McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Writing villains

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Aminar:
When you're writing villains do you ever feel bad for making them do what they do?  I just wrote a scene that has my stomach turning, despite the fact it isn't truly explicit, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it.

Basic summary
Sociopath assassin pulls an inmate from an asylum to help him.  Said inmate is a bodyshifter(Can heal himself and shift the properties of his body as he wills(Muscle mass and the like))  The bodyshifter is mentally incapable(Lacking in some crucial bits of sanity).  He's also a masochist that learned the golden rule very very well.  The sociopath is using the mentally deficient man as a tool of murder and mayhem and it feels so horribly wrong, but it works so well.

superpsycho:
If you're revolted by them, think how the reader will react, if you've communicated your feelings effectively in the work.

Lanodantheon:
When writing you have to balance/decide between what makes you comfortable as an author and what the story needs.


When I write/plan out villains, I think about something  the DC Comics writers said, "The greater the villain, the greater the hero."


So, I personally see Villains and whatever twisted stuff they do as a means to end. My characters work for me after all.

LizW65:
And remember, villains don't think of themselves as villains.  As far as they're concerned, they're the heroes of their own stories, the good guys, doing battle against your evil, oppressive hero. ;)

Aminar:
Or in this case a mercenary with a grudge against a hero.  No illusions about doing the right thing...  Just really hates the hero.  I don't buy into sane evil people but I do buy into selfish petty violent people given too much power doing evil things because they can.

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