Writing Your Polar Opposite

[KFelidae]

One of the biggest problems with writing a convincing story doesn't come with the storyline -- that can be done fairly easily, and flows once you've gotten over the initial hump. Nor is it the hero character(s). If you're writing for a specific hero figure, chances are that you already know enough about them to seem convincing. No, no... The hardest part is writing a convincing villain.

The problem so many people have is that they fall on giving a charicature of their selected villain as opposed to the villain themselves. Or worse, creating one out of thin air and falling back on the old Snidley Whiplash standby; some maniacally laughing idiot whose plans usually don't fall beyond borderline mischief. Sure, he may look threatening with his horned skull-cap and whatnot, but his aim is terrible and his atom bomb always stops at 00.02.

To writing an existing villain, the most important thing is characterization. As a fan, you've probably devoted most of your writing to your favorite character. But as a writer, it's important to devote just as much care, thought, and time to each character's characterization as your favorite. That includes the villain, even though you may not like him or her.

Let's look at a villain, shall we?

Assuming they're an arch-villain, that is someone who will repeatedly clash with your hero and probably has some deep tie to him or her, they'll probably be said hero's warped mirror image. But just because they have "embraced the dark side" doesn't always make them some grand, larger-than-life, and wholly evil entity. (Unless they're a demon or devil -- we'll save that for later) Most villains have a good (in their opinion) reason for doing what they're doing, and most well-written villains aren't simply in it to "distroy the world". You should always try to see your villain as a hero that's fallen on the wayside -- in their minds, they're in the right, even if they have to kill, maim, and torture to get their way. Since the villains are, esentially, the hero's opposite counterpart, they should have traits that directly contradict the other's. For instance, if your hero values life, the villain more than likely doesn't. The hero is brave, the villain is cowardly. Honest, manipulative. Caring, ruthless. Any good traits the hero has, try to give the villain the opposite. HOWEVER... The villain still must, under most circumstances, fall under that first bit of info. They have a reason for what they're doing, and believe they're in the right. So somewhere in there, there's a good quality, but it's been overshadowed by an evil influence.

Humanizing a villain makes him much more believable. After all, if your villain is so cold and desolate that nothing touches him, he seems like he cannot be real. People don't have anything to compare him to. The readers don't know anyone who's so ruthless or evil, in movies or otherwise, and it's important to have that connection. Some multi-billionaire who lacks emotions and wipes out whole worlds with the push of a button from his impennatrable fortress? Not so believable. But a working stiff, a soldier, or a doctor who suddenly snaps for some reason? Kills some people, but manages not to get caught? More interesting, and far more real. Also, most good villains aren't completely cold. They probably still love, enjoy laughter (even if it is at the expense of others), and go for the baiser pleasures. Having a villain who loses his love during a battle and mourns for him/her can be a great storyline, and can become fuel for a greater plot later on.

So what about those villains who lack emotion altogether? Demons, devils, and the souless? Well, if you relied completely on that, you'd be left with a golem -- a husk that acts completely on instinct or command. So this is where you have to get picky. Does the creature still retain most of his feelings, but lack the ability to choose between right and wrong? Or is it even more drastic? Does he have only the most base emotions and feelings -- anger, fear, and lust? As far as attitude and personality, the souless are unrepentently evil. After all, they don't see themselves doing wrong, why should they care? Maybe they see life as a game to be played, or as a way to get revenge on someone who wronged them. The personality should be a fairly hallow one, and the souless usually can't go beyond a few scenes without seeming... well, hallow. I don't recommend writing them myself, but if you want to try your hand, go for it.

So, we've established that a villain is a hero's opposite, that it's not a good idea to make them cardboard (nor is it a good idea for any character to be cardboard), and that they're usually in it for a self-serving way. Self-serving can, of course, be monetary gain or "making the world a better place", but only through their means.

Since most people project themselves into the heroes they write, taking the polar opposite of any given hero that you write for is quite easy. Sit down and make a list of all the ways you think you've influenced your hero. Have you projected some of your prejudices and dislikes into him? Your preferences? Have you given him some of your favorite things? Once the list is completed, sit back and think about all the things that you dislike on the same vein. As an example, let's pull out Jim.

