How to have the murderers be the main character and still be sympathetic? http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/48492 loserlikeme Okay, the victim in my story had a bipolar attack and tried to kill her friend with a butcher knife, her other friend defended that friend and accidentally killed her in the process. In an effort to hide this, they buried her in the football field. A year later, they're being stalked and they're secrets are being held over their head. I'm trying to think of a way to have them not look like complete monsters (kind of like how you were able to sympathize with the characters in I Know What You Did Last Summer). Any suggestions on how I could do this successfully? Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:50:38 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/48492?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1006032 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/48492?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1006032 the.black.prince Not sure how bi-polar would actually drive a person to kill someone (it's alternate periods of depression and mania/ obsession). But in any case, you can actually create sympathy from the part of the reader for the killer MC. I would suggest something like: 1. Show a few scenes of the MC before the murder in a likeable light. Get the reader to care for the character. 2. Have the MC commit the murder and cover-up. 3. Show the character still in a sympathetic light i.e. he/ she is depressed about the killing - maybe a suicide attempt/ acute depression - actions of genuine penance like consoling a family member of the dead friend/ looking out for a brother or sister of the victim etc. If you manage to portray the character as good, then the reader will take a liking to him/ her. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:26:59 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/48492?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1006980 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/48492?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1006980 EarthquakeWeather Depends on who the MC is killing and why, and how they feel about it. Case: Dexter. He has a code. He will only kill other murderers who have slipped through the system. AND he thinks he is a bad person. AND he has an inner demon which would make him kill indiscriminately if not channeled properly, so we can think, great, at least he is not killing innocents. Harder to do this with a group of MCs because you will have to give them all the same motivations. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:01:56 +0100 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/48492?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1063019 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/mystery-thriller-suspense/threads/48492?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1063019