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10 Ways to Ensure Your Villain's Evil Monologuing Dialogue is as Unsettling as Possible!

1.) Make sure you're mixing body language with the words themselves: You can have your villain saying the most twisted shit, but if they're just standing there like a cardboard cutout, their words probably aren't going to hit as hard. Have them touch your protag. Have them toy with a weapon as if they're going to use it. Have them pace. Have them put together the blood ritual they're ranting about. Keep them moving.

2.) Have them use personal knowledge as a tool: Does your villain have some deep dark dirt on your protag? Don't let that all go in one swoop. Let them hint at it in drops before they open the dam. Maybe they use that knowledge as a bargaining tool to get an upper hand, or use it to send the trapped protag into a frenzy because they love to watch them scream.

3.) When it comes to threats, certainty is key: A threat is a threat, but there's nothing like a threat being spoken as if the villain knows it's going to happen. Whether your villain has already caught your protag, or is in the process of doing so, everything they say they want to see happen to your protag needs to come with absolute certainty. Almost as if it's a certain warning, and not just something they’re saying to be scary.

4.) Contradictions are your friend: Nothing indicates a warped villainous mind more than some juicy contradictions. Your villain might be talking about how they're going to flay your protag's hide after catching them in their dungeon, only to throw in a subtle "but, you're probably safer here with me." Find ways to toss in twisted contradictions that also underline the crazy shit they might be saying.

5.) Mess with syntax: Unsettling dialogue calls for unsettling structure. Incomplete sentences, unforeseen pauses, longwinded explanations broken up by more unforeseen pauses. Whatever it is, keep the rhythm offbeat. Don't give your reader a chance to be able to tell what's coming.

6.) Expectations? Subvert those: Your protag and even your readers might be suspecting one thing from your villain, so throw them a curveball and hit them with the complete opposite. Perhaps you've reached a point in your story where it seems like the villain might kill your protag on sight. But no, have your villain mention exactly why they aren't going to do that, and why they want to wait it out.

7.) Mix quiet confidence and loud assertion: Some might say that the silent seether is scarier, while others might agree that the sudden explosive type takes the bigger unsettling prize. In my opinion, you can really capitalize on the eeriness of villain dialogue by tapping into both. A villain that speaks on with refined confidence before very suddenly exploding, without much warning, can really power up the dread behind their words.

8.) Sometimes, ambiguity is better than being straightforward: Whether it's obvious that your villain has a lot of tricks up their sleeves--or not--leaving things to the imaginations of your protag, and subsequently, your readers is great for building dread. You can use dialogue to make it clear that they're up to something, but never make them fully disclose what that is. They might show it instead of tell it, or it might just never happen. Either way, it'll likely have everyone looking over their shoulders.

9.) There might be times where silence says everything: You might be worried about penning the correct verbiage for your villain's big evil speech, but sometimes, silence speaks wonders. When used correctly, a long pause, or a bout of silence after your protag has said their piece can build a sense of uneasiness more than them actually speaking would have.

10.) Find ways for your villain to mirror the hero: A monologuing villain is better when they're throwing your hero's values and beliefs back in their face. A hero that believes in mercy? Well, have your villain talk about how they'll make them beg for it. A hero that believes in the greater good? Have your villain talk about their idea of a greater good.

As always, GO WRITE SOMETHING TODAY! <3

Me when I click on a fic rec and realize that the fic was already marked for later

THE LATER IS NOW LIFE CAN FUCKING WAIT

I made this post like a month ago and I have no idea what it means

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The more I think about Shen Yuan the more I object to the "he's the nice Shen Qingqiu"

Yes he's nice to the Peak Lords

Yes he's nice to Luo Binghe

Because he likes them

He comes into the role of Shen Qingqiu already thinking of Yue Qingyuan as his big brother and excited to meet Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe (to different extents)

He basically slices Ming Fang with a knife and only stays nice to him after he unlocks OOC because he realise Ming Fang is actually fine when he's not near Luo Binghe and he realises he has the power to influence to him to stop being such a dick

He's nice to Ning Yingying because she's a wife he didn't mind but he's also really dismissive and rude towards her in his head (and all the wives tbh) but he knows how to be polite outwardly

But outside of his little circle that he has already determined he likes? He can be and is mean

Like yeah he thought Shang Qinghua was the original goods when he was tossing demon head spiders at his supposed unconscious form but still he was TOSSING DEMON HEAD SPIDERS AT SOMEONE BECAUSE HE DISLIKED HIM

Like he keeps to convention and he's not rude without reason to new people but he if he doesn't like someone he's an asshole. Most of it is internal because it has to be but when he's Plant Shen he's taunting and snide and acts so fucking weird

Even with Airplane! They are sort of friends but he's a rude little bitch to him! (Which Airplane enjoys)

Shen Yuan is fairly polite as Shen Qingqiu because he is playing an immortal master but mostly because he's usually surrounded by people he actually likes

And he's not as aggressive with strangers as Shen Jiu because he's not working off of Shen Jiu's PTSD

But their baseline is both thorny assholes who nursed on haterade

Shen Yuan just sneakier. HE BEAT UP THE BAI ZHAN DISCIPLES WHO BEAT UP HIS BINGHE BY TRICKING LIU QINGGE TO DO IT FOR HIM

Shen Jiu will tell you he hates you and wants you dead

Shen Yuan will be polite to your face but will dox you online and spread rumours about you that somehow can't be traced back to him

Me and my friends are going to start a new campaign and we’re making rumors

Imma say that I go to the warm red pavilion (but it’s actually to sleep)

Redhead in the Street

Reblog if you can date a trans girl

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Random mansion generator

The Procgen Mansion Generator produces large three-dee dwellings to toy with your imagination, offering various architectural styles and other options. Each mansion even comes with floorplans:

https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/random-mansion-generator.html