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Sacha Black

13 Steps to Evil: How to Craft Superbad Villains (Better Writers Series) Paperback – May 12, 2017

by Sacha Black (Author)

210 ratings

Part of: Better Writers Series (10 books)

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Your hero is not the most important character in your book. Your villain is.

Are you fed up of drowning in two-dimensional villains? Frustrated with creating clichés? And failing to get your reader to root for your villain?

In 13 Steps to Evil, you’ll discover:

+ How to develop a villain’s mindset

+ A step-by-step guide to creating your villain from the ground up

+ Why getting to the core of a villain’s personality is essential to make them credible

+ What pitfalls and clichés to avoid as well as the tropes your story needs

Finally, there is a comprehensive writing guide to help you create superbad villains. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned writer, this book will help power up your bad guy and give them that extra edge.

These lessons will help you master and control your villainous minions, navigate and gain the perfect balance of good and evil, as well as strengthening your villain to give your story the tension and punch it needs.

If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create the best villains you can, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting superbad villains. Read 13 Steps to Evil today and start creating kick-ass villains.

Print length

220 pages
Language

English
Publication date

May 12, 2017
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

1999722515
ISBN-13

978-1999722517
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sacha Black has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules. She also has the mind of a perpetual sixteen-year-old, only with slightly less drama and slightly more bills. Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing. She lives in Hertfordshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. When she's not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, blogging, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atlas Black Publishing (May 12, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1999722515
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1999722517
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #172,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #522 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
- #673 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)

Customer Reviews:
210 ratings

About the author

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Sacha Black

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Sacha Black has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules. She also has the mind of a perpetual sixteen-year-old, only with slightly less drama and slightly more bills.

Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing. She lives in Cambridgeshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son.

When she’s not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, blogging, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules.

You can get Sacha's free villains mini course by visiting her website: www.sachablack.co.uk

To stay up to date with her latest fiction works, sign up here: https://sachablack.co.uk/signup

You can also find her on Instagram @sachablackauthor

And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sachablackauthor/

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4 star		16%
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1 star		1%

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Aisling D.Top Contributor: Writing

Stylish writing, but that - and the formatting - get in the way of good advice

Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2018

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If you're looking for an entertaining book about writing villains, you might like this book.

Maybe.

The first problem is the formatting. This (printed) book is not easy to read. In fact, it gives me a headache after just four or five pages. (Tip: You can get away with two fonts, if one is a plain serif and one is a fairly simple san serif. Two serif fonts AND both used in bold, italics, and lots of different point sizes...? No. It's jarring.)

The second problem is editing. The light, sometimes-snarky humor is hilarious. It should remain, as-is.

However, the serious advice in this book is in desperate need of editing. It's just too dry, and sometimes verbose. It needs to be clean and tightly written, in a journalistic style. That's what would flow better with the regular jabs and giggles of the author's personal commentary.

All in all, the advice in this book seems excellent. I just can't seem to get past the first few chapters, because I lose my focus and patience with the style of the book.

Really, that's too bad, because I think Ms. Black's insights probably outshine most others' who write about crafting villains for fiction. With some judicious editing (which she might be able to do herself, now that she has distance from the original manuscript) and more cohesive formatting, this book could be a classic.

14 people found this helpful

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D. W. Peach

Create great villains with this guide

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2017

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Sacha Black makes a great point in the opening of this book - that a villain is at least as important as the hero and rarely gets an equivalent amount of attention as a book is crafted. And we all love a great villain, whether we know it or not, because a great villain makes our hero miserable, which promises a satisfying payoff when the hero prevails!

Black is thorough, elaborating on 13 different factors related specifically to villain development, though many of the points, including those covering motivation, conflict, and authenticity, apply to all characters. Villain-specific chapters address such things as female villains, cliches, the villain psyche, and anti-heroes. There is a thoughtful chapter on mental health challenges in relation to building a villain's profile.

