An interesting thought crossed my befuddled brain the other day. It entertained my muse for hours on end and so- I’ve decided to share it with you.

May your muse torment you as much as mine has [does].

Me: *glares at Sebastian*
Muse: *flashes a charming smile*
Me: “Don’t play innocent!”
Muse: *strikes dramatic pose* “You wound me, writer-dearest.”
Me: *plots evil things*
Muse: “Mission complete.” *dances*

We digress…

How does your villain relax? Really. Think about it!

At the end of the day when all their plotting has gone awry and all evil deeds have been foiled- what does your bad guy do to wind down?

Grab a drink at the local pub? Go bowling? Plaster pictures of their oh-too-nice nemesis on the ceiling and shoot darts at them? Take a bubble bath?

How do they relax?

Get a facial? Meditate? Overthrow a small city?

And how do they pick themselves back up again? Surely it’s no easy feat to get back out there and try again after being defeated so soundly. Some villains are shot down time after time- what keeps them coming back for more when all hope seems lost?

Remember, your villains are characters too. They aren’t one dimensional ‘things’ to be left in the backdrop. In some cases you might not need to flesh them out as much as your protagonist but it certainly helps the plot.

That and it’s just fun to think about. :)