
"an ocean of ideas began to form around what my antagonist's early life was like, his taste in music, food, what made him tick."
That is, until I dug a
little deeper and discovered the science behind the psychopath. A series of articles
on NPR.org discussing the biological basis for psychopathic
behavior led me ever deeper into the complexities of a killer's mind.
Fascinated, I began to read white papers on personality disorder, multiple
personalities, cannibalism and the like. Where once I'd been stymied by what
motivated someone to kill, an ocean of ideas began to form around what my
antagonist's early life was like, his taste in music, food, what made him tick.
Soon, I had seventeen
pages of articles, notes and sketches, all revolving around my antagonist. I knew him, knew what made him get out of
bed in the morning, why he chose the victims he did. Most importantly, I knew how he justified killing. That was my 'eureka' moment.
Understanding my
antagonist helped me move past the visceral recoil from the heinous crimes I
read (and wrote) about and gave a more human face to the killer. I learned
there's an entire area of scientific inquiry emerging that uses genetic testing
and MRIs to map the brains and biological processes of psychopaths, on occasion
admitting the results of these tests as evidence in court trials.
Can the fact that a
person has the genes and/or brain structure associated with violent behavior be
enough to reduce a defendant's culpability in a trial? It's a new take on an
age-old question.
"I can't wait to write the killer's scenes . . ."
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| At Amazon |
Whatever the answer may
be, for now I can't wait to write the killer's scenes and try to work in some
small kernel of research to help the reader understand him better. Yeah, still
pretty creepy, but it worked.
Now, where the heck is
that couch?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DV Berkom is the USA Today bestselling author of two
action-packed thriller series featuring strong female leads: Kate Jones and
Leine Basso. Her latest Leine Basso novel is Absolution.
Available at Amazon:
Former assassin Leine
Basso has severed ties with everyone she loves to keep them safe while she
hunts for the ruthless terrorist, Salome. There are rumblings that the
French-born assassin is planning another attack and Leine’s determined to stop
her before it’s too late.
