(upbeat dramatic music) - Someone once said to me that all the characters that writers create are facets of their own personality.
Now, I don't know if that's true.
I hope it's not true 'cause I have created some real horrors, but that said, I find that really interesting to kinda step into the shoes of someone who I have absolutely no empathy or sympathy for.
For example, in one of my books, "Knife Edge," which is the second in the "Noughts & Crosses" series, I have a character called Jude, who's Callum's brother, and he meets a girl called Cara.
And he begins to fall in love with her, but he doesn't he want to, so he ends up beating her up and he beats her to death.
And I remember writing this scene where he is punching her and kicking her and a chill went right down my spine as I was writing it.
And I thought, "Oh my God, is this too strong?" And then I thought, "No, this is exactly what would happen.
You've got to be truthful to that moment." So instead of leaning away from it, I leant into it, and I really recommend that.
If you are writing a story and you've got an antagonist or you've got a character in it who's doing something awful, don't shy away from showing that.
