A good story doesn’t always have to have a villain. But if there’s going to be a villain, it can’t be a two-dimensional faceless evil. Modern audiences are very sophisticated, even children. Villains have to have reasons for their choices, their villainy, and – most important – their existence in the story. So with today’s writing prompt we’re going to play with the bad guys, up front and personal.
Da Prompt: Using First Person POV, write a story with the villain as the protagonist. (S)he is a bad guy, slightly selfish, slightly greedy. Any good (s)he does is completely incidental, not the reason behind his/her actions, and only done because (s)he is doing something that helps himself or herself obtain a goal. This villain is not someone redeemed by the love of a good person, a kind act by a stranger, or a gaggle of orphaned children. This villain knows exactly what (s)he is doing, and why. There is no guilt here.
BUT the character needs to be sympathetic to your readers and overcome his/her own obstacles in life. (And you thought I was gonna let you off the hook). After you have written this story, you need to give it to an impartial alpha or beta reader and ask them to critique it. Do they identify with the villain? Do they want to read more about this character?
Da Wordcount: 5000 – 7500
Da Resources: The Evil Overlord List, a list of things to be believed in or avoided that every “real villain” needs to keep in mind to avoid the inevitable defeat that comes from being a clichéd and hackneyed character.
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Writers are frequently asked the question “Where do you get your ideas?” The question is a hard one to answer because we all find our inspiration in different places. Some people need to be given prompts, little snippets of ideas to spark their imaginations.
With that in mind, I am posting Writing Prompt Wednesdays. The goal is to inspire writers with exercises meant to train their skills and fire up the creative juices. There are rules. Most prompts will have associated word counts or style instructions. These are not meant to restrict the writer, but give the writer a chance to explore different ways of writing.
If you are an author in search of that one juicy idea, I hope these posts help. If you have ideas for writing prompts, please let me know.
Da Rules:
1) Anything goes so long as you stick to the spirit of the prompt.
2) I ask that if you do publish something based on one of my prompts, that you post the good news (and the link) in the comments of the prompt that inspired your success. You want other people to help you celebrate, right?
