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Rayne Hall
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Writing About Villains: How to Create Compelling Dark Characters for Your Fiction (Writer's Craft Book 5) Kindle Edition

by Rayne Hall (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 192 ratings
Create fiends whom your readers will love to hate and can never forget.

Forget the cardboard evil-doers with their evil laughter and stinking breath. Your villains will have personality, ideals, feelings and conflicts. They will challenge your heroes, chill your readers, and give your novel excitement and depth.

This book is part of the Writer's Craft Series: Writing Fight Scenes, Writing Scary Scenes, The Word-Loss Diet, Writing About Villains, and more.

Please note: This book assumes that you have some fiction writing experience. You'll benefit most if you've already mastered the basics of the craft and want to learn specialist techniques. It is not recommend for absolute beginners.

British English.
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  1. Accessibility
    Learn more
  2. Publication date
    January 7, 2014
  3. Part of series
    Writer's Craft
  4. Language
    English
  5. File size
    236 KB
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There are 38 books in this series.
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BWYEGX0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rayne Hall
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 7, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 236 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 78 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Writer's Craft
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 192 ratings

About the author

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Rayne Hall

Rayne Hall

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Rayne Hall MA is the author of over 100 books, mostly Dark Fantasy and Gothic Horror, e.g. The Bride’s Curse: Bulgarian Gothic Ghost and Horror Stories. She is also the acclaimed editor of Gothic, Fantasy and Horror anthologies (e.g. Among the Headstones: Creepy Tales from the Graveyard) and author of the bestselling Writer’s Craft series for advanced-level writers, including and the bestselling Writer’s Craft series e.g. Writing Gothic Fiction Writing Scary Scenes, Writing Vivid Settings, Writing Vivid Dialogue, Writing Vivid Characters, Writing Deep Point of View.

Born and raised in Germany, Rayne Hall has lived in China, Mongolia, Nepal and Britain. Now she resides in a village in Bulgaria, where men perform the annual demon dance, ghosts and sirens beckon, and abandoned decaying houses hold memories of a glorious past.

Her lucky black rescue cat Sulu often accompanies her when she explores spooky derelict buildings. He delights in walking across shattered roof tiles, scratching charred timbers and sniffing at long-abandoned hearths. He even senses the presence of ghosts… but that’s another story.

Rayne has worked as an investigative journalist, development aid worker, museum guide, apple picker, tarot reader, adult education teacher, belly dancer, magazine editor, publishing manager and more, and now writes full time.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
192 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a treatise on creating villains, with one review noting how it delves into the antagonist's psyche. Moreover, the book receives positive feedback for its information quality, with customers describing it as very informative and an excellent resource. Additionally, they appreciate its ease of reading, with one customer highlighting the useful writing exercises included.

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Villain developmentInformation qualityEase of writing
23 customers mention "Villain development"23 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's comprehensive approach to villain development, with one customer noting how it helps flesh out characters, while another mentions how it delves into the antagonist's psyche.

"...This is a great little book dissecting the types of villains that illuminate what not to do in order to avoid clichés and gives a breakdown of all..." Read more

"This book is very helpful in discovering your book's villain. Your villain is there, deep down in the plot, notes, and maps of your own story...." Read more

"...It also helped me create more rounded individuals and narrow down their personality and motivations." Read more

"...Rayne reveals a very simple approach to how to add depth and intricacy to a villain so if you follow this easy-to-read book, you will never have..." Read more

21 customers mention "Information quality"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very informative, describing it as an excellent guide that will provide great help.

"I found the book enlightening, it tries to describe some of the most used types of villains used in fiction, and also how to deepen their traits..." Read more

"...times while running through your story, but besides that it's an excellent book. I highly recommend. Good luck to all you writers out there...." Read more

"Another in Rayne Hall's series of pamphlets on how to write. There's some good, if sketchy and rather obvious, advice on how to create bad guys...." Read more

"...Again, another great book that helps authors craft their stories. Rayne manages to capture what you need without being verbose...." Read more

18 customers mention "Ease of writing"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written, with one customer noting it includes useful exercises to help improve writing skills.

"...It should also be interesting for readers. If you read a lot of books this book reveals many of the tricks used in those books...." Read more

"...If you're like me then you need a hard copy to work with, it's easier to add notes and to walk around with when you are rehearsing a scene...." Read more

"...Again, another great book that helps authors craft their stories. Rayne manages to capture what you need without being verbose...." Read more

"...to add depth and intricacy to a villain so if you follow this easy-to-read book, you will never have anything cookie-cutter about your character...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Gatsby
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent little manual on villains
    Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    As I begin a new project, I find myself thinking about my villain. I don't want just a regular bad guy. I want someone truly scary. Scary because he's actually lovable and inside he's dealing with his own issues and I want some part of my reader to be rooting for him in some small way. Ultimately, he will go too far as his flaws deepen, but I want my protagonist to struggle with him in the worst way.

    No evil cackling laughs.

    No stenchy breath, breathing down her neck.

    No evil madman that's evil just for the sake of being evil.

    So I went to the old trusted Amazon and found "Writing About Villains" by Rayne Hall.

    I devoured this thing in about two hours. It would have been faster, but I was too busy taking notes. This is a great little book dissecting the types of villains that illuminate what not to do in order to avoid clichés and gives a breakdown of all the notorious types of antagonists. Throughout reading, I was able to develop my villain (at least in brain-storming stage) and I know exactly what I want to do...for the most part. I am struggling a bit with how I'm going to keep my bad guy charismatic while giving him the embodiment of Smother Mother (yes, he's male :)

    You see, I write dystopian and I'm tired of the bad guy being the head of some evil government. I'm working on a new project that hopefully will break the stereotypes of dystopian and give a whole new spin on villains.

