Four Things About Characters

1. The character who is his own worst enemy makes for compelling reading. This doesn't mean readers will have patience with an idiot, but that we are willing to cut even a total moron at least *some* slack if he's working toward a goal.

2. Each character should have his/her own voice. The dialogue has to be true to the character, and the reader should be able to tell every character apart from the next.

3. Even the villain should be someone worth empathizing with. If there are power structures and believable motives at play, it shouldn't be hard for a reader to identify with the bad guy. No one is pure evil, after all. 

4. Avoid boring/uninteresting characters. People are rife with contradictions and quirks. As a writer, it's our job to find these in our characters and make them worth getting to know.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~

On Villains -- Writing Tip

It's so easy to create a stock "villain" who wreaks havoc on the world (or maybe just your protagonist)--evil for the sake of being evil or just a tool to advance the plot. . . . 

It's harder to create a well-rounded villain with his own beliefs and motivations and justifications for what he does. A believable villain should always have his own "why."

If you can make the reader understand this "why" and feel for your villain (i.e. they can identify with him)? Well, that deserves bonus points.

Be Brilliant!

~Katie~