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My kid asked why my story's hero always wins the fight
We were talking about my space pirate story over breakfast, and my seven year old just said 'but what if the bad guy is just scared, like when I have a bad dream?'. I had to stop and think about writing a whole scene from the villain's point of view. How do you make a bad guy feel real without making your hero seem weak?
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stellabennett2mo ago
Love that your kid made you think about the villain's fear! @sagelane has a great point about it making the win harder. But I don't think a villain's fear makes them weak. It makes them scary in a different way. Think of a cornered animal, it's terrified but it will fight the hardest. Your space pirate hero could win by understanding that fear, maybe even using it, not just by being stronger. That makes your hero clever, not weak at all.
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sagelane2mo ago
Used to think villains needed to be pure evil for the hero to look good. Your kid's question is smart though. Giving the villain a real fear, like your kid's bad dream example, makes the hero's win harder but more meaningful. The hero isn't beating up someone weak, they're stopping someone dangerous who's also messed up and scared.
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luna_sanchez1mo ago
Same thing happened to me at the breakfast table a few months back. I read somewhere that the best villains are the ones you almost feel sorry for, but then they remind you why you can't. Totally agree with @sagelane on the cornered animal idea, that's exactly how I ended up writing my villain's backstory. Made him way more interesting because now the hero has to outthink someone who's both dangerous and desperate, not just a cardboard cutout of evil. Keeps the win feeling earned without making the hero look soft.
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