PORTLAND, Maine — In his new novel “Dead by Dawn,” the twelfth in his series featuring Maine Game Warden Mike Bowditch, Paul Doiron created a character who goes way beyond just being a bad dude. He is, Doiron says with a twinkle in his eye, “formidably evil.”
Is it fun to write about such twisted people? “It always is,” Doiron quickly acknowledges before pausing for a moment and adding to that thought. “But one of the things about writing about a villain is that villainous people don’t think that they’re villainous. Everybody thinks that they’re the hero of their own story.”
It’s a good point, one that provides insight into how a skilled writer avoids the trap of creating cardboard stereotypes rather than compelling, real-life characters. “You have to find a way where [bad guys] feel justified in whatever they’re doing—they’re not just being malevolent for the sake of being malevolent,” Doiron says. “And that’s always a fun kind of thing. It’s sort of saying, well, from their point of view they’re just doing what they had to do.”
Although his books regularly explore the darker sides of humanity, Doiron himself is a model of politeness and good cheer, a writer who clearly loves writing. “It’s a wonderful life,” he says. “I’m so grateful for my readers. It’s, it’s….” His voice trails off and for once he struggles to find the words before expressing his gratitude with a shrug. “I can’t say enough.”