In general, Black's presentation is a hoot, witty and conversational, and a joy to read. The book is well-organized with summaries at the end of each chapter and references and appendices in the back. Once read, the book can easily serve as an ongoing resource. 13 Steps to Evil is a must-read for new writers and has some good reminders/tips for seasoned writers as well.

18 people found this helpful

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Tango

Don't Think, BUY This Book NOW. You Need It.

Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2017

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13 Steps To Evil: How To Craft Superbad Villains
I consider myself something of a collector of writing books. Over the past 3 years I purchase as many writing books as I do fiction book on different subjects to strengthen my skills as a writer and to build on my writer toolkit. I have a few authors I stick with, a few series I frequent, then every so often I'll grab one if it has the right kind of title. This book fell into my third category, so props on the title.
I've been working on Point-of-View and tips on choosing the best POV to tell your story, and in one book they suggested that you should never show your villain's point-of-view until you are at least 3/4ths of the way through your story. That struck me as odd, so I began to think of what the story would or could look like if I were to look through the villain's perspective the whole way? I didn't expand much on the thought at the time, but sure enough, I came across this title and decided "Oh, I gotta buy this."
Let me tell you, I'm so glad I did. I got the Kindle version, but I'll most likely invest in an actual paperback copy in the future so I can make notes and loan it to my young mentees. This book will forever be a part of my writer's toolkit, because if I start from this perspective in every book I write, I don't see how I'm going to lose.
Sacha takes us step-by-step through the careful crafting of a fully-fleshed three-dimensional villain, exposing our lopsided love affair with our hero/protagonist, and even providing us with a list of the different kinds of villains and what choosing one of them means for how your ending plays out. Sacha is mostly talking about the Bad Guys and how they relate to the story overall, but her advice, if followed, will make for some well-structured story and character arcs. As previously stated, I read a lot of writer books written for writers, and this one is easily one of the most indispensible for me going forward. I am very serious about purchasing two copies of this book.

I'll be on the lookout for anything else that has Sacha's name on it.

15 people found this helpful

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Alex Kourvo

Functions as both a reference book and a how-to

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2019

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Villains are the most necessary part of a story, because the villain is the one who creates the conflict and keeps it going. No conflict? No story! However, most authors lavish attention on their heroes, neglecting the villain, leading to novels that feel flat.

But it’s not enough to create an ideal villain. An author must create an ideal villain for this book. So much depends on the needs of the story and the genre, and 13 STEPS TO EVIL is the first how-book I’ve seen that breaks down the different kinds of antagonists. In fact, the title is somewhat misleading, because not all antagonists are evil—or even bad—and Black is careful to distinguish the well-meaning antagonists from the truly villainous ones.

My favorite chapter was the one on villains and mental health. Too many authors give their antagonists a mental health diagnosis and then clap their hands, thinking their job is done. This is discriminatory and offensive because it implies (or outright states) that bad guys are bad because they are mentally ill. Rather than create an interesting antagonist, some writers would rather rely on myth and stereotypes to stigmatize an entire sector of society. Black isn’t saying that your villain can’t have a mental health issue. In fact, she’ll teach you how to do it well. Black wants you to be as careful with this as you would any other part of villain creation.

13 STEPS TO EVIL delves deep into the psychology of heroes, villains, and readers to show what works and why it does.

4 people found this helpful

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Ali Isaac

If only this book had been available before I started to write my first book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2017

