Once upon a time, I used to present a writing workshop on “Crafting Killers” to new writers. Why did I focus my talk on killers? It’s because I think the villains in books are just as important as the protagonists. A “good” villain can make or break a book. After all, a “good” villain will stay with you long after a story has ended. (Looking at you, Hannibal Lecter!)
For today’s post, I thought I’d hit on a few key points when it comes to crafting a powerful villain.
I have two main guidelines for villains:
- Good villains must command attention.
- A good villain will shock, surprise, and keep a reader on the edge of his/her seat.
I believe that every character has a backstory. When a writer starts to create the villain, the villain’s origin has to be understood. Is the villain bad because of nature or nurture? Or a combination of both elements? I encourage authors to ask these questions about their villains:
- How did your villain come to be so wicked? What turned her/him into this being?
- Is your villain’s “wickedness” due to nature or nurture?
- What is the level of evil for this character? After all, not all villains are killers. There is a level of evil—a scale—that you can create.
I also think it is important to remember that your villain does not have to be 100% evil. After all, who is 100% good in this world? It’s interesting when villains have a few redeeming traits—it can make the reader feel conflicted, feel empathy, feel all sorts of twisting emotions. And when your character possesses both positive and negative aspects, you’re creating a character who seems real. Multi-dimensional.
I feel like I should conclude this post by saying…Thank you for coming to my villain talk. But, truly, thanks for checking out villains with me. And if you’ve got some favorite villains, I’d love to hear about them!
Ice Breaker Cold Case Romance #8
The son of a serial killer. A devil in the flesh.
Midas Monroe knows that his big size intimidates plenty of people, and when they learn about his twisted past? Most folks go running. But he’s not like his dear old monster of a dad, despite the stories that still circulate in the press. He’s a bodyguard. Protecting and defending is his bit. No emotional attachments, ever. And no mistakes.
His latest case isn’t the same old routine. It comes with a few twists…Twist one? The woman he’s protecting doesn’t know that he’s her bodyguard. Like that doesn’t make the job an extra pain in his—
Ice. Alina Bellamy is the reigning queen of the ice. She’s an Olympic contender waiting for her moment to shine. And she’s also a woman falling hard and fast for the big, muscled, and gorgeous stranger who has just swept into her life. When they touch, she finally feels something other than the cold that has surrounded her forever.
Taken. Terrified. Lost…
Alina’s perfect world shatters when she’s abducted. Kidnapped in the middle of the night, she fears that she’ll never survive, until he rushes to the rescue. Her Midas. Big, bold, and dangerous. He spirits her away even as her abductors give chase.
Alina isn’t the first victim to be taken, and her abductors aren’t just going to let her slip away. The abduction is just the start of the nightmare that waits for Alina. And as for Midas? Sometimes, it takes the son of a devil to fight the darkest monsters who like to hide in plain sight.
Midas has never backed away from a fight. Mostly because he has a killer swing…
The Ice Breakers are back! And Midas is about to find out that sometimes, a case can become very, very personal. Cold cases will collide with the firestorm surrounding Alina as Midas hunts for a killer and as he finds out that the old saying can be true…The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Because Midas may just be falling hard for a woman he will never, ever be able to truly have.
Thriller Serial Killer | Romance Erotica Sensual [Hocus Pocus Publishing, Inc., On Sale: February 27, 2024, e-Book, / ]
Believe in monsters. They believe in you.
Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas.
Cynthia is a "hybrid" author. She has published extensively with New York (her New York publishers include Kensington, Grand Central, and Harlequin), and she has also enjoyed success in her indie writing career.
Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.
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