I had an interesting question the other day, “How do you
keep a villain from becoming one-dimensional?” My favorite one-dimensional
villains were on the old Batman television show because they were so broadly played
by excellent actors. My computer screen does not offer me any help that an actor
might. I have to present more than the villainous side of a character. In my
latest novel, Bringer of Justice, the
protagonist nemesis is a woman. Because of the things she does, it would be
easy to dislike her or even hate her. However, I balance that out in part with
her love and protection of her daughter, but even more importantly with her
love and affection for a man. It is clear there is genuine affection if not
love between the two of them. They clearly have goals for the future and
possible obstacles that stand in their way.
The question is how far do you go in humanizing a
villain? If my novel were told from this woman’s perspective, I hope I could
find a way for the reader to like or at least understand her very negative
actions. However, the novel is not about her. I needed to humanize her enough
for the reader to be able to understand her needs. I think I have accomplished
that goal.
