How to write evil (Getting inside the mind of your villain. Also home of the villain's database.)

Double post, so I'll put the link here.

the sith mandate

 

I have a story in writing at the moment. I'd like to have somebody beta it, if anyone has spare time. It has some kinks to be worked out. The main character is an Imperial.

 

JasonYellowAces: Good luck finding a beta reader. Those are really hard to come by. I should know...

 

JYA: I got some spare time (in about a week!) But I dunno if I'd be such a good beta

 

That reminds me, we still don't have any volunteers for Imperial villain advice.

 

I know lots about Imperials, but I'm not one to be giving writing advice.

I'll send you my fic sometime next week Calandria. I should have the prologue finished by then.

 

Okay, but I'm gone from Monday to thursday late afternoon. Don't expect anything till Friday.

Oh send it to my e-mail, seracalia@yahoo.com, if possible. It's easier for me and I might be able to get it to read before Thursday.

I'll do my best, that's all I can say...

 

Janson, I'll be happy to read it.

 

I can beta as well, if you want multiple opinions.

 

Call yourself a writer?

Multiple and opinions.

 

Yeah, well I just came back from an incredibly hectic week with in Majorca, so sue me. Anyway, I write in Word, so I use spellcheck.

 

Name: James Harris
Weapon(s) of choice: Hold-out pulser concealed in suit. Bargaining skills
Vehicle(s) of choice: Courier boat PNS Haven's Pride
Species: Human, of Havenite descent
Homeworld: Haven
Hair: Black
Eyes: Light brown
Rank/position: Hereditary President of the Peoples Republic of Haven
Most common quote: "We aren't going to get anywhere by pointing fingers and calling names."
Bio: President Harris has been keeping the PRH together for almost two decades, since his father was accidentally killed by State Security Force personnel attempting to apprephend a Manticoran infiltrator. Since then, he and Adm. Amos Parnell have been working towards onquering the Manticore system, along with Grayson and Basilisk. However, Manticore and Grayson forming an alliance with the New Republic has given them a military that can match up to any, short of the Solarian League's. Harris doesn't like the idea of open war with the Manticoran Alliance, but he knows that the PRH will collapse unless it gains a major boost to its economy.
Story(ies) he appears in: In Enemy Hands (work in progress) and War of Honor.

 

Hey Spike, am I still employed here? Just curious.

 

As long as you want to be.

 

Yeah, I still want to be.

 

Then your still on board

 

I have a question for you villains writers here. I?m currently working on an original, non-Star Wars story (it is science fiction, though), but I thought this thread would be helpful. Looking at the way my story is planned right now, the main villain doesn?t make an appearance until near the end. He is talked about though, in conversations between the main characters, and in flashbacks. Basically, everything the characters do is because of my main villain (they?re running from him). Do you think this would work, not having the villain ?on screen? until the ?final confrontation?, so to speak?

I was also wondering if I should include a chapter in the point of view of the villain ? currently, chapters go back and forth between my main ?good? characters. I figured that would be a good way to really give insight into his character, and let the reader know exactly why he should be feared. My only hesitation to do a chapter like this early on (and it should be early, I?m thinking, so the reader would have an idea of who the villain is) is because there?s a mystery that isn?t revealed until about halfway to two-thirds through the story. My villain knows what the characters (and the reader) are trying to guess, if that makes any sense. I don?t want to give it away too early; I feel that the mystery of the history between the main character and the villain is one factor that drives the first part of the story.

Another option I was considering is instead of getting inside the villain?s head would be to include a chapter from the point of view of someone other than the main characters who ends up on the wrong side of the villain. This would have a personal, ?on screen? account of the villain, rather than just flashbacks and hints from my main characters.

I guess the balance I?m hoping to get is to have the reader torn between desiring the final confrontation (so that the heroes can defeat the villain), and dreading it (because my villain is one bad dude). I?m just not sure how to plot it to make that happen.

Hopefully I?ve made enough sense that someone can give me some advice.

 

Happy_Hobbit: Having the characters do the bidding for their master is very much like the Classic Trilogy of Star Wars, with Vader etc doing their things for the Emperor.

The Villain point of view idea, well...we are here to encourage the writing of a villains perspective so I recommend that too.

As for someone affected by the villains actions, I always like to add in my stories little small mini-scenes with characters that will die very shortly. And I've had no complaints so far

 

Hello

I've being trying to get inside the head of everybody's favourite former executor, Nom Anor. He's my favourite Yuuzhan Vong, due mainly to his disregard for the gods.
My take on him as being very bitter, and seeking revenge on those whom chucked him out of power.
What category of villian
would he be put in?
Could the Vong experts give me any advise/tips/things to avoid like the plague about writing him?

And by the way:
And does anyone know how to pronounce that 'ii' in Vong names, such as Niiriit and Riina?

 

"ii" would be pronounced "e". As for Nom Anor, I'll get back to you on that shortly.

 

OK, we decided that Nom Anor does not fit the villain bill at all. At the moment he's more of an anti-hero.

 

I would say that an anti-hero is still a villain, but is just portrayed as a hero in that particular context, like someone doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. I can't think of many examples, but Malus Darkblade from the Warhammer Fantasy comics fits the bill, as does Major Rawne in the early Gaunts Ghosts novels.

 

Do I have anti-hero on that list of villain types?

 

I'd put Inquisitor Barzano from Nightbringer as kind of an anti-hero. Remember, he does recommend blasting Pavonis into tiny, tiny pieces.

 

Spike: No, it's not there.