How to Write a Villain with Author Ellie Shoja

Every story has some basic characters: the protagonist (main character), antagonist (opposes the main character), and possibly a side-kick, a love interest, or mentor. As authors, we tend to focus on our main character. We spend hours figuring out their wants and needs, their back story, the details of their lives. But do we do the same for our antagonists? Probably not as much. Should we? Yep! This week, my guest author Ellie Shoja has a lot to say about the nuances and layers of creating well-rounded antagonists. Because she grew up with one. As the daughter of an international con man, Ellie moved 30 times and lived in refugee camps in Germany before immigrating to the United States at the age of 15.