4 Steps to Writing a Memorable Villain
When you think of the word villain, what image comes to mind? Is it the one that scared you as a child–or still might–or is it the fictional criminal that you love to hate? We all can think of a famous antagonist in our minds, but how do we as writers create one that’s truly memorable? This post will share 4 steps to writing a memorable villain.
- Know their backstory
Every good character needs a backstory, especially the antagonists. Even if you don’t reveal it to the reader, it is important for you to know it. Understand how your character grew up, the life choices they made, how they reached their current position. This information can give you insight into your villain’s motivation. If you know your villain’s motivation, you can make his actions more believable to the reader and helps to make their actions more believable.
A tool to find your villain’s backstory is to write a character sketch. A character sketch is a written description of a character’s personality, core beliefs, and behavior. A character sketch allows a writer to know the inner parts of a character, not just what he looks like, but why he acts the way he does. Writing a character sketch for your antagonists allows you to spend time with them and to get to know that character instead of just plopping a flat, evil character onto the page. Once you have gathered information about your character, then you can begin writing your villain. Writing a character sketch will help you to create a backstory for your villain. The stronger the backstory, the more memorable the nemesis of the story will be.
- What’s at Stake
Once you know your villain’s backstory, consider what’s at stake for them if they fail? They’re fighting your protagonists for a reason, and they wouldn’t fight so hard if there was nothing to lose. Find out what the consequences are if they lose. You can base the consequences off the setting of your book. If your story is set in a historical era, what consequences are at stake based on the time period? If it’s set in the modern day, find out what laws would be broken. Even if your novel is set in a make-believe land, know your setting so well that you automatically know the results if they lose.
Your protagonists should stand in direct opposition to what your adversary wants. That’s where the main struggle in the story will be. Knowing what your bad guy has to lose will explain why he is going against your hero and will create the conflict your story needs. Knowing what is at stake for your villain is another great tool to write a memorable villain.
- The Lies Believed
Most character arcs start with a lie and a truth. If the character chooses to believe the truth throughout the story, then, it’s considered a positive change arc. However, if the character believes the lie, then a negative change arc occurs. Chances are, your villain believed the lie and is facing the consequences of his actions. But what is the lie that he believed to get to his negative change arc? Again, it’s up to you to decide. But if you can find that lie and showcase it in your story, this technique sets you up for a memorable opponent. Not everyone will see the lie, but you will.
A villain will make decisions based on the lie he believes. Take for instance, the white witch in C.S Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. She believes is that she is the rightful ruler of Narnia, so she should have control over it. This lie plays a central role in the story and explains why she is fighting the heroes of the story. (Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Aslan)
Knowing the lie the antagonist believes and tying that into his reasoning, makes for an exciting and believable villain for your readers. Think of some examples of your favorite story foes. Try to find the lie that they believe and how it affects their reason for going against the hero. This method will help you create a layered, believable rival for your hero.
- Don’t use Sympathy
Sympathy can be a useful tool for writing a villain, but it should not be overused. Some stories in books, tv shows, and movies have played “the sympathy card” for the bad guy. The sympathy card is giving your villain a backstory that makes the reader justify his wrong actions. I am sure you have noticed this trend, as well. As writers, our goal isn’t to make the readers root for the villain. That is not what you want in a story. You want the reader to root for your main character or the hero of your story. Afterall, you picked your main character to be the hero for a reason, that reason is what you need to focus on in your story—not justifying the actions of the antagonist with sympathy.
Sympathy can be used as a tool, this is true, but only when certain conditions are met. You can use sympathy in the villain’s backstory. This adds a humanizing element, and it can show that he wasn’t always bad. However, there still needs to be a choice that he makes to believe the lie. Showing that the villain had every opportunity to do what is right, but still made the wrong decision, makes for a memorable villain.
Conclusion
A compelling villain strengthens your story. Every hero needs a worthy adversary—someone or something to overcome that drives growth and transformation. As you craft your next adversary, keep these four tips in mind. There’s no limit to your creativity but aim to make your villain unforgettable. You never know what truth the Lord may reveal through a truly well-written foe. Consider using these tips the next time you’re thinking of writing a villain. The sky is the limit when writing a villain, but as writers let’s make our antagonist memorable.
Author Bio
Gabriel Cannon is a senior in college with a writing major. He’s always had a love for books, but it wasn’t until his family experienced a personal tragedy when he was twelve that words became important to him. Now, words encompass almost every aspect of his life. When not writing he is likely spending time with his loved ones, drinking coffee, or reading anything he can get his hands on. Gabriel hopes to use his writing in the future to discuss difficult topics in the church and to share the love of Christ wherever he goes.