Another long one this week – obviously a subject we enjoyed talking about.
In further evidence of how far behind we are podcasting some of our previously recorded stuff, we start with Alan talking about Freecon in Sydney.
Then we talk about villains and what makes a good, believable villain.
Do bad guys perceive that they’re bad guys? The Star Wars example.
Be sure to explore your characters’ perceptions of their position and their motivations.
Can your villain justify and/or delude themselves into rationalising their actions?
The Sopranos as an example of villains excellently constructed as characters.
Your villains need to be flawed to be three dimensional, just like protagonists.
It’s easy for villains to operate if they perceive a third party endorsement from government, religion, etc.
The needs of the many and the needs of the few. The Kirk/Spock conundrum.
Can a villain have ethical dilemmas?
Harry Potter examples of villains – Voldemort vs Wormtail.
The problem with stupid bad guys. The convenient distraction or the final monologue.
The bad guys need to be as smart as the good guys to be a real threat.
Alan waxes on about Batman and The Joker.
