What's Your Favorite Villainous Trait?

Partly because of last week's post Is There A Certain Type Of Character You Like To Write About?, I'm wondering about the other side of the equation: Villains.

A few characteristics seem to repeat themselves throughout fiction, with physical deformities being one that comes quickly to mind. There's usually a scarred, one-eyed, wheezy, or otherwise imperfect (occasionally just ugly) antagonist to be found, which I guess is supposed to be a reflection of the his or her inner qualities. On the other hand, of course, there are the perfect, attractive antagonists who achieved their beauty through nefarious means.

Then there is personality. Most villains are as smart if not smarter than the protagonist; some are relatively balanced except for a major destructive flaw; some have a rough history; some tried to do good and turned bad; some were inclined toward crime/violence/etc. at the onset.

What do you like to see in a villain? Are there any traits that you think are always cliches, regardless of the story? What is your antagonist like?


-----The Golden Eagle

Villains Are Fun: Guest Post by Ty Johnston

Today I have the honor of hosting author Ty Johnston here on my blog, as part of his blog tour running from November 1st-30th.

Villains are fun

Heroes are not only the stuff of legend, but generally they’re also the stuff of fiction. If one searches or just happens to read a lot, eventually you could come across a novel that does not contain a true hero, but these are rare and usually involve a protagonist of a rare, other sort.

People tend to like heroes. Many have their favorites. Some like the spandex-wearing super heroes of comic books while others enjoy the dashing love interest of many romance novels. There are a lot of different types of heroes out there, but they all share one common trait, their heroism. In some form or another, at one point within a story, the hero must become heroic, must stand up for what is right or face down some evil.

On the other hand, villains tend to be much more diverse than heroes. Can one truly say all villains share in villainy? That simply wouldn’t be true. Many villains of fiction often aren’t really all that bad. They’re not necessarily evil. They simply are opposed to the hero at large of a given tale.

Obviously some villains do seem to be out-and-out evil, but if one knows the past of most villains, generally there is a story there that brought this character to the point of being a villain. Otherwise, it’s usually a boring villain.

For example, where would Darth Vader be without his tragic past? He would be a rather flat character. Even in the very first Star Wars movie, in which the original viewers knew nothing of Vader’s personal past, there were still hints that Vader was not always the great big bad guy he appeared to be on the screen. Kenobi talked a little about Vader’s history, and Grand Moff Tarkin hinted here and there of some knowledge.

As a writer, I tend to love villains. Often times I love them more than heroes. Perhaps that’s one reason why many of my own heroes tend to be more of the brutal sort, almost villains in their own right.

Why do I love villains so much? Several reasons. You know a hero is sooner or later going to do something heroic, but you can never be sure exactly what a villain is going to do. Also, villains tend to act while heroes tend to react.

I’m being overly simplistic, of course, because there are all kinds of heroes and villains who don’t fit into the cozy little definitions I’m tossing out. In those cases, readers often discover a pleasant surprise, though sometimes it’s not a nice surprise. It takes a skilled author who can create truly unique heroes and villains.

Another reason I love villains so much is because they are fun to write, at least for me. I love writing scenes in which my villains appear. Villains can get away with a lot more than can a hero. For instance, a hero usually isn’t going to seriously harm someone they simply find annoying, but a villain can do all kinds of nasty things to such a person. Again, there are exceptions, but often enough they fall flat unless there’s great storytelling and/or a truly iconic character. Batman could get away with such, for example, but Robin? Probably not.

In much of fantasy literature, heroes tend to follow a path. I call it the "farm boy" syndrome, and it generally follows the outline of a hero given by the famous Joseph Campbell. Basically, the hero starts out as someone seemingly unimportant. He or she is offered a chance to become a hero, initially refusing such an opportunity before fate somehow forces their hand. Eventually, the hero saves the day.

Fantasy villains are not weighed down by such restraints. The only requirement for a fantasy villain is that the villain must oppose the hero. Otherwise, the villain can follow a million different paths, even creating his or her own path.

I like that. I like characters who can make decisions without simply always reacting to something. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to villains.

They can get away with so much more.

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About this blog tour:

Fantasy author Ty Johnston’s blog tour 2011 is running from November 1 through November 30. His novels include City of Rogues, Bayne’s Climb and More than Kin, all of which are available for the Kindle, the Nook, and online at Smashwords. His latest novel, Ghosts of the Asylum, will be available for e-books on November 21. To find out more, follow him at his blog tyjohnston.blogspot.com.

-----The Golden Eagle

Antagonists: Do You See (AKA Write) Through Their Eyes?

I was reading a post over HERE at The Rainy Day Wanderer, and looking at some of the comments, and it got me thinking.

Reading something through the antagonist's perspective has its downside, of course. You don't want to force the reader to experience the (usually horrific) thoughts of the "evil" in a story, or the book as whole can deteriorate, even if there's a strong protagonist.

But sometimes, using the evil person's perspective can be very helpful for pushing the plot forward, helping the reader to understand something, showing some sort of insight into the story, etc. So presenting something with the antagonist's voice can be a good thing--but how much is too much, and how evil is too evil?

Descriptive writing (something I really should work on myself) can work wonders on a story. However, it seems that you wouldn't want to describe in such full detail, and such . . . eh, illuminating language the home or the surroundings of someone the reader is supposed to hate.

So there has to be a balance between the good and the evil, if you use the thoughts of the antagonist in your writing. It can't be too much of the latter, or it just wouldn't be as satisfying a read.

But I also noticed not a majority of books even have chapters or sections devoted to the antagonist's perspective. Most books, in fact, are entirely through the protagonist's view or through the view of someone close to them. Some books are more detached when they are presenting something as the antagonist sees it--they don't look as deeply into the evil as they do the good. Or they describe what is happening as if from a distance, in the third person as opposed to the first or something more intimate.

(The only book I can think of that's written in the perspective of someone that could be called the bad guy is The Book Thief. And even then it's not that horrible. I actually got a little fond of Death.)

In my own book, there are a lot of varied characters, including some pretty bad people. Drug lords. Ethnic cleansing terrorists. You know, the lot of 'em. I write in the perspective of all the above, and some other not-so-nice people. I occasionally let them spew their--what I would call--filth and vile talk, while trekking through their inner thoughts. Many of them could be called "evil", even.

Do you think that letting the reader see something through the antagonist's perspective is a good thing, for the reader? Do you think that a book can, effectively, present both the good and the bad sides through the protagonist's and the antagonist's respective thoughts? Do you enjoy/dislike books that have a blend of the two?

Do you write through the perspective of someone who is "evil", or do you stay away from writing that way, keeping to the mind of your protagonist? Do you consider the kind of writing style that includes the antagonist's views shudder-worthy, or beneficial for a story?


-----The Golden Eagle