This week: Who is the Bad Guy? Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Fantasy Newsletter by Dawn
Taking a look at a character who is very common in speculative fiction but still doesn't have to be in every story. Ramble from someone who very rarely has a strong villain character but does enjoy a good melodrama with mustache twisting and obvious evil laughs. |
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  I'm that bad type
Make-your-mama-sad type
Make-your-girlfriend-mad type
Might-seduce-your-dad type
I'm the bad guy, duh
I'm the bad guy, duh
I'm only good at being bad
Bad
- Billie Eilish
That's right. The bad guy, aka the villain, aka antagonist or problem creator. The fun role for many when in acting. When it comes to genre fiction, fantasy and any others that are considered part of speculative fiction have a strong presence in regards to villains. Sometimes they are the ones who either make or break a story. Try to imagine Harry Potter without Voldemort or Star Wars with no Darth Vader. The role of the antagonist can be quite epic.
"The villain drives the plot." - Gayle Lynds
An important factor in most stories is the conflict the protagonist must face. When there is a villain, that character definitely helps move things along to get the characters to that exciting climax. While it can be fun to imagine the bad guy as someone who is over the top evil or crazy, there is a much broader range when it comes to the antagonist character. In the basic form, this character is simply someone who has a goal/viewpoint that is the opposite or goes against what the hero/protagonist wants. They could be doing this on purpose or with the intention to cause the particular character problems, or it could be done without even having them know each other.
While a crazy antagonist can be fun to write. Not many of them can be the type that wear all black, have minions and go into a long winded explanation about their evil plan when they think they have the hero incapacitated. That can be a fun character but sometimes we have to got a little more subtle or realistic. For fun if you want to check out a comedic view on antagonism I know a great book to read. It's called How to Be a Villain: Evil Laughs, Secret Lairs, Master plans and More!!!
If your story have an antagonist, then it's a good idea to consider them much like you would the protagonist or any other character in the story that gets decent screen/page time.
"Every villain has their belief system that makes perfect sense to them." - Patty Jenkins
Another common viewpoint or statement about the villain is that everyone is the hero of their own story. It's all a matter of perspective, which is why it helps to create a character who has more than one dimension. Like how the protagonist needs to have some flaws or less than ideal qualities, the antagonist can have some good points and redeeming elements. Even monsters can have qualities or aspects that make them human or relatable in some way or another.
Like most other characters, the antagonist often has a reason for what they do. There might not be logic behind that reason to others but in their own mind, the reason for what they do not only make sense but gives meaning or cause for the actions taken. Unlike when a parent answers a child over why they have to do something they don't want, it helps to have an answer beyond "I said so." Creating a character profile can help in this regard or writing stories from the bad guy point of view to flesh things out will help develop them as a fully fleshed character and not just the eccentric enemy of the protagonist.
However, it's also okay if your story doesn't have a character in the role of the antagonist. Not every story will have someone who is the conflict creator or problem maker. There are going to be times when the conflict is driven by circumstance or natural elements (like a tornado). It is also possible that the main character could be their own villain and the one that stands in the way of reaching the goal set out in their own story. There are different ways to write stories and characters that will all depend on the writer and the story being told.
Bad guys come in many shapes, sizes, personality disorders and styles. Who is the bad guy in your story and what is the driving reason behind their actions? Take some time to consider the options then have fun writing about them. *cue evil laugh*
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Does your story have a bad guy (antagonist)?
"Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories." - George R. R. Martin
"The only difference between a hero and the villain is that the villain chooses to use that power in a way that is selfish and hurts other people." - Chadwick Boseman
"The characters that have greys are the more interesting characters. The hero who sometimes crosses the line and the villain who sometimes doesn't are just much more interesting." - Geoff Johns
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Fantasy: October 02, 2024 Issue [#12766]
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