One of the lessons that I learned during the writing process is to stop judging your characters. As a rookie, I wanted everyone to reflect the best parts of myself. It wasn't good writing. If a character is a screw up, a cheat or even someone you would not hang out with in real life, it is still important that you write them the way they are... Backstory can help humanize them. I have made my " worst characters" seem just as human and relatable as my favorites. Beware of creating characters that no one remembers.
On Writing : Don't Judge your Characters by E.J. Wade
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I think the writer needs to either maintain a moral or ethical center, or come from a point-of-view to one side or the other. This is so that the characters opposite the protagonist or other supporting characters can put forth an authentic contrast, and/or one that reflects reality. I see what you mean, but I think right/wrong or black/white/gray needs to be present, if for nothing else, then just diversity. I tend to want to use backstory in tiny bits at most, to spoon-feed the reader/viewer so that it doesn't devolve into "I murdered her because my mother took my rubber ducky away when I was 6!" Also, backstory often seems expository, and can pull the story right out of its rhythm. I have always felt character development is done best through specific, unique behavior. Just my 2 cents. YMMV.
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@EJ Thanks for share. Years back a lot of antagonists were one sided. EG Jason, Freddie, Michael in 80s/90’s or earlier & are now cult horrors. (Messed up family, child abuser & misogynist.) Early 2000 particularly in horror antagonists became more layered. Even Saw has backstory of “why” he became so. (Abused cancer patient, exploited by a trusting team & robbed of funds.)
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Well said E.J. Wade
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Lee Matthias During the Vietnam War, who was good and who was bad? During the Wire, when Mcnulty used an illegal wire tap and allowed a murderer to go free, who was good and who was bad? You may be a hero in your story and a absolute villain in someone else's story.
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A great piece of advice is to remember that however evil your antagonist is, they are the protagonist of their own story.
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So true, it's something I see a lot in novice writing. Presenting archetypical characters and voices in qualified ways. You have to just present the characters and let the audience draw their own conclusions about a characters' behavior
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E.J. and Tom Lapke: I agree. I was not suggesting that the writer must come from "right" versus the antagonist coming from "wrong". Rather that the contrast be clear.
It's true that what you remember most from a movie are definitely the characters. Hans Landa? Best thing from Inglourious Bastards! However, I must say that let's have no qualm about judging: we all do it, all the time. Let's just leave the audience condemn them.
This is so true E.J. Wade ! Only by not judging your characters will they be allowed to become multi-dimensional. As soon as you judge them, it paints your writing only one color. I find my characters often surprise me when I let them reign free.
Sounds good. In the same case you described, I rely on their motivations, weaknesses, to feel them more human and be able to actualize them coherently.