A story is only as strong as its villain. Think about it, would Harry Potter be as compelling without Voldemort? Would The Dark Knight hit as hard without the Joker? A weak antagonist doesn’t just make for a forgettable character; it drains tension from your entire story . Readers want a villain who challenges the hero, shakes them to their core, and, maybe, makes them question whose side they’re really on. Let’s talk about how to build a villain that lingers in your reader

A great plot might keep readers turning pages, but it’s the characters that make a story unforgettable. Readers don’t just want to watch events unfold—they want to feel something, to root for (or against) a character who evolves throughout the story. That’s where character arcs come in. A strong character arc transforms a protagonist from who they are at the beginning of the story to who they become by the end. But not all arcs are the same. Let’s break it down. The Differe