For Writers of Original Fiction

You can post your answers here or in your own journal. If you are posting these Building exercises in your own journal, please include a link or notation back to writers_loft, the source.

As always, you don't have to answer the questions, they are simply a tool to inspire, trigger ideas or just make you think about your characterizations and the world around your story.

Character Building 5

Let's talk villains.

I often enjoy the villains of the story, they can be more interesting than the good guys sometimes. I really appreciate intelligent villains with real motives and I'm horribly disappointed when the villains are dumbed down or if they are just the default nut bar/pervert. I also don't appreciate villains who are only depicted as bad by raping women (or men), molesting children and/or interfering with sheep. I like depth in my villains.

So, The Villain of the story....

If your villain is a person or persons:
In your lead villain's voice answer the following questions:

1. What is your name?
2. What is your background? (Education, family, current love interest...)
3. Are you acquainted with the "hero/heroine/good guys" of the story? What is your relationship with them?
4. How did your conflict with the opposition begin?
5. Why are you continuing the conflict?
6. How far are you willing to take the conflict?
7. What do you want to achieve?
8. Do you have anyone supporting you? (allies, a friend, a co-villain or two?)
9. What is your personal style? (mannerisms, dress...)
10. Do you have any quirks, pet peeves, habits, phobias?
11. Do you have a big secret you're keeping?
12. Can you kill? In cold blood? Personally and with your own hands?


The bigger picture

1. What is the villain's goal or what is to be gained?
2. What is the villain's motive?
3. Is it a personal conflict or two opposing sides of a larger conflict (i.e. a war, internal gov't conflict...)?
4. What would happen if the villain won?
5. Does the villain fit into a stereotype? (dumb brute, beautiful but evil, nut bar, pervert, sadist, puppy killer...)
5a. Does the villain have stupid henchmen/women or are they of normal intelligence?
6. Is the villain actually "Evil" or just on the opposite side from the "good guys"?
7. Are there any redeeming qualities to the villain? Is the villain all bad?
8. Would the villain ever come over to the Light side?
9. What are the villain's strengths?
10. What are the villain's weaknesses?
11. Why did the villain choose his/her path or side of the conflict?