How Do They Live With Themselves?

How to craft realistic villains in fiction

Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash

Fiction and non-fiction alike are filled with cartoonish depictions of villains. They come with outsized sadistic streaks and are often filled with malignant hate so intense it borders on the absurd. And, while people like this do exist — although they’re thankfully rare — the reality of evil is usually more nuanced and uncomfortable.