Even though they’re usually set up to be the bad guy, a great villain can be just as important—if not more so—than the hero who leads the story.

Yes, heroes inspire and guide us, and the purpose of the villains are usually to challenge the hero’s journey, create conflict, and force the protagonist to rise to new levels of greatness. Without them, stories would be bland and boring, and a well-crafted villain is the cornerstone of a compelling narrative, raising the stakes, driving the plot, and elevating the entire story.

Whether you ever have or ever intend to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo or NaNo) in November, you shouldn’t hold yourself to only writing a book within those 30 days. If you’re like me, you might find out about NaNo right before it starts and have no idea what to do.

Never fear, even if it feels like you totally should.

Today, we’re going to go over character development and getting your characters up and running quickly and efficiently. I’d love it if you feel comfortable sharing one, two, or all of any characters you may develop as a result of this course.