Writing villains people actually fear (and remember)
Itâs not about darkness. Itâs about precision.
1. Give them a contradiction.
Villains are scariest when theyâre almost human.
âHe always apologised before hurting someone.â
2. Let them think theyâre right.
No moustache twirling â just conviction.
âIâm not saving the world. Iâm correcting it.â
3. Give them a normal habit that becomes unsettling.
âą straightening objects mid-argument
âą collecting peopleâs abandoned pens
4. Make their kindness selective.
Kind to dogs. Cruel to friends.
Kind to children. Absent to their own.
5. Make their presence change a room.
Not with theatrics â with tone.
âThe laughter thinned when he stepped inside.â
How to make antagonists who arenât evil (but still hurt you)
Some of the best antagonists are just⊠people.
1. Give them the same goal as the hero â different methods.
Hero uses unity; antagonist uses control.
2. Let the antagonist be right sometimes.
3. Make the hero almost agree with them.
âYouâre not wrong,â she admitted. âBut youâre not right either.â
4. Show glimpses of softness.
âHe tucked the childâs drawing into his coat.â
5. Let them break their own rules.
(Edit: jesus christ i know it sounds like ai but i swear i didnt use it, ive written this up from a book that ive been filling with writing tips and tricks from classes, im putting here a few pages from it
So I get it, I need to change how I format things đ)
Ive also read "Read This If You Want to Be a Great Writer" a book by Ross Raisin