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Villians

Quick Links: The Best Ways To Root Out A Cheesy Villain

August 11, 2016 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Having a great protagonist is very important but like my t-shirt says “every great story needs a great villain”.  The quality of the bad guy is what makes a story. So at Stand Out Books, Robert Wood helps you to root out a cheesy villain and make your story awesome.

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The Best Ways To Root Out A Cheesy Villain

June 8, 2016

by Robert Wood

Sometimes extra cheesy is a good thing!
Sometimes extra cheesy is a good thing!

Ever wondered how to tell if your villain is cheesy, or how you can make them more realistic and engaging? In this article I’ll be looking at exactly that, but instead of offering advice to authors, I’m going to the heart of the problem…

In a cloud-shrouded castle he waits, plotting the demise of all who would oppose him in his quest for unlimited power. Outside, lightning streaks through the fell air, punctuating his cackling laughter. Silence falls and, in the distance, he hears the distant tinkling of a bell.

“Who dares enter my presence?” he booms, waving one perfectly manicured hand – an indication that his hulking assistant should go and fetch their midnight caller. A few moments later his visitor is ushered in, trailing behind him a motley assortment of brigands and rogues. There’s a serial killer, clutching a bloodied hatchet and a well-thumbed holy book. Behind him there stands a gorgeous woman, quite clearly hiding some kind of knock-out drug behind her back. Further back, a bulbous-headed alien is engaged in hushed conversation with a poorly built killer robot. The visitor, clearly leading this strange group, smiles at Dark Mage Kardak.

“Who are you?” asks the dark mage.

“I’m the editor,” says the visitor, “and I think we’ve got a problem.”

 “What kind of problem?”

“I think…” the editor hesitates. “I think you might be a bit cheesy.”

Read the full post on Stand Out Books

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below.

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Categories Write Tags cheesy, Protaganist, Villians

Quick Links: How to Create Legendary Villains

June 13, 2016 by Publetariat

Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.

Yesterday we talked heroes and character development. Today it is villains and… character development.  Every great story needs a great villain. Really memorable antagonists allow you to almost identify with them, because everyone is a hero in their own story.  Kristian Lamb shares her thoughts on what makes a bad guy legendary.  I always sympathized with Frankenstein’s monster, especially after I read the original classic story. What villain resonates for you?

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How to Create Legendary Villains

Excellent.....
Excellent….
by Kristian Lamb
May 9, 2016

This past Saturday I held my Bullies & Baddies class and a couple of the folks posited a really good question worth talking about. How do we write great villains? One of the reasons I love holding this class is that all stories require a core antagonist (who is responsible for generating the story problem in need of resolution), but there are different types of antagonists. All villains are antagonists but not all antagonists are villains.But since we went there, what goes into creating a truly terrifying villain?

I watch a ton of movies and television series. I also read around three novels a week. I’m always studying, breaking stories apart so that I can understand them better. I do it for my fiction, but also so I can share what I learn with you guys.

Though the series isn’t for everyone (it’s pretty gory), I particularly love FX’s American Horror Story for studying villains. AHS is one of those shows that you have to get a few episodes into before you connect, namely because it is often cast with truly despicable characters.

It isn’t until you get a few episodes in that the writers start peeling back the layers and exposing the delicate undersides of the villains…and that’s when you really begin to care for them.

I know. Seriously. AHS is some of the best writing out there.

Jessica Lang almost always plays the core antagonist in each season of AHS (though she was absent in Season Five and it was evident). Of all the seasons, though, Season Four Freak Show was my favorite and that’s what I am going to use today. Btw, there is a bit of spoiler alert, but it’s necessary. So what do we do to really make the villain POP?

Read the full post on Kristian Lamb

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If you liked this article, please share. If you have suggestions for further articles, articles you would like to submit, or just general comments, please contact me at paula@publetariat.com or leave a message below.

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Categories Think, Write Tags Villians, writing tips
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