How to write villains readers can see
If we want our readers to enjoy what we write and the stories we tell than we need to carefully consider how we get them to see what we want them to see while they are reading.
We especially want to do this with our villains because who doesn’t enjoy seeing a good interesting dynamic villain?
How to Write Villains Readers Can See:
# 1 How to write villains readers can see: Write what you see
We’ve all heard that you have to “show not tell.”
It’s a bit of a cliche.
But cliches become so overused because, in fact, they are mostly and vastly true.
So how can we use this to our advantage as writers?
Let’s find ways to show with our writing and not tell.
Bad example: “he was mean end greedy.”
Good example: “he threw her to the kitchen floor muttering how worthless she was. He immediately reached down and took a twenty out of her purse that had spilled onto the floor. As he stared at the twenty tilting slightly from being drunk he spit on her, walked out the door and slammed it behind him.”
It takes more time to write that way and we have to find more creative ways to “show” our readers who our characters are, but the end result is much more interesting and will hold onto your reader’s interest longer.
Try to think of something you want to say about your villain and then think of actions they can take to show your readers what you want them to know.
#2 How to write villains readers can see: Be more specific
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to write to help our reader see our villain more than just hearing about them.
A sure-fire way to get through this is to be more specific about details.
Bad example: “he wore a coat and glasses.”
Good example: “when he walked through the door the first thing anyone noticed about him was his dirty unshaved face hiding behind small circular thin glasses. There was a tiny chip on one side. Even his facial hair couldn’t hide his striking cheekbones and jawline, but he never looked up. His long brown leather jacket that looked to be as old as twenty years. It looked as if it had never seen any type of wash and it dragged just sightly with each step. If the smell wasn’t his own body it was most certainly the jacket.”
Again, longer to write and takes more creative juices, but we really want to get into the practice of imaging what our villain looks like and then using specific details to tell our readers what we see.
Don’t worry about being a dynamic writer.
Be concerned about passing what you see, hear, and smell the best you can as if you were in the room yourself.
If you can make this a habit and get very good at it you can be a great storyteller without using complicated words.
# 3 How to write villains readers can see: Don’t just write, be there
The best writer isn’t the one that had the best plot and story idea.
The best writer is able to live out the story and then communicate to a reader what they saw and experienced.
Think about your senses.
If you were in the bar where the villain was having a drink, what did it smell like?
What song was playing?
What could you see?
Was it well lit? Or was it dark and dingy?
What was the villain wearing?
What hairstyle did they have? Did that have facial hair?
Could you see their eye color?
Did your villain have multiple drinks?
What was it and did they react to it with facial expressions or words?
Don’t force anything, just play it in your mind like a movie and do everything you can to just describe what you’re seeing.
Do this and you will capture your reader’s attention and imagination.
I hope this helps. Now get out there and write something!
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I love this. Great tips!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed them!