In a post on the SFWA blog, writer Michael Moore (not that one), says that SF writers can create stronger villains by thinking like a horror writer. He suggests the 3 Reals of Good Bad Guys:
- Make your antagonist Real. “You don’t have to describe every crack in his pinky-nail, but a few cleverly placed details will give him flesh,” Moore writes.
- Make your antagonist Really Menacing. In addition to threatening the world (or whatever goal they seek), the villain should specifically menace your protagonist, whether physically or mentally.
- Really know your antagonist. “Know what your antagonist wants, why he wants it, and what he’s willing to do to get it,” Moore says. “Moreover, if your hero is a part of you, and your antagonist is a projection of your hero’s worst nightmares, then it follows that the antagonist is also a part of you.”
