Breakfast Villainy

It's been hot today. Way too hot for the beginning of May. I think I've been watching the fan blades try to hypnotize me for the past hour. My mind is too strong though, they haven't lulled me to sleep yet. While I'm sitting here in this dark room with the blinds closed tight, I can't help but think about the Soggies. Do you remember those guys? Once upon a time, they were the arch-enemies of Cap'n Crunch. I'd rather not discuss their appearance too much, because, well, you've got Google images. Here's the thing though: they were evil. Pure, eat-your-puppy-while-they-defecate-on-your-pillow evil. Their whole reason for living was to eff up your cereal. Now, historians won't tell you this, but I'm pretty sure they're the reason I have to horse down my Fruity Pebbles before they turn to gooey little mooshes. I also have compelling evidence that they killed and subsequently replaced Martha Stewart prior to her prison days.

     Cap'n Crunch, too me, will always be defined by the Soggies. He stood up to them when lesser Cereal Guardians were too busy getting kids to chase them into dark forests for their "magic" or teaching children not to share with their best friends until you absolutely have to or stealing "tricks" off of minors. Heck, even Andre the Giant was too busy hanging out in a tree house to do anything about the Soggies. Nowadays, the Cap'n spends most of his time just makin' "it" happin', whatever it is. But he will always have my respect. He obviously won the war, because his cereal stays tooth-crackingly crunchy even if my wife makes me take out the trash in the middle of enjoying a bowl.

     Would I care about the Cap'n if it weren't for the evil of the Soggies? Probably not. Villains are important. Maybe even more important than heroes in some ways. Often, characters are defined by what they stand against. I'm finding this to be especially true for fantasy writing. The more I develop and flesh-out my antagonist, the stronger (though not necessarily more powerful) my protagonist must become. It was something I think I was desperately lacking before my latest re-write. As the evil grows, so grows the opposition. I find that the more I know my villain, the more I know the desperation/drive/desire/hope the compels and propels my other characters.