The Dark Side of Charm

Charm: the power or quality of giving delight or arousing admiration.

Sounds nice, doesn't it? Sounds like something we'd like to have more of, or at least a sufficient supply on hand when needed.

The charm to get out of a tight situation, like a speeding ticket. The charm to have people listen to you when you talk. The charm to get a job offer, a large following on twitter or other tools of social media. Who wouldn't want that?

Sounds like power doesn't it? Maybe sightly hypnotic.

I never thought of the dark side of charm until I listened to a podcast called, "Dirty John". A very handsome and charming man who preyed on a vulnerable woman and tore her family apart. If you haven't listened to it, do. It is a true story.

When I listened to the podcast, I was horrified. Couldn't this woman see? How foolish was she? but then I remembered some of the dumb things I did in my twenties. The shady and charming guys I wanted to connect with. (These guys wanted nothing to do with me, so obviously I had nothing of value for them.)

But I considered, what if I used the charmer as my antagonist in my YA Fantasy series. A person of charm, a hero in the eyes of the vulnerable, the forgotten, the miss-used.

We shall see how I make it work.