So you want to write a really good villain into your story. Let me tell you, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Good bad guys (or girls) are hard to get right. Remember, not every story needs a villain. Opposing sides need not be Good and Evil, but might just have different viewpoints. One really excellent series I’ll mention is the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust. Thinking hard, I can’t really recall a solid villain anywhere in the books, just opposing viewpoints being discussed with sharp implements, and lots of really great satire and a really sideways hero.

Remember, there are lots of types of villains. The type that used to drive me crazy, and still does, is the typical James Bond villain. Other than being innately evil, there was very little motivation there. I mean it’s fun to be evil, but where’s the net gain? Not very real…

One type of villain that is very real is the misguided fellow who thinks he or she is doing right, and that the end justifies any means… The name Hitler comes to mind when I think of that type of villain.

Then there’s the type of villain that makes your blood run cold. The Silence of the Lambs type of villain: utterly insane, but diabolical, relentless and frightfully intelligent. I’m thinking of Hannibal Lecter, not the clumsy guy who was making a new dress out of human skin. That is a useful plot tool, but not really a villain. Yes, I know people like that exist, but it is really so much more interesting to crawl around inside a Hannibal Lecter, then a simple psychopathic slasher.

The possibilities are endless…

What am I getting at? Hmmm… well, I think I’m getting at how to achieve these different types of villains. This is often difficult, since you and I are normal, well balanced, upstanding… law abiding…. Uh… yeah…

That’s my point!

We’ve all got a dark side, an inner maniac, a voice that tells us to ram our car into that imbecile exiting the “IN” lane at the donut shop. And not just that guy, but the one who plots his boss’ death in great detail, even down to how to dispose of the pieces with the document shredder… Now, tell the truth, you’ve done that. There’s no harm in admitting it. This is what separates us (the sane ones) from the real villains; we don’t act on those impulses! But that doesn’t mean we can’t use our inner villains to create really great ones for our fiction.

So, indulge yourself. Get in touch with your inner villain. Light some black candles, pour a glass of dark red wine, play some really dark music (goth works for me), and let the blood flow onto the page.

And if you scare yourself into a sleepless night… you know you’re doing it right!

As writers we should always seek inspiration. That is a given.

When a writer becomes isolated to the point that he or she only feeds on his or her own thoughts, I think the creative process suffers. My opinion, once again. Literature is rife with examples to the contrary, of course, but I am speaking of my own experience. I have to get out, experience, play, see, watch, do, to really get my creative juices going.

Or, sometimes, all I have to do is click.

I am utterly convinced that the internet is the greatest boon to a writer since the dictionary. A friend of mine threw a link to me for David Brin’s website. Brin is a consummate author, ruinously intelligent and a fountain of imagination, and his blog is a true joy. He recently did a “Potpourri time” piece where he throws out some interesting facts for everyone to enjoy. One that caught my eye, and my mind was this New York Times piece on vastly different phenomenon that show similar patterns.

Okay, boys and girls, if this doesn’t get your creative juices flowing, check your pulse.

I immediately started thinking about my pseudo-humorous theory in Cheese Runners that the universe is a living thing, and that it doesn’t particularly like us. Well, here’s my evidence… well, really I hope not, but it sounds pretty cool.

So no big moral or hint on this one, except to find inspiration where you can, and enjoy life outside your own little world. You never know what might jump up and bite you on your imagination.

If you ever have an opportunity, as a fan of science fiction and/or fantasy, you simply must make the investment and spend the four days in Atlanta when reality is rent and the wonderful insanity of DragonCon takes over downtown. Three sensational hotels in a row are completely overwhelmed by the almost 50,000 fans that go through the venue in the four days of the convention. I have gone twice, running my little bookstore out of the Dealer’s Room during the day and exploring during the off hours. I miss quite a few of the daytime activities, panels and workshops, but the nightime is almost as good.

The variety and scope of the fans and the stars, authors, events and announcements of upcoming events that they have come to see never ceases to astound me. The costumes are amazing, and most are hand made. Check out the huge number of photos on their site, or glance through the few that I have on mine. Now these are fans!

Besides these events, and the fantastic fans, there are opportunities to make contacts at these conventions that you cannot get anywhere else. Where else will published authors walk up to your booth and exchange books and hugs with you, having only met you by e-mail or in passing. Jana G. Oliver is a great author, as well as being one of those honestly “good people” you meet all too few of in this crazy business. Her work is some of the most imaginative and original I’ve read in years, and she really knows how to do her research. Do yourself a favor and visit her site.

Anyway, pardon my ramble, but I love this genre so much I just wanted to share it with you. After all, that’s why I’m a writer, right?