Finding
a hero, well that is perfectly simple. A
dash of Prince Charming, a sprinkle of Albert Einstein, a quarter cup of Fred
Astaire, a hint of Hans Solo. . .well, you get my drift. A quick whisk or two
and TADA! You have a hero!
Not
so, with a villain, that is an entirely different cup of (hemlock) tea.
Deeply
flawed, and driven by: dark forces, questionable morals, a wounded soul, or
simply bad fashion sense, villains must connect with readers in some realistic
way. A strong villain forces the hero to
step up, demanding more moral fiber than he, the hero, knew that he possessed. Remember, there is no “Happily Ever After”
without the twists and turns supplied compliments of the villain!
Remember
unless your villain is a serial killer, or the embodiment of pure Evil, he—the villain,
must possession a rich and complex character and past. He must be a worthy antagonist for
protagonist (aka: Our Beloved Hero). So,
how exactly do you plan to come up with the perfect villain?
I
like to start with back-story (of course for most of the novel this is known
only to me). I pepper hints and drop in a few clumps of info. Later, the reader will say, “Of course! I should have guess sooner!” The reader may
harbor sympathy (which I like to develop in my Tween stories). Everyone can relate to an event, which made a
profound change is his/her life. Sometimes
this even makes a person better/stronger.
Other times (as in the villain’s case) it drives them to the edge of
insanity, or damages them beyond (mental/emotional/physical) recover. However, in the beginning, the story all about
the hero.
It
is not until the middle of the story; we appreciate the villain’s ability to
set those nasty plot twists into motion.
Your
villain can be your hero’s mirror. Oh,
you can go for the classic blonde vs brunette, if you are looking for
campy. Or, you can look to character
traits. The hero may be shy, fearful of
horses, and a back-words sort of dresser with a gentle way with those in need. While the villain is confident, articulate
(with a sexy accent), owns a stable of show-horses, wears Armani suits, and (at
times the veil slips) he sees gentleness as weakness. He discovered as a child, only the strongest
survive!
Give
him quirks, sensitivities (remember the movie “Red Dragon”), an awareness of
himself. Your villain must evolve also.
He may escalate into pure Evil, or see the light. Or, perhaps, reside somewhere in between the
two places.
Remember
to open his old wounds. Something, be it
a place, event, smell, or sound must trigger his behavior. Show the villain trying to avoid a situation,
event.
I
can’t divulge too much about my “villains” due to the manner in which they tie
into a story’s plot. However, I will
give you a hint, or two.
Whisper upon the
Water,
my YA/Tween novel set in the late 1880s in a Native American boarding school
deals with the aftermath of the Indian Wars.
The story also addresses the way the children were treated and forced to
become “White”. My villain is Sister
Enid. The reader will discover that
Sister Enid as a story of her own. My
romance and romantic suspense novels, Lynx
and Brede (Rodeo Romance Book 1
& 2), also have carefully constructed villains.
My next BWL release,
is an anthology, Gumbo Ya Ya has five
separate stories.
And, a myriad of delightful
villains to boo and hiss at!
·
“Marrying
off Murphy” my villain is a friend who shoves my hero into an ‘unwelcomed
situation’.
·
“Love
Potion # 9” brings us two villains: “element of magic” and. .well, that’s
enough of a hint.
·
“A
Slice of Scandal” is a murder mystery where villains abound.
·
“The
Ghost of Gombi Island” we have a pirate, a ghost, and a witch on the high seas
(I will let you ponder the villain’s identity.)
·
“1-800-Fortune”
(a T.A.R.A. and Fool for Love, finalist). Brings us an unnamed villain (at
least until the final pages—remember, no peeking when you purchase the book).
What
character traits.
Or
what I’ve discovered usually irritate me, and, consequently, my hero the
most. Remember, just like the menu at “Denny’s”
you can mix or match your selection.
Abrasive,
Antisocial, Catty (one of my personal faves), Confrontational (perfect for a
co-worker when combined Catty and Devious).
Or, Obsessive (no wait, that’s me!), Paranoid, Perfectionist, Self-Destructive,
Vindictive. These are just a few traits,
I am certain you can name many, many more.
Does
you villain need the limelight? Alternatively, does he prefer to hide in the
shadows? Does he have a driving need to
belong? To be loved?
Your
villain did not just crawl out from beneath a toadstool.
Write
that backstory and make certain your villain is the worst that he can be!
Thank
you for visiting the BWL blog today.
Connie Vines
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