Bad Guys

In most stories, there's some form of antagonist. Sometimes the only problem is the circumstances, but often there's someone standing between the characters and their desires.

It's easy to paint the bad guy as just bad for the sake of bad. This is especially easy when dealing with religion and just saying it's an evil god. However, this is a cop-out, and frequently makes the rest of the story bad. People have reasons for what they do - even becoming evil. They may think what they're doing is right. They may want power. They may be insane - but even then, inside their own insanity there's a kind of logic. Even the most alien of all alien creatures has a logic, though it might not seem so at first glance. But if that logic isn't followed, the story doesn't hold together. An unrealistic villain can completely spoil a story.

Writing prompt: Character sketch time! Create a villain. Either use one from your own story or create your own. Come up with why they're doing what they're doing. Give a full-fleshed person - good points and bad. Is this person believable? Why or why not? What can you change to make the person feel real?

Plotting Around Virtues

Flaws are important. But so are virtues.

A character with no virtues is an unbelievable character. No matter how bad the villain, there are still good qualities that have to be evident, or you've got nothing more than a mirage. If a story is to be believed, there has to be something to make us want to know more, something to make us keep reading. Something to make us sympathize with both the hero and the villain.

Virtues can be tricky. It's as easy to overdo them as it is to overdo flaws, but while one major flaw can hold a story, only one virtue makes a character look false.

Write a character sketch including virtues. How do virtues influence the plot? Do they help or hurt? Are you stingy with virtues, or do you spend them like pennies?

Try to write a sketch for people you know. How many virtues do they have? How many flaws? (This is not an attempt to judge, just to write sketches to practice).

What is a Character Sketch?

My mother (thanks Mom!) pointed out that perhaps not everyone knows what a character sketch is. Sorry for the jargon, I didn't even think about it.

A character sketch is a quick outline of what a character you're creating is. It's a set of ideas - often not even complete sentences - giving you a general idea of who the person is. That can include a physical description, mental description, family members, or anything else that's important to who the person is.

This isn't a formal write-up. No one else ever has to see these. It's just enough information to give you an idea of who the person is. And it can be fleshed out later as required, too - you're not required to keep the original one.

What's important is that you write enough to get a good idea of who the person is. And writing as much or as little as you need for that.