I was writing my characters all wrong for 3 years

I always gave my villains some tragic backstory to make them sympathetic, until my beta reader asked why the hero had no clear motivation. That one comment made me realize I was spending all my energy on the bad guys and neglecting the actual protagonist. Has anyone else had a reader point out a blind spot in your storytelling?

4 comments

4 Comments

felixhenderson2d ago

Wait, don't even villains need more than just a sad backstory to feel real though?

mileslane13h ago

Oh man, I gotta push back a little here lol. I don't think giving a villain a sad backstory automatically makes them sympathetic or cheapens anything. It's more about how you write it. Like, you can have a tragic past and still be a total monster, think of someone like Darth Vader or even Killmonger. The backstory just explains why they are the way they are, it doesn't have to excuse their actions. A villain can have a rough childhood and still do terrible things that you don't forgive them for, that's what makes them feel real to me.

jana76913h ago

Right, totally with you on the Killmonger example. That's the key - the backstory doesnt give them a free pass, it just fills in the blanks. Like, his dad being killed by the same system he's fighting against? That explains the rage, it doesnt make the whole genocide plan okay. It's like the difference between "this explains why you're like this" and "oh you poor thing, do whatever you want." If the writing leans too hard into the sympathy part, then yeah it falls flat. But if you use it to show the twisted logic behind their choices, like how Magneto's Holocaust trauma makes him see non-mutants as a threat, that's gold. That's what makes a villain stick with you long after the credits roll.

walker.julia3d ago

Actually that thing about tragic backstories making villains sympathetic, it's not always the best move. I had a writing teacher who said if you give every bad guy a sad childhood it cheapens the ones who are just plain evil. It might be worth asking if your hero's motivation is something simple but strong, like wanting to protect someone or get revenge.