Revenge: A Driving Force
By Margaret Daley
I was in the middle of
writing Scorned Justice (out this month) when
the show Revenge came on last
year on ABC--a show about a burning need to seek revenge on someone who had
hurt the lead character. At least that was the impression I got from the ads
about the new show. I have to confess I actually haven't seen the show. But it
summed up my story--to what lengths would someone go to get back at another. A
person takes the first step in a path of revenge, and before he/she knows it,
there is no turning back. The need consumes him/her.
When revenge starts
consuming the character, the fun really begins. The stakes are heightened. The
villain starts to lose it and make mistakes. A show I do watch--Once Upon a
Time--has revenge driving the
plot. The Evil Queen wants to make Snow White pay for what she did as a child.
This revenge dominates the Evil Queen's life.
Revenge is one of the
basic motives for a person murdering another. There are others like greed,
hate/love, the need for power. When I wrote this book, I wanted to show how far
someone could go, how it changed his/her life. And since this is an
inspirational romantic suspense, I needed a happily ever after ending so there
is a consequence for the revenge beyond going to prison.
The faith element in the
story is the opposite of seeking revenge. If a person forgives rather than
holding a grudge, then there is no revenge. The Lord wants us to forgive
trespasses against us. From experience when I've let go of my anger, I'm much
better off. Anger has a way of festering and feeding off of you. Negativity can
take over your life, destroy it.
What movie, book or show
you've read or seen that has revenge at its core?
Great post, Margaret! It's so hard sometimes to let go of the need to "get even" and just let God handle it.
ReplyDeleteLynette, I know. But as I've grown older, I've found it is easier. Hate takes a lot of energy.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret,
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading The Survivor by DiAnn Mills and that was all about revenge. Revenge of a psychopath who didn't kill a young girl when he left to to die and revenge of the young girl all grown up wanting to make the psychopath pay. It was a great book.
Have a blessed day!
:) Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.