By Zachary Starr | The Starr-Verse Blog
Welcome back to the Starr-Verse. When most people think of “Wellness Wednesday,” they think of green smoothies, meditation apps, and unplugging for a few hours. And while all of that is great, sometimes the most effective form of self-care doesn’t look peaceful at all.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your own mental health is to fully embrace your “Villain Era.”
I’ve been spending a lot of time this week outlining the next installment of The Sterling Cross Files, which naturally means I’ve been living in Sterling’s headspace. If you’ve read Wicked Assets, you already know that Sterling is a deeply complicated guy. He is, ultimately, a good person—but he is absolutely not a “good guy.” He is the classic anti-hero.
But here is why we are so culturally obsessed with the anti-hero trope right now, especially when we feel burnt out: Anti-heroes do not care about being liked. They care about protecting what is theirs. They don’t waste energy people-pleasing, and they enforce their boundaries with zero apologies.
As an author, writing a character like Sterling is incredibly cathartic. In real life, we are conditioned to constantly accommodate others, often at the expense of our own peace. Sterling doesn’t do that. When he feels threatened, or when someone he cares about is in danger, he doesn’t compromise—he simply burns the obstacle down.
Without giving too much away, I will say that Book 2 is going to test exactly how far Sterling is willing to push that anti-hero mentality when his carefully constructed world starts to crack. We are going to see exactly what happens when the billionaire warlock loses his grip on the narrative.
So, for this Wellness Wednesday, I challenge you to adopt just a fraction of that anti-hero mindset. Stop over-explaining your boundaries. Say “no” without offering a massive apology. Protect your peace like a warlock protecting his territory.
Over to you:
Are you currently in your hero era, or are you fully embracing your villain era this week? Let’s talk about it in the comments below! 👇
-Zachary Starr
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