The one most important characteristic in every villain.

Bad guys.

Every show has them.

But how do you make sure that your bad guy isn’t . . . well . . . bad.  (And I’m not talking Michael Jackson “Bad,” btw.)

I’ve seen a few shows and read a few scripts lately, which have all suffered a similar flaw in the construction of their “bad guy”.  So I spent some time over the holiday weekend thinking about some of my favorite bad boys and remembered why they were my favorite . . .

And you know what it was?

No matter how bad they were, I loved them . . . even just a little.

It’s a simple rule, but it’s easily forgotten.

Think about your favorite evildoers in your favorite stories  . . . Javert, Dracula, Darth Vader, Hannibal Lecter . . . there is something about them that no matter how villainous they may be . . . no matter how many things you wish they hadn’t done . . . you still love them just a bit.  (A quick tip on telling whether a villain has made its ways into the hearts of audience members?  If people want to dress up as the character for Halloween, the Author has done his/her job.)

Fail to make sure your audience feels this way about your villain, and, well, you’ll end up with a moustache twirling cliche that won’t move your audience and won’t move tickets.

(For more classic storytelling techniques, check out this book – it was written for screenwriters, but I find it to be a bible for writing musicals especially).

Who is your favorite villain?

 

(Got a comment?  I love ’em, so comment below!  Email subscribers, click here, then scroll down, to say what’s on your mind!)

——-

FUN STUFF

– VOTE for Producer of the Year!  Click here!

– Learn How To Market Your Show with Email in the Email Marketing Seminar on Jan. 12th.  Register Today!

Podcasting

Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.

LEARN MORE