I don’t know if this topic would be better explored in r/books or in r/writing. So if allowed, I’ll post it on both.
Every time I see a professional writer talk about how to write a villain or antagonist in general, the main tip is to always give them a reason why they are doing their deeds. Not doing so is considered poor writing and unrealistic.
“Nobody wakes up in the morning and thinks, ‘I’ll do this evil deed because it is an evil deed and I’m evil’. Remember that all villains are the main characters in their own stories. They must have reasons, motives and conflicts, like any other character in your story. Remember that your antagonist is also a character, so treat him like one.”
On the other hand, way too often, I see readers complaining about how the authors try to justify the villain’s actions with a tragic backstory or logical reasoning. Many posts complain that, if the villain is evil, why is the author trying to make us empathize with them? Other posts, on the same topic, praise 80’s and 90’s shows for having evil villains and not some “lame gray characters.”.
“Literally nobody wants to read two pages worth of why the villain is a victim of the circumstances and is only evil because of this and that. This is fiction. We’re here to have fun, not to relate to evil people. Just give us some bad guys for the good guys to punch. Is this too much to ask for?”
So which one is the truth? Are villian motivations overrated and undesirable, or are they necessary and required? Should I listen to the professional writers or to my future customers?
What do you do in this case? What is your opinion on this matter?
by VTRwriter