villains – J. J. Hanna, Author

The “Misunderstood” Villain

Updated: Feb 24, 2020 “He’s not evil. He’s just misunderstood.” This phrase floated around the internet a lot during the prime of Loki’s Army. I’ve heard it in reference to other villains as well, but as a member of Loki’s Army, well, I’m biased. However, this has become a trope. Villains are becoming less “evil” andContinue reading “The “Misunderstood” Villain”

How to Write a Suspense Novel: Overlapping Motivations

Updated: Oct 18, 2021 This post is part of a continuing discussion on How to Write a Suspense Novel. What you’ll need to write a strong suspense novel: I’ve discussed villain and hero motives before, but as I’ve been editing through my current work in progress and getting feedback from beta readers, I realized another keyContinue reading “How to Write a Suspense Novel: Overlapping Motivations”

Uncommon Motives for your Antagonist

Updated: Feb 24, 2020 It’s been a little while since I took a moment to talk about villains or antagonists, so for this post, I’m going to suggest some different motivations for your antagonist beyond the typical revenge, money, jealousy options. Curiosity. I haven’t seen this one done very often, but it can be a funContinue reading “Uncommon Motives for your Antagonist”

Villain Types: The Carefree and Cruel

We’ve seen them in film. We’ve seen them in books. This villain is evil for the fun of it. They’re cruel for no other reason than that they can be because nothing stands in their way. They don’t care about the consequences if they do get caught, they don’t care about the public’s opinion ofContinue reading “Villain Types: The Carefree and Cruel”

3 Things to Consider when Writing a Villain

Updated: Feb 24, 2020 As a kid, I was inspired by a commentary on the making of Kung Fu Panda, where Ian McShane, the voice of Tai Lung, says something along the lines of, “I love playing villains. They always have the best lines.” I couldn’t agree with him more. From a writer’s perspective, villains areContinue reading “3 Things to Consider when Writing a Villain”