Writing a Villain

The original concept of “Mix Tapes and Stuff” had a different protagonist and point of view. Critique group members didn’t like it. I came up with a new villain.

The story of teens and greed needed a villain worthy of the topic. I went with things that readers would dislike. Orville insult’s veterans, steals, and the coupe d’ gras, he knocks over a disabled girl. Want a villain, here is one.

I’m torn about how far to take a villain. I read about sensitivity editors and how characters can be interpreted. It seems like there are stories and characters where a writer just has to go there. I watch movies where the villain would use a racial slur in the real world and he doesn’t in the movie. You know that character would and you want the writer to just go there. It would be true.

So do you the writer go down a hole and really write a terrible person but true to him/herself? Do you stop short because of the readers feelings?

With Orville, I went for how terrible this character can be.