I've often thought about writing stories featuring a main character is more or less a very evil man. The idea is that as the story progresses the readers learn more about the main character through flash backs. To make things clear the main character is pretty evil in the first book he kidnaps his love interest and she develops a Stockholm syndrome like relationship with him. It's in the sequel that he becomes slightly better but still pretty bad. However throughout the story he starts to evolve as the person.
A bad man has a bunch of flashbacks and ultimately improves his behaviour. Yep there's ways that can be made to work. A Christmas Carol falls into that category. If you can get the reader rooting for the man to see the error of his ways and ultimately improve himself, then you're onto a winner. I reckon it's easier to pull off if there's at least some small change in character by the end of the first book.
I think you're idea is pretty good. I would definitely read a story like that. The only thing is as plothog said that you need to get the reader to root for your main character even though he's pretty evil.
You know what would be a real twist, if the story ends with the guy never actually changing his ways and the reader being quite alright with that fact. Haymitch Abernathy begins the Hunger Games Trilogy as this raging alcoholic. At first I wanted him to get better and to improve himself. Then I read his story in Catching Fire and I just wanted to buy him a drink. He ends the trilogy still very much an alcoholic, but because the story is so well written, I don't consider it a total loss.
I like it, not sure taking two books to get to the resolution, be it bad or good, is a good idea. It could get old, a bad guy being a bad guy with an occasional pang of guilt or something.
Oh, wow that sounds interesting. Reminds me of a story idea I have. The idea is what I call "Dark Lord Rising" for now. It's about a normal person turning into the biggest and most evil guy- and all for the right reasons. The concept was that, through out the story he would go from bad to worse and keep on doing so. The Artemis Fowl series is about an evil person going from pure heartless evil to willing to sacrifice things for others and care for others. And it's very well done, so that can be a very very good premise.
Honestly I find those kind of antihero main characters very interesting. They deviate from the typical "good hero" trope, and definitely leave a lot of space for character development and progression.
Completely agree with this. If you spend the entire first book developing your character as evil the reader may just become convinced he is through and through. Maybe spend the first half of a book with the evil, second half on redemption.
