Wattpad brings you a guest post from Bethany Myers, on creating great villains in literature.
You can read her novel “The Busgirl Blues” free on Wattpad:
Sometimes the best matches are the ones you least expect.
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What Every Villain Needs
As writers, we’re sometimes so preoccupied making our protagonist tangible enough to jump off the page, that we forget about the antagonist. Villains create conflict, therefore they are essential to any good story and deserve to be fleshed out as much as your hero.
There’s nothing more unsatisfying than reading about a bad guy whose only purpose is to be…well bad. Even though he-who-must-not-be-named was truly evil, J.K. Rowling made sure to show how his past explained his cruelty.
In my YA coming of age novel, BUSGIRL BLUES, Kelsey faces a few villains; Mr. Deveau the flamboyant yet cantankerous restaurant manager, Luke the new kitchen guy who manages to get under her skin, and even her own insecurities and lack of self esteem.
Sometimes the villain isn’t always recognizable, but what is important is how each of these ‘villains’ in Kelsey’s story create conflict and force her to make hard decisions. If your MC isn’t making decisions to get out of a crisis, the plot isn’t moving forward and your reader will get bored.
So, does your evil doer have the right stuff? Scroll down to see what every villain needs.
1. A diabolical plan. There has to be a reason for their nastiness—being mean isn’t enough.
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Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, photo credit theeclecticgreg.blogspot.com
2. A mysterious past. People aren’t born evil, they’re made.
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Count Dracula, photo credit, lunch.com
3. A slimy sidekick. Usually with dependency issues. However, it’s more interesting if their loyalty is from fear, and consequently unreliable.
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Scabbers aka Peter Pettigrew with baby Lord Voldemort, photo credit harrypotter.wikia.com
4. An arch nemesis. It’s the hero of the story who represents what the villain secretly fears the most.
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White Witch from The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, photo credit allthatweseem.tumblr.com
5. High tech gadgets/special powers. Okay, not totally necessary. But it’s cool and it helps raise the stakes against the hero.
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The Joker from Batman, The Dark Knight, photo credit angolz.com
6. An irresistible charm. A cool demeanor coupled with a handsome figure always helps.
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Mrs. Coulter from The Golden Compass, photo credit accesshollywood.com
Who are your favorite villains?
