TECH: Men In Black Hats?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 19 January 2009

Making the Bad Guy Human

Writers Digest, August 2005, pages 20 and 21, in the Fiction Essentials column by James Scott Bell, discusses the need to make the antagonist -- the villain -- a real person.

"Fiction readers thrive on danger. They want to see your protagonist challenged, threatened or uneasy. Sure, there's pleasure in vivid prose. But sooner or later (preferably, sooner) your protagonist must be opposed, or the story starts to drag." And, of course, most opposition comes from bad guys -- strong opponents. Sometimes the opposition is simply through competition, or through some difference of opinion. But in most cases, the opposition is someone "who operates from a negative set of values." A guy in a black hat -- but you need to make him a well-rounded, realistic character.

1. What makes bad guys run? Don't just blame it on the evil. Get to know your bad guy, including whatever is positive. And in particular, what drives them. "A bad guy ought to be competent. He gets results. If he doesn't, he's not threatening." Think about how many real villains have a certain charm to them, and how that adds to the horror.
2. The Sympathy Factor. Bell quotes Dean Koontz, "the best villains are those that evoke pity and sometimes even genuine sympathy as well as terror." Bell suggests thinking through your villain's life this way. First, think about what they look like. It's okay if this is a stereotyped person. Second, think about their objective. What is it that they are trying to do or achieve that brings them into conflict with the main character? Remember that from their point of view, they are the hero of their story. Third, dig into their motivation. Why do they want this? Why are they obsessed with it? What is pushing, driving, exciting and tempting them? Fourth, think about a sympathetic background for your villain. Bell likes to use a major turning point in their childhood, a powerful secret that can be revealed late in the story. Perhaps the key here is that you need to know your villain deeply.
3. Digging deeper. Still not quite sure you know who this villain is? Try these questions to help you understand the opposition:

• What are his talents? How do these talents help him get what he wants?
• What do people like about him? What admirable qualities does he have?
• What do other characters think about him?
• Why are people drawn to him, what fascination does he offer the reader?

Think about making your villain complex and memorable. Not just a mustache-twirling desperado tying heroines onto railroad tracks and pushing the hero towards the edge of the cliff, but a real person who likes their coffee black.

Exercise? Take your work in progress, and identify the opposition. Do you know where they are headed, what drives them, and their background? Will readers understand, even if they can't forgive and forget, why this person opposes your hero? Where can you add some dialogue, some action, or other bits to help the reader see the opposition as a human?

And for the enhanced version -- turn your story over? What if the antagonist were telling the story? Switch the points of view, and tell us what happens when the Big Bad Wolf gets cheated by those nasty little pigs.

Make sure that everyone in your stories is a real person, not just a cardboard puppet being manipulated by the author.

And beer for my horses . . .