Yesterday I decided to make my bad guy in my manuscript more memorable by breathing life into him! I thought about this character and realized he needed to have a unique personality and background, just as my hero and heroine does. Readers don’t want a cookie-cutter character for the villain. Villains need to have dimension.

Of course, it depends on your story but the villain doesn’t have to be an evil person. As the antagonist in the story, his or her role is to oppose the protagonist. It doesn’t matter whether your antagonist is an evil villain or simply an opponent of your protagonist; you need to spend time developing this character. While writing my antagonist, I thought more about him so he will feel real to the reader.

Here are a few tips on how to create interesting and well-rounded villains:

Make them real

Try to understand why your antagonists feel it’s okay to do what they are doing. What is their moral code? How do they view right and wrong? What is in in their backgrounds or personalities that makes it easy for them to commit a crime? In my inspirational romance, NO GREATER LOSS, the bad guy felt it was okay for him to set a fire to a doctor’s house. He blamed her for his fiancée’s suicide. But my bad guy had a few redeeming qualities. I wanted him to evoke complicated emotions.

Obviously, not all villains are mass murderers. Make your villains interesting by giving them characteristics, quirks, and distinct personalities.

Goals and Motivations

Villains need to have well defined goals and motivations. What do they hope to gain? What’s driving them? As you decide the goals, remember that you need to create a villain who fits your particular story. Usually, an opposing relationship should exist between the protagonist and antagonist. In NO GREATER LOSS, the villain didn’t want the doctor to die but wanted her to suffer and feel loss when she no longer has what she loves the most.

Make them smart

Smart villains make for great stories. Making both the antagonist and protagonist intelligent helps to give the story tension. If the villain is stupid, then the hero or heroine can easily defeat him and win.

Make the Villains Foils

Create your villain as a foil for your protagonist. You shouldn’t randomly pick a villain, but should be created to challenge your heroine and hero. What strengths will your antagonist bring out in your protagonist? When these two go at it, what weaknesses will surface?
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Good luck on creating villains who are interesting, intelligent and motivated toward their goals. Hopefully, they will push your protagonists through their characters arcs!

Okay, I need to get back to writing my villain.

We closed our inground pool on Monday, but didn’t finish until yesterday when we put water bags at two ends. Unfortunately, our winter cover needs the bags to keep the leaves from blowing underneath. When we purchased the cover, one of the reasons was so we didn’t have to mess with the cumbersome and heavy bags. But at least, we don’t have to do each side.

Memories of summer were in my mind as we did all the steps while closing the pool for the season. A lot happened - Amanda had a part-time summer job, Tom and I went on a cruise, enjoyed the hot days by hanging out by the pool and swimming, and I read several great books. One was Kinzie Monroe’s NO GREATER LOVE. I’ll write a review on it soon. I also enjoyed reading Candice Hern’s Regency Romances. She definitely knows this time period and includes many wonderful details in her stories.

How in the world did the summer go by so quickly? Yes, summer isn’t officially over yet according to the calendar, but with some cooler days and nights it does seem like it’s over. It went down to 42 degrees last night.

I had hoped to be further along with my wip by the end of summer. I started writing it in March but haven’t been able to write daily. I’m making progress even though it’s going slowly. I’m on chapter 12 and I’m more than half done. I hope I can get an agent for this book and I have a series planned. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

What about you - did you enjoy your summer?

I’m delighted to have J.S. Bailey visiting here today. I remember her asking insightful questions about writing and publishing when she was only in the eighth grade. Her English teacher had invited me to speak to the class about my published Christmas book.

Let’s get started. J.S., I know everyone’s interested in learning more about you and your wonderful new release! What inspired you to begin writing?

I started writing little “stories” when I was in kindergarten (this was around 1994). They were more like picture books than anything else. Since I have written from such a young age, I do not know what inspired me to write. It’s like breathing: I do it to live. It’s what I was born to do!

What is your writing process like? Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?

I sort of do a combination of both. I usually jot down key plot points that I want to meet and then go from there. Some things get changed in the process. As a side note, for The Land Beyond the Portal I drew up family trees and a map to help me keep track of things. Notes like these can definitely come in handy!

Tell three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

Hmm, this is tough! I guess one thing is that I LOVE Halloween and am slightly obsessed with the macabre. I like reading about hauntings, though I have no desire to go on a “ghost hunt.” Second, I used to be a huge Star Wars nerd. (These days I am only a slight Star Wars nerd—I no longer yearn for my own lightsaber.) And last of all, I love to travel. My favorite vacation destinations so far have been Arizona and Costa Rica. I would love to go back to both!

How do you go about developing your characters?

