WRITING TIPS
It feels so good to be bad.
Everyone loves a good villain. From Darth Vader to the Joker, the bad guys of the story often get more love from the audience than the heroes. So how can you make your readers fall in love with the devious villain of your story? Here are eight writing tips to elevate your antagonist from everyday bad guy to iconic villain.
Villain or Antagonist?
Every story must have two important players: the protagonist and the antagonist. The protagonist is usually the hero of the story. They’re the character you root for on their quest and cheer for when they succeed.
The antagonist is any character who stands between the protagonist and their goal, but an antagonist doesn’t have to be a villain. The antagonist could be a rival at school, an opposing sports team, or even a hurricane. An antagonist simply stands between the hero and their goal. A villain not only stands in the hero’s way, but they’re also willing to go to more evil extremes to reach their own goals.
If your antagonist is a true villain, then you’ll have to embrace their evil nature. Don’t shy away from their dark side and make sure all of your characters — and readers — know exactly how evil your villain can get.
Character Motivation
Writers often stumble into the trap of letting the villain’s motivations fall flat. The hero has a deep, well-developed reason for doing their good deeds. Your villain needs that, too. It’s not enough to be evil just for the sake of it. Doing bad things just because you can doesn’t make for an interesting story. Give your villain a motivation that allows them to justify their evil actions.
Maybe the hero killed the villain’s brother. Or the protagonist’s father betrayed the villain. Perhaps the villain wants to bring down a corrupt government and doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. Take some time to write about your villain’s motivation. Think about their backstory and their goals. If you want people to care about your villain, give your villain a motivation worth caring about.
Power Balance
It’s tempting to give your villain unlimited power. But if the villain can take down the hero and claim victory in act one of the story, who’s going to read the rest of the book? Of course, the villain can win sometimes. Getting beaten down by a powerful villain is a great way to motivate your hero to get stronger. But by keeping the power between your hero and villain balanced, you’ll be able to tell a more interesting story.
Think about the back and forth between a detective and a criminal. Each one is trying to outwit the other until one finally wins in the end. So let your villain be strong, smart, cunning, and ruthless. But make sure your hero can keep up and ultimately beat the bad guy.
Mirror to the Hero
“You and I are the same.” You’ve heard that line — or something very similar to it — in tons of movies and shows. It’s an overused cliché, but it’s stuck around for such a long time for a reason. There should be at least a little bit of similarity between your hero and villain.
Think about your villain as a mirror that reflects a dark version of your hero. If your hero has a strict moral code, then your villain is what the hero becomes if they give up that moral code. If your hero is struggling to control a new power, then your villain is who they’ll be if the power corrupts them. Putting a little piece of the villain inside the hero makes it easier to relate to the villain. After all, any character trait can be twisted into something dark and evil.
Even Bad Guys Have Rules
Your villain may not be a law-abiding citizen, but they should stick to some kind of rulebook. Having a villain who can do anything, anywhere, anytime for any reason makes readers stop caring. Giving your villain limitations forces you to create a more interesting story.
It’s no fun for the villain to just break into the vault and steal all the money without consequences. But if the villain doesn’t have super powers or a team of elite criminals, then they’ll have to come up with a more creative plan. Make sure your villain has to fight for their goals just like the hero. If your villain has super powers, give them a weakness. Give them an even bigger bad guy who tells them what to do. The more obstacles your villain has to deal with, the more your readers will enjoy seeing them overcome those obstacles on their journey to confront the hero.
Sprinkle on the Charm
Think about some of the most iconic villains in history. They’re memorable not because of the bad things they did but because they did those things with style. If you give your villain charm and charisma, then your readers will remember them long after they finish the book. Readers can’t help but love a devilishly charming bad guy. (Look at all the morally gray love interests that have readers swooning over them!)
Adding a little pizzazz to a villain’s personality transforms them from a flat bad guy to an interesting character. Plus the juxtaposition of suave charm next to terrifying acts of evil can bring a villain up to a whole other level of scary.
Make Them Human (Metaphorically)
Maybe your villain is human. Maybe they’re not. But if you want your villain to be more interesting, then you’ll have to inject some humanity into them. It’s one thing for a villain to burn down a building. It’s another for the villain to rescue a stray cat before burning down the building. Giving a villain something — or someone — to care about adds a level of complexity that prevents your villain from being a completely black-and-white character. Try having your villain care about something. Even if it’s just a stray cat.
Skip the Stereotypes
It’s far too easy to creep into stereotypical villain behavior when writing your story. Who doesn’t love a mustache-twirling villain with a ten-minute-long monologue? But your villain can be a much better — and more memorable — character if you stay away from the stereotypes.
Try making a big tough guy who prefers using their brains to solve problems. Dress your villain in gold and white clothing instead of all black. There’s a whole world of possibilities for your villain if you look beyond monologues and maniacal laughter.
In Conclusion
Creating a good villain can be one of the most fun parts of writing a story. But a story falls flat if its characters aren’t interesting. With these tips, you’ll be sure to write a bad guy so good that everyone will secretly root for them to win.
