Greetings ye captains of industry, ye princes of men!
Do you ever feel like king or queen of the world? Have you ever felt like you ever did the worst thing in your life? Have you ever just avoided either extreme and blended into the carpet?
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been all of these versions of yourself at some point in life; we all play the hero, the villain, and the coward from time to time. Maybe that’s the point — there’s a time for each of these sides of ourselves.
This weekend, I’m inviting you to reflect on the purpose of the good, the bad, and the craven inside all of us. If you’re not quite sure how to feel about that, maybe this quote will stiffen your backbone:
Quote of the Week
“The hero and the coward feel the same thing. The difference is in how they react to it.”
— Cus D’Amato
Cross-Cultural Commonalities
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. It’s one of the original cliches: There’s nothing new under the sun. Every work of art, every invention, every world-shaking event has happened before in some form or another. That’s certainly true in Hollywood, where it seems like the same few plots keep getting recycled with different actors and higher special effects budgets.
Well, it’s also true in the most enduring literature, from the earliest stories to today’s bestselling novels. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell compares the defining tales of people across time and place, revealing the near-universal similarities in their plots and characters, especially the heroes. The Odyssey, Moana, Star Wars, Alice in Wonderland — these and hundreds of other stories feature protagonists who follow Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey,” facing and overcoming incredible challenges by embracing the values of their native culture.
In an age where most people fixate on differences, this book is a timeless reminder of how much we all have in common … whether we think of ourselves as heroes or not.
Vainglorious Villains
“A Perfect Foil” writing exercise. Many writers — myself as much as anyone — focus their stories on an admirable protagonist: the “good guy” who makes the best choices, displays consummate skill, and ends up triumphing over wicked (or just plain confounding) forces.
But you know who audiences love? Great villains. It turns it they’re not just popular with the cute girls in high school — bad guys grab everyone’s attention. Is it because we secretly want to be rulebreakers ourselves? Are we drawn to what we fear or despise? Do truly evil characters better reflect the broken world we live in?
Maybe. But I also think great villains are memorable and captivating because they have real personalities. Good guys are nice to root for and all, but if they don’t have any flaws or make any mistakes, they’re flat — they quite literally lack character. The best villains, on the other hand, can be witty, or outrageous, or driven to do horrible things for uncomfortably relatable reasons (does anyone like Sansa Stark more than Tyrion Lannister?).
My writing advice to you is to build your next story around a villain. Make them strong or intelligent, capable or popular — a formidable opponent rather than a boring knock-over. Think of all the selfish, hateful, cruel behaviors this person might have — and then dream up a really good reason why they act that way. Have them say all the things your hero would never dare to say. Give them the chance to outsmart or overpower the protagonist now and then, forcing the hero to show their true mettle (they are called a foil, after all).
We all want the hero to win, but we want them to earn it. If you do this well, you should end up with a highly engaging storyline that makes people genuinely interested in the outcome. Make the villain a worthy opponent and you could inspire people to debate the ending, no matter how things turn out, for years to come.
Commendable Cowards
“Scooby Doo” bit by Eddie Izzard (NSFW!). I try to avoid absolute statements when it comes to works of art. Several songs rank top-most in my mind, but I can’t pick just one. I don’t have a single “favorite book.” My Top 10 Best Movies list would have to be in no particular order.
So understand how serious I am when I assert that Eddie Izzard’s Dress to Kill is the finest stand-up comedy special I have ever seen. Oh, sure, Richard Pryor had some legendary shows. Steve Martin was so good no one could ignore him. Amy Schumer sells out stadiums with her comedy tours. But no one has made me laugh so consistently, from start to finish, across decades, like Eddie. Check out his riff on the inspiring cowardice of Shaggy and Scooby (and quickly find yourself into watching the rest of the special over and over again).
And that's it! What did you think? Please share Lau’s Little List with anyone who you think would enjoy my recommendations!
I would greatly appreciate any feedback you'd like to provide. Which tip was your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of in the next installment? Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts.