 Horror/Scary: April 19, 2023 Issue [#11918] |
This week: Creating a female villain Edited by: Gaby  
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Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.
~ Amelia Earhart
Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
~ Charlotte Whitton
I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't.
~ Audre Lorde
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Today's focus are women. Good, bad, even the ugly. I'm not here to discuss their looks. That'd be superficial and shallow. Women are neither. All you have to do is look. Really look. Observe, watch, and listen but you better learn how to read between the lines. In this issue of the Horror/Scary newsletter we'll dig deeper. Past the smile, the body shape, but not past a woman's eyes. If you don't know anything about women you better understand that those eyes will speak volumes without a single movement of the lips, nor a word spoken. All you have to do is pay attention.
Female Villians
As a writer you are capable of creating new worlds out of thin air. You have the ability to transport your reader wherever you please. And as the world is rapidly changing, so are your stories. There's only one question. Aren't you tired of the cliché in movies? The male character is almost always the bad guy. A good female villain is hard to find. Even harder to find a really well thought out one.
From my little Newsfeed inquiry, only a handful of female villains were mentioned. Even when you search the world wide web, the ones mentioned, aren't your direct murderers. On one hand, it's almost understandable. Women prefer poison over knives and guns. They keep their hands clean. Greed is something that drives them more rather than death. But what if? What if Mike Myers had been the female version? Or Dexter? Or any serial killer that's out there or had ever been out there? Is it possible for a woman to do the same as a man?
Talk about equality, right? Well, here's your chance.
A female is often dismissed. If she's not helpless or screaming, scared to death, or worse, being murdered, she's irrelevant. Women aren't helpless but neither are they heroes. We're all equal. Which means that even a female can have a twisted mind, disturbing thoughts. Holding a knife isn't enough anymore. Don't you want to read about a character like that? Wouldn't you want to try your hand at creating something unusual? Dig deeper into the female psyche? Superheroes push the limits of what we know. Evil doesn't. Not in the same configuration. Every person is capable of evil, whether you like it or not. They just haven't been in a situation to prove that point. Nevertheless, acting on your instincts and doing evil in order to protect, doesn't create a villain.
The Birth of a Villain
What are your main ingredients for such a person? Its creation, of course.
 Birth - Background
This is probably the most important part in creating a female villain. Whether you'd want her to be loved or hated, for a female, since she rarely just goes around killing people, the back story is what brings her character alive. If she just pops up out of nowhere and we never learn the actual reasoning for her evil mayhem, your reader will never be able to fully make a connection. To see where the villain is coming from and what made her do what she did.
Reasoning
A woman has to have a twisted sense of reality in order to become a serial killer. She must believe that what she's doing is for the greater good. That she's helping in some way, someone, or something. Yet, there has to be more than that. Most women have understanding, compassion, empathy. That's not to say that men don't, but with a female it's usually stronger.
Character Trait Checklist
Even if you don't create a likable female villain, you want to create a connection between her and the reader. Why? Having a hero and connecting with them is easy. His/her morals are in tact. Doing the same with the bad girl, will twist your readers mind. That fine line we all face at times, is your relatable moment. So what traits should your character have?
 Conviction of being good/doing good
Likable traits - relatable qualities
She should be clever
Definitely proud of what she does
Jealousy, greed, need, are part of her life in some shape or form
Vengeful when crossed
Should have some good characteristics but they might be misguided
Should be able to show a good side
Does a villain have a good side? At times. What you have to keep in mind is that a villain has to think about how to act around people when not doing anything evil. Her emotional connection cannot be easily made with others because she doesn't know how. She lacks the emotional aspect. What comes natural to a good person has to be thought through by the villain in order to sound normal so as not to set off any alarm bells. The hero of the story, while the enemy, could also be someone she can relate to or at least want to understand. Most important, you need to be able to step in your villain's shoes and be able to do what must be done without hurting your own moral compass.
That leaves you with one question. Can a woman truly be a villain and evil? Perhaps better than any man ever could. As long as she doesn't have anything else to distract her with. 
Thank you for reading and hope to catch you next time!
~ Gaby 
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