Turning Heroes into Monsters: How to Write a Foil Villain

“How can I write a better villain?”

If you’ve been writing for long, I imagine this question has come up at least once or twice along your writing journey. Villains are such important characters to master, not only because they define our plots, but because they shape our heroes too. While a passable villain won’t necessarily hurt your story, an excellent foil villain can elevate it to a whole new level—making them a key tool in your writing arsenal.

The question is, how do you create a villain that has a genuine impact on your protagonist’s adventure? Well, while there are many types of villains out there, some of the most memorable are those who mirror their heroes in interesting ways—and the trick to writing them is to create a foil villain! (more…)