Villains.
Dark. Menacing. Mysterious.
Or maybe a better description would be forgettable, cliché, and laughable.
If we're being completely honest, the latter description is probably a more accurate depiction of most villains we see most of the time.
But I’m not sure about you, but I like villains that make me feel emotions that are something rather than annoyance and mild amusement.
I like villains that make me feel the amount of fear and revulsion that gets me on my knees begging the author for a happy ending.
And as a writer who enjoys those types of villains, it is correct to assume that I want to write those types of villains in my stories.
If you’ve ever tried writing these types of villains yourself in the past, then it’s probably also correct of me to assume that you’ve had quite the ordeal doing so.
Your supposedly frightening villain is about as threatening as a Koala bear baking muffins.
How do you actually create and write a character that is frightening to the reader? What exactly about a character makes them so horrifying? And how do you execute that in your own stories?
In this video I’m going to be going over fifteen characteristics that when applied to villains instantly makes them feel so much more than a simple component for the hero.
So they will feel more like a death sentence that the hero must somehow escape and overcome.
*you don’t have to add all fourteen of these characteristics to your villain. Add as much or as little as you want. Or you can use all of them, but just divide them between multiple villains. This is just to give you some ideas and insight if you feel like your villains are lacking in any way.
Also, yes, this video was meant to be published last month during the villain theme of the month, but due to some difficulties it was delayed. But it's finally out now! Three weeks late... heh.
For future videos, they will be coming out every-other week on Wednesdays. I wish I could make a video every week, but I need to get my driver's license. So thanks for your patience! Hope you enjoy the video!
Take heart, be courageous, and keep writing!
~ Kathleen Ramm
*chef’s kiss* Great job, Kathleen! I took notes on all that and now I’m all set to develop my villain! 🙂 And no worries, getting your license takes FOREVER. I’m trying to get my permit and ugh! Takes so long. Totally understand. 😉
Thank you Ella! Yeah, I’m just looking forward to when the tests are all over and I just drive without issue. XD Good luck on getting your permit!
Great video @kathleen-ramm!!! And GOOD LUCK on your license!!! It can be pretty nerve-wracking XD
Thank you Daisy!
Amazing video! I can now complete my terrifying villain! I’m going to incorporate these tips in my future stories as well.
Thank you sooo much for all the work you put into these videos, it’s really appreciated and helps me so much with my writing. I’ve noticed a drastic difference in my writing since I started watching these videos. 🙂
I hope you do well on your test!!
Awesome! I’m so glad this helped you with your villains!
Thank you!
My least favorite villains are probably Ashfur from the Warriors series and Lady Vespera from the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Both of these villains are so powerful, it’s hard for the protagonists to even get at them (although the latest books show some small victories on the good guys’ part). I am WAITING for the last Warriors book so I can see Ashfur fall once and for all. And I don’t know how many books will be in the KOTLC series but I will DEVOUR the last book when it comes out.
I tend to hate crazy villains, though, more than sympathetic ones. Characters like the White Witch, Tigerstar from Warriors, or Sauron are characters are too evil to like for me, whereas I can feel sorry for characters like the Winter Soldier, Gnag the Nameless in The Wingfeather Saga, the character Rinzler in the movie Tron: Legacy, or the character Crosshair in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. All of these (save for Gnag, who was abducted as an infant and fed the lie that he wasn’t wanted by anyone) were once ordinary characters, but the other, main villains turned them basically into monsters, out to kill their friends. (I actually don’t know that much about Marvel, so…..Maybe that first one wasn’t such a good example.)
Good job, Kathleen! The villain of my main WiP is going to be tricky-
Kitkun is equally sympathetic and terrifying… Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…