Hi Reader, Here’s a worksheet to create your henchmen. 1) Pick their story job/archetype. ☐ The Dragon: Big Bad’s right hand man / #2 / chief lieutenant. ☐ The Heavy: the most active threat the hero tangles with, even if they’re not the top villain. ☐ The Gatekeeper / Threshold Guardian: blocks access to a place, person, or clue. ☐ The Tracker: keeps the hero from ever truly getting away. ☐ The Temptation engine: tries to pull the hero off the path. 2) Define their rank + reach. ☐ What’s...

Hi Reader, Give your Big Bad a staff meeting worth attending! Supervillains, spies, and wizards rarely work alone. Even the most dramatic Big Bad needs a support system: henchmen, minions, and evil sidekicks. A great henchman is built from three ingredients: Distinct identity: We recognize them instantly. Real motivation: They’re not just evil furniture. Clear function: They have a job in the villain ecosystem. Let’s build your evil team. Make Them Pop: The No Numbers Rule Henchmen should...

Hi Reader, Last week we talked about the villain's journey. Now let's build your villain. 1) Villain or Antagonist? A villain is a malicious character who opposes the hero through selfish, immoral actions. An antagonist is anything that opposes the protagonist’s goal (person, force, idea, emotion). ☐ Is your opposing force malicious (villain), or simply in the way (antagonist)? 2) The Villain thinks he’s the Hero. Your villain wakes up thinking: “I’m justified.” “I’m correcting an injustice.”...