Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present a guest post about writing a complicated villain, from Jennie Englund, the author of Taylor Before and After.
Here we go! :)
Thank you for having me here, Jessica!
Today, I’m excited to share why and how to create and adore a complicated villain. I had so much fun crafting the complex antagonist Brielle Branson in my upper-middle grade novel, Taylor Before and After (MacMillan). I hope what I’ve learned will help authors and readers dig deeper into the nemesis, getting more out of main character and plot!
First off, straight up, the villain is NOT simple. She has depth and detail, is as rich and fully-flushed as the MC, to play up tension and arc. If the MC has a favorite drink, for example, what is the antagonist’s favorite drink? This can be wildly different—or wildly similar! Also, it can fluctuate.
The enemy has a backstory. And hoo-wee, that backstory is SOMETHING! It is far-reaching—into economics, family dynamics, history, psychology. She has distinct dialogue, and her own world, that’s revealed a little at a time. In Taylor Before and After, the reader sees otherwise-flawless Brielle’s locker as a huge mess, with random objects that show who she really is: a DIET Coke, a detention slip, an excess of consumption. What does that say about her?
And, that backstory spurs her motivation. Often, villains are motivated by revenge or power. Brielle is driven by both of those, and also by desperation. “She always has some kind of agenda.” She’s on her own, and has to protect herself. That’s why she comes up with the cut-throat game, when really, all she wants…is the truth. What does your villain want? What is her method getting it? Does she win or lose?
She has secret powers to get what she wants. And those powers render the MC immobile. The last scene I wrote for Taylor is actually toward the front. It’s during lunch, where Brielle plays on Taylor’s weakness by pressuring her to prank an undeserving victim. That’s something Taylor never would’ve done on her own. But her logic is no match for Brielle’s ‘magic’.
We sure love to hate her. Maybe she’s mean. Ruthless. Wicked. Scary. Or maaaayyyybe, it’s more about us as the reader. Are we jealous of her strength and position? Are we afraid we see ourselves in her? The villain has the freedom we’d love to have--to say and play out things we WISH we could.
She’s vulnerable. Oh, yes. Her stakes are high. They depend on her SURVIVAL. She has A LOT to lose. So things can get messy. With Brielle, if you’re not with her, you’re against her.
As plot moves, the reader can see cracks in her foundation. For Brielle, this means security. The image of her seemingly tight, wealthy, ideal family begins to fall apart. One really great way to show undoing is through social media: Brielle’s sister posts a picture of herself hugging her knees, blue filter. One picture up-ends everything.
Those cracks lead to her inevitable demise. SHEESH! It all unravels, and the villain goes DOWN. Bystanders watch. Headlines happen. It’s epic, because the greater the height, the farther the fall. Our once-mighty villain is reduced to nothing. Literally. Remember the Wicked Witch of the West who melted into a puddle? Perhaps, the villain’s very worst fear come true.
Still, the audience has compassion when that weakness is exposed. There’s just something about seeing the nemesis go down that’s not ALL fun. Because she was complicated, right? So, the reader has all kinds of feels: triumph, vengeance, relief—also sadness, loss, and the reason we read: empathy!
Because all along, the reader could relate. We’ve seen the villain before. We’ve KNOWN her. We’ve BEEN her. We’ve been her target. She’s gotten us to do things, to say things, we otherwise wouldn’t.
By the end, the villain could have her own sequel. She really is THAT fascinating! After the MC’s story ends, what happens to the villain? Because if the reader has learned anything, it’s that she’s not down for long. The antagonist will rise up, stronger and more powerful than she ever was. And that will be quite a reckoning.
**wiggles fingers**
Bahahahaha….
Thanks so much for exploring the ins and outs of creating a meaningful foe with me!
That was a really informative guest post to read! And I definitely agree, a well written villain can be very fascinating to read about! Thank you for participating in this event! :)
Author Bio: National Endowment of the Humanities fellow Jennie Englund teaches research writing and communication to firefighters in Oregon. Taylor Before and After is her first book.
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Thank you so much for posting, Jessica!
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