Writing Your Way [Writing Tutorial]

Characterisation: Archtypes

Balance everything out

If you're trying not to write an asshole, but simply a human being who's not quite in the light, then try to balance out their actions as best you can. Show their morally grey attributes in all major areas of their life; places, or people they feel genuinely safe with and let them exhibit good qualities when appropriate.

Contrast them

It's always good to have foil-like characters for your main. (They don't necessarily have to be complete foils, but they should contrast something specific in the morally grey character) The chances are, if you're writing enough distinct, fleshed-out characters, one might form naturally anyway. Take advantage of these foils too:

Highlight the negative attributes of the character's morally grey trait. (I.e. A foil who isn't manipulative has far more people in their life who sincerely trust them)

Show the negative attributes that come from having the opposite character trait. (I.e. A foil who isn't manipulative can't convince someone who is stubborn to do the right thing because they too believe strongly in letting people make their own decisions even when those decisions are harmful)

Don't make them too mysterious

It's a problem that's easy to fall into when writing these types of characters. You want them to be mysterious and misunderstood, but-in doing so-you forget to flesh out the character. The easiest way around this is to give them a backstory-even if the readers only get this in little bits and pieces. The most important thing is to ensure that your character has substance, and that their presence has great impact.

And that's just for morally grey characters let alone the rest! I wanted to start with them first because they are the most complicated when writing characters that feel real. It's very easy to mess up but once you get the hang of it, it should be easier.

Now next character is the sympathetic villain. Think of...the Joker. Joaquin Phoenix's Joker is considered a sympathetic villain since he is a truly evil person but now that you know his backstory, you tend to understand why a person could become that way. So! Here is how to make a sympathetic villain for your story.

Writing a sympathetic villain: Now, despite their immoral actions, sympathetic villains must have relatable motivations.

Make them believe they're the hero.

A sympathetic villain is willing to do bad things because their evil actions will bring about a positive change, from their point of view (POV). Consider how your villain could see themselves as the true hero. Flesh out their perspective by imagining how they see your story's protagonist as their personal villain.

Craft a tragic backstory

A tragic backstory gives your villain a sympathetic reason to justify their evil deeds. You should slowly reveal your villain's tragic backstory as the narrative unfurls. A slow reveal will add an aura of mystery to their motivations while also avoiding a colossal exposition dump early in your story. More on using backstories for your characters in a later chapter.

Give them an internal conflict

Before you begin writing, sit down and flesh out the character. What event is the source of the internal struggle that informs their behaviour in the story? For example, in Harry Potter, Severus Snape's affection for Harry's mother persists long after her death and impacts his treatment towards Harry.

Employ supporting characters

Creating a supporting character who illuminates your villain's sympathetic qualities is a simple way to help readers understand your villain's POV. In the X-Men Saga Professor X, the leader of the heroes, believes he can redeem Magneto, the villain, expressing that he is a virtuous person underneath his darkness.