As a crime writer I have great fun creating villains but how do you do it? Here are some thoughts:
* Avoid cliché - no twirling moustaches here
* They must feature in the story throughout rather than appear at the end
* Choose the degree of evil you want - out and out psycho, someone acting out of need, the last person you expected to turn out bad?
* Hone in a single thing that means more than anything to your character. Why would they kill? Protecting secrets? Money? Love? Understand their motivation
* Does the villain recant or does he/she stay a bad guy? Look how your story unfolds and your villain develops and make your decision based on the story.
And if you want some fun, think of someone you know and turn them into a villain!
John Dean
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