Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/36500
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The best advice I've ever received on writing tragic/well-intentioned villains was in an online Q&A with a fantasy author. I don't recall her exact words but in essence she said to find seemingly reasonable things your villain wants, like what you have in common with your villain. Find the things you would want in their shoes.

For example, maybe your villain is a conniving aristocrat who wants more wealth. You'd love to be rich too, right? Most people would. Now from that, she said, find the moral line you _would not cross_ to get there. To be wealthy, would you lie to someone? Probably. Step over a stranger? Maybe. Hurt a friend? Hmm, don't think so. Kill someone? No - there - or wherever on your scale you stop, that is the line the antagonist must cross.

But, by building up relatable wants and goals and decisions along the way, the antagonist becomes more likable even though readers know their means to the end are so wrong. It is kind of frustrating, if readers understand how they feel to a point, but also understand that they went too far. This strategy obviously doesn't work for every villain situation but it's one way to make them more plausible I think.

Original score: 1