Purple Haze At Dusk

The Villain Checklist!

Creating a villain is a delicate art, much like crafting a masterpiece. To ensure your antagonist leaps off the page with depth, consider these essential elements for your villain checklist:

Motivation: Every great villain is driven by a potent motivation, one that fuels their actions and sets them on their dark path. Explore their backstory and unearth the core reason behind their villainy. Are they seeking power, revenge, redemption, or something more sinister?

Complexity: Gone are the days of one-dimensional villains twirling mustaches and cackling maniacally. Infuse your antagonist with layers of complexity and nuance. Perhaps they possess redeeming qualities or wrestle with inner conflicts that humanize their actions.

Flaws and Vulnerabilities: Despite their nefarious intentions, villains should be flawed beings with vulnerabilities. These weaknesses not only add depth to their character but also create opportunities for conflict and growth throughout your story.

Backstory: Delve into your villain's past to uncover formative experiences that shaped their present disposition. Trauma, betrayal, or societal pressures can all contribute to their descent into villainy, providing rich narrative fodder for exploration.

Goals and Ambitions: Just as heroes strive for noble objectives, villains pursue their own twisted goals with fervor and determination. Define what your antagonist hopes to achieve and the lengths they're willing to go to attain it, even if it means sacrificing everything in their path.

Antagonistic Traits: From cunning intellect to ruthless brutality, equip your villain with traits that make them a formidable adversary for your protagonist. Consider how their strengths and weaknesses complement each other, creating dynamic conflicts that propel your story forward.

Relationships and Alliances: Villains don't operate in isolation; they forge alliances, manipulate allies, and cultivate relationships to further their agendas. Develop the connections your antagonist shares with other characters, be they loyal minions or reluctant collaborators, to add depth to their character dynamics.

Moral Justification (from their perspective): While their actions may be abhorrent to society, villains often believe they're justified in their pursuits. Explore your antagonist's moral code and the twisted logic that rationalizes their behavior, offering readers insight into their twisted worldview.

Arc of Transformation: Just as protagonists undergo arcs of growth and change, villains should experience their own journey of transformation. Whether it's redemption, downfall, or something altogether unexpected, chart the evolution of your antagonist throughout the narrative.

Memorable Traits: Give your villain distinctive traits or quirks that leave a lasting impression on readers. Whether it's a chilling catchphrase, a distinctive appearance, or a haunting backstory, give your antagonist elements that linger in the minds of your audience long after they've closed the book.

writing is so fun

@welcometowriteblr i was told to tag you in it haha!

wtw planet prompts - mercury - locations / travel

a moodboard for a fictionalized version of cartwright, labrador from my wip that takes place in the early-to-mid-2000s.

cartwright population: 550 nestled along the southern labrador coast, beautiful cartwright was first settled in 1775. it has only recently been connected by road with the rest of the country since 2002. the main industry is the crab fishery, though sometimes small amounts of tourists show up to hunt, fish, or explore the plentiful wilderness around the isolated community. (note: the southern coast of labrador irl does not typically see the aurora borealis, but in my world it does!)

Mood atm

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ responses to “what changed?”

@celestialwrites for more!

♡ “i fell in love.”

♡ “everything.”

♡ “(character name) died.”

♡ “i lost (her/him/them/etc)”

♡ “you. you changed.”

♡“i let my guard down and paid the ultimate price.”

♡ “i met someone who made me feel the kind of thing you could only read about.”

♡ “i don’t know.”

♡ “i did.”

♡ “i grew up.”

♡ “an earth shattering romance, that’s what changed.”

REBLOG TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WRITERS<3

Two rules for creating anything.

1) Make it weird.

2) Make it with love.

“The Great Bear.” Flowers of the sky. 1879.

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