Creating
believable villains
We have all seen movies where the villain is
unbelievable. Perhaps its poor acting ability. Or possibly the writer didn’t
convey it correctly on the script. Sometimes it is the fault of the other
actors. Maybe the director was inexperienced. Whatever the problem is the film
is destroyed and the audience disappointed. Also the actors, director and the
movie company receives a bad reputation.
As writers, we have a responsibility to our readers
to make every character realistic. Therefore we must ask ourselves what makes
him or her a bad person? How did they become this way. They didn’t come out of
the womb as a villain. What kind of childhood did they have? Was there
something in their upbringing that changed their life? Where they the bully or
the bullied?
Do they have any redeeming qualities? Are they kind
to children and animals? Are they married and have a loving family? Are their friends
and neighbors shocked when their secret life is exposed?
If we as writers are able to create lifelike
characters, we must ask ourselves these questions.
This kind of writing is not easy. It takes extra
effort and time. It is, however, rewarding for us and our readers.
