365 Q&A #42: Do You Know A Sociopath?
Psychopaths make up 1% of the general population while sociopaths make up 3-5% of the population, so it is possible that you may know a sociopath. Sociopaths are the little brother of psychopaths, meaning they are the less severe of the mental illness. I've watched many a documentary on the studies of psycho and sociopaths. Thus, this writing prompt was right up my alley.
Have you ever thought a person was a sociopath -- or a psychopath? What made you think so, and how did they make you feel? Finally , how could you adopt some other their traits and behaviors to create a villain for a story?
They would make me feel uneasy. They would come of boasting or bragging; always having a story that ultimately never adds up. They are excellent con artists who in the long run have conned themselves into believing their own stories and lies. They have a disregard for others and have no remorse.
I could use the above traits as the backbone for a villain but I like to give my villains more substance. I essentially treat them like a protagonist until their inciting incident occurs. I want the reader and the character to be unaware of their villainy until its too late. Until they make a choice that will change their fate and fully succumb to their darkest desire.
