Every reader loves a good villain, and most writers love them too.  If you rack your brain about some of the most memorable characters in books, movies, and on TV, I’d bet more than a few villains pop up.

I personally find antagonists fascinating.  Sometimes I find them even more fascinating than many heroes out there, and it’s difficult for me to take my attention and shift it back where it belongs (and before you say I should make my villain my main character, I’ve already done that a few times.  Great minds think alike!).

What’s interesting, though, is that when creating antagonists, more than a few writers forget the most important part.

A good antagonist isn’t necessarily just a villain at large in your story world – sometimes he or she isn’t even a bad person at all.  The most important thing to remember about your antagonist is that they are…