Interview With a Novelist

It is good to get multiple perspectives from people on writing. So, here is another interview, this time with a woman named Brooklyn who has written and published two novels. She mainly writes about historical fiction, with Roman and Greek influences. In this interview she gives tips on what makes a developed antagonist.

 The Interview
Who is your favorite villain and why?
I like Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello because he is able to rationalize why he is doing something evil. He is cunning and plans things out and offers his motivation for why he's doing what he's doing, which makes him more sympathetic for the reader.

What do you think makes a memorable character? Or more specifically, a villain?
A memorable villain should be dynamic, not just doing evil things for no reason. They need a motivation that they can rationalize to themselves or even the reader (which would semi-justify what they are doing). A good villain ought to be smart, he should have good dialogue and be able to make you in awe of their ability to turn the situation around and justify what they're doing.

What tips would you give a writer on how to create a good antagonist?
A writer should watch movies that have been praised for the dimension of their characters, or mainly the antagonist. The colonel Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's movie Inglorious Bastards is a really good example of what a villain should be. That’s where I get inspiration. I look at other villains in movies and books and think to myself “why is this villain so captivating?” You really have to think about “why is my villain doing what he's doing?” That's most important. A villain who just does evil for no reason is not memorable. If you can find a way to make the villain likable, like showing a sort of quirk or vulnerability, that makes a villain even better. A villain ought to be humanized, not just some evil entity.

Do you think an antagonist has to be a person specifically, or can it be an inner struggle, event, or something else? Do you have any examples?
Inner struggles definitely count as a villain. If a protagonist has an inner struggle or inner turmoil of some sort, it not only serves as a villain, but also gives dimension to the protagonist. An example would be a character having to do work a difficult job, but at the same time has to battle alcoholism or a drug habit that is threatening to tear his life apart.

How do you think an antagonist should relate to the main character?
I don't necessary think that foil characters are interesting. Just like the protagonist, the villain needs to have spirit and dimension and a reason for what he's doing. A villain or antagonist should have just as much heart and soul and love as a protagonist, just in a different direction. Whereas a protagonist must have a reason that they're doing good, a belief or faith of sorts, a villain should have a reason for doing evil. It is interesting if the villain is not completely the opposite of the protagonist. The antagonist and protagonist should have something in common, something that binds them together. A villain is more interesting when they had the opportunity to be as good as the protagonist, but took a different path in life.