The only thing greater than a reader’s love for a good villain is a writer’s love for creating one. In a post on CrimeReads, Rio Youers offers tips for presenting a memorable bad guy.
“What makes a villain successful? And how can we apply that to the antagonist in our own writing?” Youers begins. Most advice starts with the basics: give your villain a strong motive, compelling backstory, and some humanity. Youers adds some seasoning to the mix.
First, he says you need to forgive your antagonist. “The same way you’d forgive a loved one who has let you down in some way,” he says. “Understand that this unsavory character is going to live inside your head for however many months (or years) it takes you to write your novel. It’s only with forgiveness that you’ll be able to get close to them, and you need get close if you have any hope of understanding them.”
He also suggests talking with them. “Shooting the breeze with my characters in candid, one-on-one situations helps establish the intimacy I need to make them believable,” Youers writes. “Become their confidant – their friend. Doing so will add a multidimensionality to your character that you’ll apply to the page without even realizing it.”
