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| Negative Traits Thesaurus |
I recently bought the book Negative
Traits Thesaurus, by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. It's subtitled,
"A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws." The book is a strong resource
for creating a three-dimensional hero or heroine, but can also help you write
strong villains. Creating an emotionally charged hero or villain means giving
him/her more than a laundry list of flaws or strengths. Developing those in a
relatable way is important too.
However, after studying this book for a bit, I've noticed
there are five basic things that determine whether a character is a hero or a
villain. Ask these questions about your hero/ine to make them more relatable.
- What are the emotional attributes of your hero?
- What are the emotional wounds of your hero?
- What are the emotional flaws of your hero?
- What fears drive your hero?
- What morals prevent the above items from making your hero a villain?
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| Tarthian Empire Companion |
Now ask these questions about your villain, and ask yourself
what morals prevent him/her from becoming a hero.
If you write science fiction or fantasy, my new book Tarthian
Empire Companion, an illustrated World-Building Bible and Guide to Writing a
Science Fiction Series might be helpful. It includes info on organizing a story
bible to track timelines; character development; a section for military ranks,
ships, and naming protocols, plus other aspects of writing a scifi. Amazon ($3.99) http://bit.ly/companion-az
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