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If only this book had been available before I started to write my first book! Black takes us into territory I had never previously considered when it comes to creating literary villains, starting with this statement: ‘The hero is NOT the most important character in your novel. Your villain is.’
Huh? That can’t be right! But it’s true, and forty thousand words later, you will have a clear understanding why.
We all love to hate villains. It’s their evil, dastardly plans that have us rooting for a story’s hero, not how good–looking and manly the hero is, or how beautiful and kick–ass the heroine is.
In her book ‘13 Steps to Evil’, the author shows us exactly how to manage this process, from creating villainous traits and motivations, to an in–depth analysis of the villain’s mental health, and how to make his villainy authentic and believable.
She also makes a couple of very useful side–trips along the way into clichés and tropes, creating conflict and climax, and how to write fear.
Through it all, there is a hefty sprinkling of examples of popular and lesser–known villains from the literary and movie worlds, as well as from history, to highlight her points. Add in Black’s unique mix of humour and metaphor, and we have a highly entertaining and informative read.
My favourite chapters were the ones on anti–heroes and antagonists, and personality traits.
Black writes from a background in Psychology and Cognitive Neuropsychology, so she knows her stuff. All writers should have this book in their arsenal of writing tools. It’s a future classic.

12 people found this helpful

Sheila

An excellent resource for writers

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2017

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I found this book an excellent resource for writers, especially those at the stage I was in at the time of reading - nearing the end of the first draft of my WIP. Sacha Black equips the writer with plenty of tools to sharpen up and deepen their understanding of villainy. She writes with the knowledge and insight of one who is trained and qualified in Psychology. At times I found her handling of the subject almost too dense and over-analytical - especially in areas such as complexes, which I have myself written blog posts on, based on the writings of Carl Jung. But then I realised that I could only benefit from Sacha Black's close attention to this subject; what she says repays careful study, because it is so important for a fiction author to understand exactly what constitutes villainy. She is particularly good on the subject of mental health in fictional villains; as she rightly points out, it is no good giving one's villain a mental health issue and then ascribing their villainy to that issue. She helps the reader focus on how complex the human psyche is and reminds us once again that as writers we must be faithful students of human nature. In addition, her own personal style is very lively, which makes the book more accessible, too, to a popular audience. Highly recommended.

6 people found this helpful

Casey

Well written but ........

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

I must be the only writer/reader who found this book of little help. Her examples such as Loki from the Marvel Universe; Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter and various characters in The Hunger Games were not only repetative but hardly what I would describe as "Evil"

Evil characters are in my opinion the likes of Ted Bundy; Fred and Rosemary West; Dennis Nilson and various serial killers /terrorists.
I purchased this book on the basis that it was titled "13 Steps to Evil" and I believed it would help me craft what Sacha Black describes as superbad villains......How wrong can you be?

Evil is measured in various degrees and I'm afraid Sasha Black has no idea of real evil.
However in fairness to her, the thirteen steps can equally relate to characterisation of most subjects whether protagonist or otherwise so I guess it will be of help to some writers.
But certainly a waste of my money!

4 people found this helpful

Ritu B

A MUST read for all those writers out there!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2017

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Never, as a fledgeling writer, did I think I would ever want/need to read 'how to' books regarding writing, much less a book about crafting Villains!
To be honest, in my writing, I have never really thought about the need for a villain, though after reading this book, I realise that they are EVERYWHERE!
Whether in a children's book, or Science fiction, in Chick Lit or Fantasy, there will be a villain lurking, and now I know how to
a) spot one, and
b) create one!
Sacha Black has, in a mere 13 steps, shown us would-be (and experienced!) writers exactly what our thought process should be regarding those negative characters that are omnipresent in Literature.
Using her immense knowledge of popular characters form both Fiction, TV and Film, she has created a guide that gives you many 'A-ha!', 'Of course!' and 'Why didn't I think of that?' moments!
A great and simple book to read with so much information, presented in a humorous way.
Definitely one to recommend to all those writers out there!

5 people found this helpful

Lita Wickham

Devilish Fun!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

Sacha is absolutely right that the Villain is the most important character in the book. Not just because the more complex the Villain, the greater the challenge for the hero. The complexity and depth (even likability!) of the Villain, this excellent guide taught me, requires a deeper and more complex the Hero - if he or she is to be defeated.

There is also a companion workbook you can buy. These two books are always to hand in my writing space.

Highly recommended.

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