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IWW Practice-W Exercise Archives
Exercise: Villains Make the Story

These exercises were written by IWW members and administrators to provide structured practice opportunities for its members. You are welcome to use them for practice as well. Please mention that you found them at the Internet Writers Workshop (http://www.internetwritingwor kshop.org/).

Prepared by: Carter Jefferson
Posted on: January 7, 2007
Reposted on: June 29, 2008

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Exercise: In 400 words or less, write at least the beginning of a story or memoir in
which we see a villain at work and learn something of his or her motivation.

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Villains come in both sexes, in all shapes and sizes. Some know they're doing harm
for their own benefit, while others think they're doing the right thing, even though
someone will suffer. Every mystery has a villain for the hero to hunt down, and they
are common in novels of every genre.

Not all villains have curly mustaches. The schoolyard bully might be one; so might a
designing woman or a man intent on getting what he wants. Family members have
been known to hurt each other physically or emotionally. Some villains are subtle,
using their offices in corporations or government to help one group of people at the
expense of others. Some have redeeming features that make them seem more human.
And sometimes readers find the villains engaging.

There's Inspector Javert, who believed in enforcing the law at all costs.  Hannibal
Lecter liked to eat the census taker's liver with fava beans and chianti. The Big
Bad Wolf ate Grandma, but couldn't keep her down. The evil-doers in "Lord of the
Flies" are children. In Ann Patchett's "Bel Canto," a band of revolutionaries are the
villains. Read Shakespeare for a veritable gallery of villains, one of whom was an
ambitious lady who lived in Scotland.

Most of us will write about villains of some kind at some point. Let us have the
beginning of a story in which you let us see the villain at work and give us some idea
of what prompts that character to do those evil deeds.  

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Exercise: In 400 words or less, write at least the beginning of a story or memoir in
which we see a villain at work and learn something of his or her motivation.

-------------------------

In your critiques, let the writer know how well the villain is portrayed. Is the character
evil through and through, or simply someone tempted beyond resistance? Is the sin
something worthy of being called villainous, or just an inadvertent error that causes
someone pain? Is the motivation clear? Would you read more to see what happens?
And critique the writing in general.


Web site created by Rhéal Nadeau and the administrators of the Internet Writing Workshop.
Modified by Gayle Surrette.