First, I come up with who they are (protagonist, best friend, etc.), and then I go about giving them names. Baby name books and phone books are great resources in the naming process because they can help an author come up with more original monikers for their characters. Then I start coming up with personality traits and interests. It’s helpful to create character profiles listing other qualities such as fears, desires, and goals. A lot of the characteristics I write down in the profiles end up changing a bit once I start writing, but it’s still nice to have basic guidelines on who the character is supposed to be.

Has being published changed you at all? If so, how?

I feel no different today than I did before my novel was published. I’m still the same old Me, and nothing is going to change that.

Tell us about your new release, The Land Beyond the Portal. Where can readers buy it?

The Land Beyond the Portal tells the story of Laura, a teenage girl who awakens at the bottom of a staircase with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She is snowed inside the house and has no way to call for help. She decides to start exploring the house and ends up discovering a secret room beneath the basement. Somehow by stepping into this room, she is transported to an unfamiliar land where people live in the “primitive” ways of her ancestors. The village where Laura arrives seems like a peaceful place at first glance, but she soon discovers that unrest exists among the villagers. Ugly rumors are spreading about the village’s leader, and Laura learns that the villagers worship a sinister deity who bears no resemblance to her own, loving God. Laura must try to remember who she is and get home, and in the act she uncovers a myriad of forbidden secrets that might keep her trapped in the Land Beyond the Portal.

The Land Beyond the Portal may be purchased from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Family Christian Stores, and other online booksellers. It is available as a paperback and an ebook.

The Land Beyond the Portal sounds like a fantastic read.
Where is the one place that is on your wish-list to visit?

Only one place? I think it would be neat to visit Alaska—but only during the summer.

Where can your fans find you on the internet?

I can be found at the following sites:
www.jsbaileywrites.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-S-Bailey/170708882975440
http://twitter.com/#!/jsbailey_author

CLICK HERE TO BUY from Amazon

To buy from Barnes & Noble, click here!

READERS, ENJOY THIS EXCERPT from THE LAND BEYOND THE PORTAL:

As she placed her left foot on the floor, something very bizarre started to happen. All of a sudden, something clicked and a low, humming vibration filled the room. It made Laura’s insides feel like they were shaking. A small amount of light appeared from nowhere, and she felt her heart racing in fear. She turned to leave as fast as she could but found some invisible force field was preventing her from getting
past the first step. The air began to crackle, and a considerable amount of static electricity raised all the hairs on her arms and scalp.

Her mind whirling in panic and confusion, Laura tried running back up the stairs, determined to get out of there as fast as possible. This time, it felt as if she was actually getting through.

Laura started to lose consciousness as she climbed, trying to escape the strange phenomenon behind her. Suddenly, she was
surrounded by an intense, blinding white light and she was gone.

Thank you, J.S., for spending time with us. Best of luck with your new book, The Land Beyond the Portal.

EVERY WRITER wants to hear this from a reader - that your book is a page turner! This review was just posted on Amazon!

5 *****

It’s a day for rejoicing when a reader finds a book like “A Christmas Gift.” Author Diane Craver has created a book that is so original, written so beautifully, carries such poignancy and renders such an emotionally satisfying experience that I absolutely could not put it down.

Let’s talk about the emotional impact first. Ms. Craver puts you in the mind and heart of Debby, the little seven-year old girl from whose point of view this story is told. Yet, we as adult readers feel the struggle of her daddy, too, who has a secret. When Debby sets out to give her daddy a special Christmas gift, the emotional impact is heartwarming and unforgettable, and speaks volumes about the true meaning of love.

Now, for Ms. Craver’s talent as an author let’s talk about her technical skills: her dialogue is authentic, her pacing is flawless, her use of language is masterful and her execution of this beautiful, but difficult, subject matter is sensitive and realistic.

I honestly loved this book, and personally would even go as far to say it had a very inspirational dimension to it, and could be read almost as a parable. The beauty of this book is that it could mean so much to so many, being interpreted so many ways, yet retain its presence and individuality. This is story-telling at its finest! Great job and a joy to read!

Reviewed by Regina Andrews

Buy here!

On Tuesday I went with my daughter-in-law and son Bartholomew, and Lea’s mother, Lony, to Christ Hospital. We were to learn the gender of her unborn baby at this particular ultrasound screening.

Lea was POSITIVE she was carrying a baby girl. She had chosen the name Evelyn for Baby Craver. When the technician told us that the baby was a boy, Lea’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe that it was a boy instead of the girl she expected. Bart had a BIG smile on his face. I can see the baby boy wearing a Notre Dame t-shirt after he’s born. Bart’s a big Fighting Irish fan - my husband Tom is too! They hadn’t talked much about boy names but they have plenty of time. The baby isn’t due until 2012.

So our first grandchild will be a boy!

By the way, the baby made the technician’s job a bit difficult because he was constantly moving around.

HAVE A SUPER HOLIDAY WEEKEND!