Hugo-winning sci-fi/fantasy author and io9 co-founder Charlie Jane Anders on writing villains.
Context, I think: this thread, making a different argument but also good, by Lauren Hissrich, showrunner of Netflix’s forthcoming The Witcher and a participant in one of Liz Hannah’s women showrunners panels from last week.
Both these threads came to my attention by way of Gennifer Hutchison, of Better Call Saul and formerly Breaking Bad, who also regularly tweets great writing advice.
I’m not generally a fan of ‘evil for the sake of evil’ characters. BUT, I do agree that not every villain is relatable. And not every villain is redeemable either. Some people are cruel for completely unsympathetic reasons, and that doesn’t make them invalid characters.
I think the key is to make sure no character is so flat that they become boring. Narcissistic characters quickly become boring to me – but that doesn’t mean they can’t serve a role or be written well. Everything is balance. Make your characters three-dimensional to keep them interesting. Give them development. Let them tell a story.
It just doesn’t always have to be a *nice* story.