How do I create a fictional cast of villains that remain memorable?
Asked by: Tracy Cherney
How do you make a memorable villain?
Most great villains share a common set of characteristics.
- Strong connection to the hero. The best villains are inextricably connected to the hero, and aid in the hero’s character development through their inherent opposition to them. …
- Clear morality. …
- A worthy opponent. …
- Compelling backstory. …
- Villains should be fun.
What makes a fictional character memorable?
A memorable character’s personality tends to be clearly rooted in a strong point of view. When we think of Jay Gatsby, we immediately think of his fetishization of high society. His point of view is well defined and keeps him memorable. They remind readers and viewers of real people.
What makes the best villains so memorable?
Performance, motivation, and effectiveness are the three important factors that help create a good villain at a basic level. I say basic level because these three factors can be utilized in ways that can elevate a villain from better than one might think is just good.
How do you write a complex villain?
- Strong Motivations. Your villain drives the plot so it’s vital that you give them a passionate cause. …
- Understandable Motivations. To be complex, the motivation must also be understandable. …
- Make Them Relatable. …
- Demonstrate Duality. …
- Show Humanity. …
- Follow a Character Arc. …
- Connected to Theme. …
- More Than Evil.
- Darth Vader. The Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005), Rogue One (2016)
- The Joker. Batman (1966), Batman (1989), The Dark Knight (2008), Joker (2019) …
- Loki. …
- Hans Gruber. …
- Hannibal Lecter. …
- Hans Landa. …
- Kylo Ren. …
- Anton Chigurh. …
- Give them a goal and establish their moral code. …
- Explore that goal in their background. …
- Explain their relationship with magic. …
- Give them a weaknesses. …
- Make them evolve and stack up with the heroes. …
- Make them fun, interesting, & unique.
- Know Your Character. Develop A Thorough Backstory. Examine Your Character’s Personality. …
- Write Your Character Into The Story. Develop Interior Dialogue. Create Authentic Dialogue. …
- Don’t Make Them Boring!
- Find Your Characters In The People Around You.
- Your protagonist drives the story. …
- Structure your book as a roller-coaster ride. …
- Tell the story in a linear way. …
- Write from your heart. …
- Start your novel at the end of the backstory you’ve created. …
- Include only the most important parts of the story. …
- Always remember the end.
- Research the character. Every character needs some kind of research. …
- Define the character. Create a visual image of your character. …
- Create a paradox. Defining a character is based on creating consistencies and paradoxes. …
- Get to know your characters. …
- Give them an attitude.
- Mix character traits. …
- Keep the stakes high. …
- Use internal monologue. …
- Understand the character’s morality. …
- Build the backstory. …
- Consider your antagonist.
- The “right” ending. …
- The unpredictable element. …
- The plot twist. …
- The dark moment. …
- The emotional epiphany/change. …
- The could-have-changed-but-didn’t dead end. …
- Comingling happy and sad. …
- Leave room for interpretation.
- Approach your story as a reader. …
- Use subtle misdirection. …
- Use even subtler foreshadowing. …
- Let your characters create the plot twists. …
- Ensure your twist is believable and necessary – and makes sense. …
- Disguise a plot twist… within a plot twist.
- Strategy 1: Begin with action or dialogue. …
- Strategy 2: Ask a question. …
- Strategy 3: Describe the setting. …
- Strategy 4: Begin with background information. …
- Strategy 5: Have the main character introduce himself or herself.
- Keep the story tight. …
- Create a complex, charismatic main character, one readers will care about. …
- Give your protagonist a burning desire. …
- Decide what your character is most afraid of. …
- WRITING STAGE:
- Put your character in motion right away. …
- Use close point of view. …
- Your character needs to react!
Who is the baddest villain of all time?
The Greatest Villains Of All Time
How do you write a good fantasy villain?
How to Create Fantasy Villains
How do I create a memorable character?
Easy And Effective Ways To Make Your Characters More Memorable
How do you make a story memorable?
17 Ways To Make Your Novel More Memorable
How do you write an unforgettable character?
How to Create Unforgettable Characters
How do you write a villain as a main character?
How to Write a Villain Protagonist in 6 Steps
How do you make a villain feel real?
There's a connection between you and him and this to me is the most powerful thing a story can do with the villain not make them feel threatening not make them feel sympathetic.
How do you give a villain depth?
Give the villain backstory, which might include a traumatic event that led the him being a villain. That could be their motivation for making the choices they do. You don’t have to add that to your story, but it will help flesh out the character in your mind, which will come across on the page.
How do you write a hidden villain?
You’ll give yourself a variety of puzzle pieces to drop into your story. Go beyond the villain as a character role. Give her a name, a background with relationships, physical fallibility, and emotional weakness. In your background, focus on the relationship between the villain and the victim.
What personality type are villains?
ENTPs are arguably the most common type of villain personality types because they love to watch the world burn and play by their own rules. Often times these personality types are villains because they are told “no” or they don’t agree with certain rules put on by the hero.
How do you write a Twist villain?
The twist villain, like most tropes, has a standard formula: something happens, one character seems like the villain, but another character is revealed at the third act to be the villain and why. Oh, and it’s usually not the protagonist.
How should I end my story?
Here are a few elements that can make for a great ending for your book or story:
How do I make my story unpredictable?
10 Simple Tips For Writing Clever Plot Twists
How many plot twists should a novel have?
Night Shyamalan), limit it to one twist per story. Otherwise, the reader will stop trusting you. Your storytelling will come off as cheap thrills without substance. But, remember that you don’t need to include a plot twist to weave a compelling tale.
What makes a bad plot twist?
Bad plot twists invalidate everything that has happened in the story so far. They make the story less meaningful. To take an extreme example, imagine you are reading a romance story. The characters are well drawn, the plot is solid, and you are emotionally moved by the writing.
How do you begin a story?
Starting Stories: 5 Great Beginning Strategies
How do you write a killer short story?
PLANNING STAGE:
Is 2000 words a lot for a short story?
Most short stories are between 2,000 and 7,000 words long, with the most popular length between 2,500 and 4,000 words. Unlike a novel or even a novella, a short story is about just a small slice of life, with one story thread and one theme. Don’t get too ambitious.
Is 1500 words a short story?
There are general guidelines for each literary category: Short stories range anywhere from 1,500 to 30,000 words; Novellas run from 30,000 to 50,000; Novels range from 55,000 to 300,000 words, but I wouldn’t recommend aiming for the high end, as books the length of War & Peace aren’t exactly the easiest to sell.
Is 2000 words enough for a short story?
However, the word “short” can mean different things, but generally speaking, a short story can be anywhere from 1,000–15,000 words, but most publications only publish short stories between 3000–5,000 words. Anything less than 1000 words is categorized either as a flash fiction or a micro-fiction.
How many words are in Harry Potter?
The answer may surprise you. The total number of words for the Harry Potter series is over 1 million words. That’s correct. If you want your kids to read over one million words in a short period of time, one of your best chances is to get them interested in the Harry Potter book series.
How many words are in the Bible?
A remarkable book
Whatever your opinions, one thing is absolutely certain: the King James Authorized Bible has 783,137 words.