Karen GoatKeeper's Blog - Posts Tagged "antagonist"
Let's Boo and Hiss
Ah, the dastardly villain with his black hat, thin handlebar mustache, perpetual sneer and evil plants for the heroine! Boos and hisses were his applause.
Such stereotype villains still show up, so evil and cruel they seem to have no redeeming features at all. Darth Vader in the first Star Wars was such a villain.
The villain can be much more real. Perhaps the villain isn't really evil, but mired in a mistaken belief. Perhaps the villain is acting to protect someone or something he loves. Perhaps the villain is trapped into being evil, but wants and seeks redemption as Alan Ladd's hitman in This Gun for Hire. Such a villain or antagonist can add depth and complexity to a novel.
Which type of villain do you prefer? Will your villain be a man or a woman? This will be the villain you create.
A villain must have a reason, something he wants. There are some who go around being evil just to be evil which is a motive in itself. More usually the motive is money, power, fear of exposure, retribution, even tradition or a job. There may be more than one motive, but this is a simple melodrama. Try to find only one motive.
Think hard about this motive. Your plot will revolve around it. The villain and his motive set the story in motion. The hero and heroine react to the villain's actions.
Now, give your villain a name.
Describe your villain. You will need the physical appearance and the mental aspects.
How old is your villain? This will change how the villain views his actions. Many of the words and actions now considered sexual harassment were the way things were 60 years ago.
Observe your villain interacting with other people. How does he speak? Will he charm all around him?
Is your villain an introvert or extrovert? Does he threaten others physically or prefer weapons (Which ones?) or psychological ideas?
Delve into his motive. What created it? What drives it? What is his ultimate purpose?
My villain is Andromeda's mother. She doesn't mean to be a villain. She is afraid of being left all alone.
Such stereotype villains still show up, so evil and cruel they seem to have no redeeming features at all. Darth Vader in the first Star Wars was such a villain.
The villain can be much more real. Perhaps the villain isn't really evil, but mired in a mistaken belief. Perhaps the villain is acting to protect someone or something he loves. Perhaps the villain is trapped into being evil, but wants and seeks redemption as Alan Ladd's hitman in This Gun for Hire. Such a villain or antagonist can add depth and complexity to a novel.
Which type of villain do you prefer? Will your villain be a man or a woman? This will be the villain you create.
A villain must have a reason, something he wants. There are some who go around being evil just to be evil which is a motive in itself. More usually the motive is money, power, fear of exposure, retribution, even tradition or a job. There may be more than one motive, but this is a simple melodrama. Try to find only one motive.
Think hard about this motive. Your plot will revolve around it. The villain and his motive set the story in motion. The hero and heroine react to the villain's actions.
Now, give your villain a name.
Describe your villain. You will need the physical appearance and the mental aspects.
How old is your villain? This will change how the villain views his actions. Many of the words and actions now considered sexual harassment were the way things were 60 years ago.
Observe your villain interacting with other people. How does he speak? Will he charm all around him?
Is your villain an introvert or extrovert? Does he threaten others physically or prefer weapons (Which ones?) or psychological ideas?
Delve into his motive. What created it? What drives it? What is his ultimate purpose?
My villain is Andromeda's mother. She doesn't mean to be a villain. She is afraid of being left all alone.
