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So often when we think of a novel’s main characters, we zero in on the hero and heroine. That is all well and good, after all, what is a romance without a hero and heroine? And every story, no matter what genre, needs a protagonist – a good guy or gal, someone the reader is rooting for.
But in your zeal to craft a compelling hero and/or heroine, don’t forget to ask yourself: Who is the villain of this story?
What: A villain is the antagonist of your story. When you think villain, don’t just think danger, think threat. Or opposition.
- A villain can be a person. Hans Gruber, the lead terrorist in Die Hard, goes down in my book as the archetype villain.
- A twist on the villain-as-person scenario is when the main character is his (or her) greatest danger. “I have had more trouble with myself than with any other man I’ve met.” –D.L. Moody (1837-1899), evangelist
- A villain also can be an event. Think of the threat of a war. Or an earthquake. Or an alien invasion. (My husband always asks when the aliens are going to show up in my contemporary romances. Um, never.)
Why: Every story needs conflict, and villains certainly create that. But don’t throw in a villain just to ramp up tension. The villain needs a plausible reason for being in the story besides making your main character’s life miserable. How is the villain creating Ds (Disasters) for your character, forcing him to face Ys in the Road? How is the villain causing your character to change – to use his competencies, and either succeed or fail?
Your villain must be:
- Believable. Readers must believe that what villain threatens will actually happen. What scene can you insert early in your story that proves your villain isn’t just talking smack? Example: In You Don’t Know Me by Susan May Warren, the bad guy kills someone to find out where the heroine is. Yeah, he’s dangerous.
- Personal. To create true conflict, readers have to see the villain go after your main character(s). Even if it’s something external, such as an impending tsunami, you have to threaten the hero in a personal way. Go after her child. Example: In Die Hard, John McClane isn’t just trying to free a group of unknown hostages – his wife is one of them.
- Unbeatable. Please, no wimpy villains. The villain must be seemingly unbeatable. Is your villain smarter than your heroine? Is he stronger than your hero? Example: In the movie Eagle Eye, the villain is unseen – and seemingly omniscient, able to make things happen to force the hero and heroine do her bidding. How do you win against someone with unlimited knowledge and control?
One key way to craft a strong villain is to recall your main character’s Greatest Fear, which comes from that Dark Moment in the past. Is your villain threatening your character in a way that taps into that Greatest Fear?
Think about your work-in-progress (WIP): What kind of villain have you crafted for your novel? An internal force? An external force? An actual person or persons? Is your villain believable, personal and (seemingly) unbeatable?
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