Quote Me: Villainous - Wendy Higgins Interview

Art being used with permission of pascalcampion.com

Answer to Quote #2:

If you guessed SWEET EVIL then you were right!

I asked Wendy Higgins a few villainous questions.  Below are her answers. I really enjoyed them and I hope you do as well. She has a wide variety of bad guys in Sweet Evil.

Villainous Interview:

Please share with me the moment in which the villain reveals his mastermind plot. Or your favorite line from your villain.
Or you can share a summary of the villain's grand scheme.

(collection of lines spoken by Pharzuph, the demon of Lust, to the main character, Anna, when he meets her for the first time)

"How do you expect to be a bad influence to humans if you aren't behaving badly yourself?...He'll have you working to the best of your abilities in no time at all. Don't take too long about it, though. Learn what you need to learn, and get to work."  It's not as much of a mastermind plot as it is the basis of the entire plot line - the fact that Anna must work for the bad guys.

Should villains be seen in black and white? Are they just made in that mold and always will be. Or do you think that villains are made by a series of events that shape them? Is there room for change and redemption?

There are some scary creatures that can be seen in black and white - when they're sort of "unthinking beasts" which is terrifying. But for me the best villians are the ones with a history that's led to their mindset - a reason for choosing evil, and an opening for choosing to change their ways for the better. I love it when villians have a choice.

Did your villain form out of necessity, develop to fit the needs of the story, or come fully formed? Who came first the villain or the hero?

The idea for the villians came first for me. I knew there would be demons on earth, spreading evil - this would be the basis for the story. The numbers changed over time. I started with 22 Dukes, then went down to 7, then back up to 12 for the final draft. 

If placed in current reality how do you think your villain would fare? Would he turn into a couch potato? Would his will for power shrivel up in the face of the Cheeto? Or does he have what it takes to dominate no matter the situation?

The Dukes most definitely have what it takes to work their evil ways in today's reality. They've rolled with civilization's changes for generations and can adjust to any culture and age.

What advice would your villain give to aspiring villains?

When you see a weakness, go for the kill.

Wendy Higgins