Sci-fi Writers Guild Forum

When I write villains, I just think of someone I know (say, my ex), and he just comes out naturally!

More seriously, here's a link that has reasonable advice:
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Credible-Villain-in-Fiction

Basically, this says you should create your character, complete with a childhood, schooling, ex-lovers, whatever. Run through his/her biography so you--as the author--understand how your villain turned from normal human to evil. You don't have to USE any of these details in your novel, but you as author need to know them, to bring your character to life.

It also helps if your villain has some human trait people can identify with. In one of my novels, I had a hit man who loved a little Bichon Frise dog named Zsa Zsa. He even used the money from a brutal killing to buy a diamond-studded collar for her. In my current novel, my killer volunteers at a homeless shelter, where he basks in the praises of everyone there. He does it for the boost to his ego, not to help anyone, but that helps to fill out HIS character. Think about Darth Vader: he turned to the dark side to save his wife and to bring peace to the galaxy.

The trick is to make your villain human, with quirks just like everyone else. The cognitive dissonance of loving a dog, or working at homeless shelter adds to the verisimilitude.

Max
Max Griffin
Please visit my website at
http://members.cox.net/maxgriffin/