Villain: wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately; principal bad character in a film or work of fiction (WordWeb).
I'd like to add to that: character who refuses to cooperate with your plot.
I started with the definition of villain so we both speak the same language. Mine was named Pietas and he was the bad guy in a book I'd written, edited, rewritten, re-edited, and restarted nine times since 2008.
When the Villain Won't "Villainate"
I had picked it back up, considered it, and set it aside again multiple more times before I realized my problem was not with the plot, the hero, or the concept. It was the villain.
My problem was with my immortal Ultra, Pietas.
He would not do any of the things I thought a bad guy should do. Seriously? A villain who doesn't even swear? What kind of bad guy is that? Although he had used a "bad word" in a book no longer in print, that was me badly writing his character to fit my "vision" of who he was. It felt wrong at the time but I didn't listen to my gut. I should have.
A proper scoundrel
Pietas was cold and inhuman yet his followers obeyed him without question. Unlike the usual dastardly-deed-doer-boss, Pietas had minions who followed him out of loyalty. I'd missed something in creating this villain of mine and I didn't know what it was. I figured I had to either put the book away forever or find a way to make Pietas behave.
Those who know the Bringer of Chaos are laughing right now. Make Pietas do what? Yeah, right!
Talking to a writer friend, I lamented how frustrating this villain was and how difficult it was to write a narcissistic sociopath. She laughed in my face and informed me I couldn't be more wrong. He was not a villain at all, but a passionate, honorable, and humble man who'd been put in a position of being the heavy.
To which I replied, "No, no. I'm talking about Pietas."
Turned out, so was she. Obviously, I had missed far more than I suspected. But what was it?
With her help, we set up an "interview" where she would ask me questions and I would answer as Pietas in a free association format. This is a thought process in which ideas, words or images suggest other ideas in a sequence. Using what I already knew about him, I would try to figure out how he'd answer. I'd role play. Why not? Pietas was not only the king of the immortals in my story, he was the Gamemaster in the role-playing game they all obsessed over, Peril.
We agreed to record it so I could go back and listen again. She would ask open-ended questions that couldn't be answered "yes" or "no" which would elicit conversation. We talked for well over an hour. She asked "Pietas" about his father, how he felt about his mother, why he did not get along with his sister, and why he was so hung up on a previous lover. What had happened to him as a child that made him so angry now? What did he hope to accomplish?
By the end, I had a far deeper understanding of my immortal king. I got to know the real person and not the superficial character I'd written. What showed up in other books was the person he presented to the world. In reality, the psychotic front he showed to others was not at all who he was.
That insight changed everything.
I got to work writing his story instead of the mess I'd been trying to finish. When I completed Origin of Pietas and released it, one reviewer said "He's painted as a complete psycho in other books. It's really great to get some insight into who he truly is." Readers told me they felt Pietas was a real person and I was channeling his energy. My heart sang. I'd accomplished my purpose and revealed the true person to the world.
Oops!
Now, however, I had Pietas talking to me directly, and he wasn't all that happy about my big reveal! I'm trying to sweet-talk him into bringing more his truth into the light, so maybe we'll see a few more books in this series. Wish me luck!
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What a fascinating idea! You’re lucky to have had a friend who could work with you on this “interview”.
I should try this when I can’t figure out what my characters really want or who they are.
That interview was the pivot point on not only one character, but also to my entire story universe.
Glad you were able to discover the real Pietas. May there be another book or two involving him
Thank you. I’m hoping for many. Fascinating character!
I really enjoyed learning the history of Pietas. In many ways, he is similar to my interpretation of Nyarlathotep in my Tales From The Dreamlands series. Nyarlathotep can be brutal, but rather than being the overt destroyer of worlds that his reputation makes him out to be, he gives the power-hungry sorts who call on him enough rope and allows their hubris to destroy them. He treats those who call on him out of desparation entirely differently. He sends them on quests that appear to be wild goose chases while not correcting their belief that he is a merciless deity who will smite them if they don’t obey. After all, he has a reputation to maintain!
I’ve Tumbled this post.
I think these types of characters represent an aspect of the world at large. As you said, they are our interpretations of the archetypes they represent, distilled into story form. I sometimes wonder if I am merely “channeling” the story.
I love this post! Characters like Pietas are my favorite kind. A lot of times defining a villain or hero is about point of view. In most cases, I tend to think of my characters as antagonists instead of villains. I really liked hearing how you went about getting to know Pietas better and developing his personality.
Thank you Kate. He went from being a character I avoided thinking about to being the central character in my story universe. His influence affects every story I write.