Jim is one character that I enjoy writing for because so little of his personality has been fleshed out. He's a hero, a little drawn to angst, to servitude, and very naive. But nothing more. I find it easy to "imprint" on Jim. I call it imprinting because, while I influence the character, the character himself or the storyline calls for the influence to be diluted. Sometimes my input comes out to something as small as a single sentance or a footnote in him, but that's enough to be a part of "my" Jim. Of the things I've directly "given" to Jim, probably his happy-go-lucky and rather dopey attitude is what I like best. That's a direct reflection off of me, and that's the type of thing we're looking for right now.

So, in writing a villain, or any type of opposite for Jim, I'd take the thing that would best contradict that same attitude. The opposite would be a serious and stern disposition, easily angered and excitable. When placed next to Jim, the opposite would act as a foil, and works quite well to negate the hero. This just prevents the story from seeming so one-sided, and makes it more balanaced. What you're trying to do is find something that, when placed next to your list of influnces, negates them in the best way possible.

An anti-hero works in very much the same way. Their influences will usually be the opposite of your own and most heroes, however their motives will be more similar to the hero's. An anti-hero may be crass, crude, not respect people, ect., but they probably value life, or at least honor. Anti-heroes can very well be seen as villains by a "true" hero, but it's how you portray them that makes the difference.

In portraying a villain in a fic, please, [i]please[/i] don't explain to the reader that he is, indeed, a villain. If your writing is sound, the reader should be able to figure it out within the first discriptive paragraph. Most villains don't have an "evil" laugh, an "evil" smile, or an "evil" saunter. They just do these things, thankfully without the overly discriptive words in front of them. Again, if he's a villain, the reader will know, and won't need any help figuring out that the barking laugh isn't one of giddy kitten joy. One of the worst things you can do to a villain is to constantly remind the reader that he's evil. As if nailing puppies to doors wasn't enough. Write a villain by example, not explaination.

Once you've established his evilness (NOT by saying it outright), now you can get into the twisted, wicked things he does. You wouldn't say, afterall...

[i]He walked into the cold damp room, and raked his hands over the man he had been torturing for hours.[/i]

No, no. One, it doesn't flow well. And two, don't flaunt a villain's evil. The reader knows he's evil. Repeating it makes it lose its appeal.

[i]He walked into the cold damp room, past the men who lay on slabs. The men recoiled from him, the bloodied bodies catching the glint of his metal-tongued whip...[/i]

Sounds better, and says nothing outright.

Some people do have a very... colourful speaking tone. And I'm sure that some people who decide to become villains in our little fiction verses are of that type. HOWEVER... There is no need for every villain to talk like some highborn noble. Nor is there call for every villain to talk like some Los Angeles street punk. The two extremes, it seems, that get used the most. Now, if you're writing ancient peoples, or Atlantians, and EVERYone talks that way, fine, but there is no cause for some guy who was born in 20th century Ohio to talk like a Shakespearian player.

Use common sense, think of their origins, where they came from, ect. A villain out of New Yawk is not gonna talk like someone from Tex-ess, and vice-versa. Use talking styles realivant to their origins, but also that fits in well with the story.

If anyone has something to add, feel free.


-KF

[LightningAurora]

That's just what I needed to see. I've had a lot of trouble writing up a villain in one of my studies, but now I've got some ideas. Thanks!

[DragonicFlames]

WHOANESS! ::bows down before the greatness of the words of wisdom!::

OO! wow! That was amazing! Bravo. yeah I use a lot of anti heros.

oO!
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[u]Thank You, Layz :heart:[/u]

[silver_dreams]

....sorry, but i can't help but laugh when i realized you consistently mispelled 'villain' for the whole of that rant...XD

[DragonicFlames]

See, sliver, some of us ignore the errors. But since you are the grammer/spelling police, I guess it's just a reflex.

;D
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[u]Thank You, Layz :heart:[/u]

[silver_dreams]

[quote="DragonicFlames (D.F.)"] See, [b]silver[/b], some of us ignore the errors. But since you are the grammer/spelling police, I guess it's just a reflex.

;D [/quote]
i just found it funny XD

[KFelidae]

That's what I get for writing rants at midnight, and not spellchecking, to boot. I'll go fix it.


-KF

[Stratadrake]

[quote]Assuming they're an arch-villain, that is someone who will repeatedly clash with your hero and probably has some deep tie to him or her, they'll probably be said hero's warped mirror image.[/quote]

Reminds me of the antagonist in one story I've worked some on, there are times when he sees some of his own self in the hero....

And it's very true, most villains are smart enough to realize that they can't rule the world if they destroy it first.
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