    I would recommend this book to anyone who is having trouble fleshing out their bad guys.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • OceansBlu77
    4.0 out of 5 stars very helpful
    Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This helped me exactly the way I needed, I just wish it was a little longer. Overall, I’m happy with it.
    Helpful
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  • Rune_1975
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening read about villains in fiction.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I found the book enlightening, it tries to describe some of the most used types of villains used in fiction, and also how to deepen their traits making them believable characters.
    The book solidifies things you may have noticed earlier, but have not been able to put your finger on and describe.
    It should also be interesting for readers. If you read a lot of books this book reveals many of the tricks used in those books. I immediately recognized characters from several of the books I have read before. giving me the insight to see what the writer had done to make the character so believable.
    For a writer it will give tips on how to construct a believable villain. You may already be using some of these techniques without knowing, but I found it fun to analyze my own writing with the tips in this book.

    I would recommend this book to you if you want to see how villains can be made from the ground up. Either as a writer or as a reader. I have seen stories out there that could have been improved using techniques from this book.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • J. Scott
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the read, especially for the price.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book is very helpful in discovering your book's villain. Your villain is there, deep down in the plot, notes, and maps of your own story. This book helps draw him/her out, all while avoiding some common mistakes and clichés. I really enjoyed this book and it has helped me a lot. I ended up buying all of the Writer's Craft collection because of this one. They are all very well done books, and are the perfect books for beginning and intermediate writers. The only downside was that I was unable to print the book off after I bought it. If you're like me then you need a hard copy to work with, it's easier to add notes and to walk around with when you are rehearsing a scene. You can only drop a tablet so many times while running through your story, but besides that it's an excellent book. I highly recommend. Good luck to all you writers out there. Don't give up. If you don't write it the world will never read it. God bless!
    Helpful
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  • AMY KEBERT
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I found this book to be very helpful in generating new ideas for my villains. It also helped me create more rounded individuals and narrow down their personality and motivations.
    Helpful
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  • Rick Cook
    4.0 out of 5 stars Villians for pulp fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Another in Rayne Hall's series of pamphlets on how to write. There's some good, if sketchy and rather obvious, advice on how to create bad guys. As with all Hall's pamphlets, the advice is aimed at absolute beginners writing pulp fiction. Worth it if you're a beginner.
    Helpful
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  • Melissa AKA LoneCreatureTM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Need help to create awesome villains? This is worth buying
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I'm behind in my reviews so I'm doing some quickies

    Again, another great book that helps authors craft their stories. Rayne manages to capture what you need without being verbose.

    Rayne doesn't just offer tips and tricks, with great examples and explanations, but tries to make you think as well. For example, she talks about "hands" and how you can control pace and increase tension just by focusing on a villain's hands/claws.

    Finally, there are assignments to help you really think about the section you read and how you might apply them to your story.
    Helpful
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  • Anna Erikssön Bendewald
    5.0 out of 5 stars Don't write another villain without reading this book.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I have a very good villain in my book, but before I started my rewrite I read this book (suggested by my editor) and what Rayne Hall does with Writing About Villains is clarify each archetypal baddy in history. That helped me to remove myself from my character and see him clearly. Then Rayne reveals a very simple approach to how to add depth and intricacy to a villain so if you follow this easy-to-read book, you will never have anything cookie-cutter about your character. You will have a nuanced villain that lives in the minds of your readers.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • MCG
    5.0 out of 5 stars WRITING ABOUT THE VILLAINS
    Reviewed in France on September 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Super conseils, super livre pour peaufiner son personnage. Je recommande ce livre à tous les écrivains perfectionnistes
    cherchant à créer des oeuvre de qualité.
    Report
  • SCrawford
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great, simple, easy read!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    For any of your aspiring or struggling writers, this is the book for you (amongst Rayne Hall's other works). I am a published author, with one novel out (No Secrets: Eternity Series; available on Amazon also) at only 18, but I knew my next book needed to step up. I'm now seeking books and other materials to help improve my writing, characters and plot to be as deep as I'm envisioning it in my head. Rayne Hall provides an array of truly useful information about villains, considering elements you may not have considered before or things you didn't realise you were doing and how you could expand upon them. As a slow reader, and a poor one, I loved this book! It helped me without confusing me or shoving a lot of junk down my throat! I already knew who my villains were because of the complexity of my sequel (having various PoV characters) I was finding it hard establishing the villains and how they fit it. Each villain needed to be real from each PoV and this book helped with that! Thanks Rayne Hall.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on March 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    in the peak
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  • JuleM
    1.0 out of 5 stars Enttäuschend
    Reviewed in Germany on February 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Ein dünnes Heftchen mit Tipps wie aus einem drittklassigen Anfängerschreibkurs. Eigentlich widerstrebt es mir so eine schlechte Bewertung abzugeben, aber das war wirklich zu viel Geld für nichts.
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  • janie glasgow
    4.0 out of 5 stars Does what it says on the cover
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a well-written book which gives the much-needed advice on how to develop a villainous character. However, it does graphically describe the character of villains, (not surprisingly!) I'm not sure I want to write about them now, because they are truly awful !!!
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