Everybody loves a good villain, and often, stories live and die by how well the villain has been written. In this blog post, I'll both review common types of villains and when they're typically most useful, and discuss some tips and tricks for making your villain a believable bad guy - no matter what archetype you choose.
Author's Note: The global Covid-19 pandemic has destroyed lives and upended plans for millions of people. This piece is not intended to negate the indescribable suffering it has caused; rather, this is my perspective on growing through the trauma. For those who have lost, my heart breaks for you, my prayers are with you, and I believe in your ability to survive this. I have been incredibly lucky throughout these unusual times and I do not take it for granted. Remember that you are loved, you are strong, and this too, shall pass.
I'll let you in on a secret - revising is my favorite part of the writing process. For real - I love tearing apart my old work, figuring out better ways to make words (as one does), and filling in everything that was missing the first time around.
To me, your first draft is really more of a skeleton - the outlines of my artwork. Often, the hardest part is just getting words down on the page. Once the words are written, it's often actually easier to see what you need to change. Perfectionism will make you quit before you even get to the best part. Editing and revising are your author superpowers. Nothing is final until you say it is - so why not write something, highlight it to revisit later, and then keep moving? The key to your superpowers are three easy steps: 1) figuring out what needs to be revised/edited/changed/added/deleted/etc; 2) making a plan and getting organized about it; and 3) getting to work! I remember the first time I read Eragon, Book 1 of the Inheritance Cycle, I immediately went online and devoured everything I could find by Christopher Paolini, the author. I wanted to know what books he read, how he created the world in the book, and all about his writing process - and this wasn't the first time I'd been fascinated by an author. I did the same for JK Rowling and Tamora Pierce, for Mercedes Lackey, for James SA Corey, and for pretty much any author I read.
I always wanted more than they gave me in the book. I wanted to connect with other readers, to discuss plot ideas. I craved insight into the creative process, to understand how my favorite books came to be. I wanted to build my own word, but I didn't know how. That's my dream for this website, and my Beta Reader community. To say Summer Twilight is my baby is to put it lightly. This is a book I've poured my heart and soul into over the past few years - I've spent countless hours working at my computer to bring Alex and Caidy's story to life, and their future is always on my mind. If you know me, that's probably not surprising to you: you've probably had me ask you to look at chapters, or listened to me talk about the world.
This pre-sale campaign has been more successful than my wildest dreams. It's completely blowing my mind that I've experienced such an outpouring of support from so many people in my life. I'm closer than I ever imagined to achieving my LAST and BIGGEST stretch goal: recording an audiobook version of Summer Twilight. With $1,482 left to raise and 14 days to do it, I'm feeling incredibly energized and excited about moving forward. As a thank you to everyone who has supported me, I'm incredibly excited to announce that if we hit our goal of $8,000, I'm going to be donating 20 signed copies of my book to the school I taught at for two years: Duff-Allen Central Elementary (DACE), in Floyd County, Kentucky. |
AuthorBridget is the author of Summer Twilight, available for purchase now! Categories
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