When you are writing novels, one of the easiest things to do is to see your characters as they relate to the plotline. This vision of the characters does not, however, always translate into a well developed character by default. The creation of characters in your novel comes from knowing them from top to bottom, and not just the role they play in your novel. Villains in a novel are particularly important in development as they are to be the primary problem your hero must solve. If that villain is one dimensional, then the hero will not appear very heroic.
For example if you were to write, Captain Hook captured the little girl, you probably would get your point across. If instead you wrote Captain Hook, twisting his curled mustache and laughing that dastardly laugh, captured the little girl as she screamed for Peter Pan, the picture starts to become clearer, and you accomplish more than just advancing the plot. This goes on and on the more detail you give about Hook and the characters around him.
With that said, the biggest favor you can do artistically for your villain is to know him or her. Know the ins, outs, ups, and downs of every facet of their character. Know what they would do in any situation, and what they would not do.
You can begin to do this by doing a character sheet on your villain. Of course you will want all the usual information. Height, weight, hair color, blah, blah, blah. What you really need, however, is the meat and potatoes of the character. Do they have any scary features? Birthmarks? Glass eyes? What makes them visually scary if anything?
Do not forget emotions. What would they do if they saw a little old lady crossing the street? Would they help her across? Would they run her over? Would they help her across while stealing her wallet? Imagine any movie scene involving a protagonist and antagonist, and ask yourself how your villain would react. The same goes for books. Think up as many of these as possible until you are sure of who your villain is.
Once you know who your villain is, it is even more important to tell your reader who they are. You must do this without being obvious, however. Sometimes it is okay to hit the reader in the face with obvious information, but usually it is the subtle hints of evil that are the most powerful and lasting. Never forget that in a great hero book, what is to come is as important as what is happening now.
Spend some time with your reader advancing the plotline while still building your characters. Many writers make the mistake of side tracking into a long, detailed, character background when in fact, it is much more entertaining to insert this information into the action. This is particularly true of the villain. A great villain is sometimes slow and sometimes fast, but they are always moving. Move your villain with evil actions, and let those actions be for a reason. (character background inserted here)
A great villain is necessary for a great hero, and if you follow these basic guidelines, you should have a wonderful antagonist for your hero to fight against.
Image Credited To Flickr User MDH in Houston
