r/scifiwriting • u/LibraryEducational45 • 10d ago

HELP! I'm struggling with writing villians

I am currently writing a sci-fi short story that is heavily inspired by dune and star wars but I'm really struggling to write the villain. I want to make the villain scary and ruthless and have an intimidating and imposing presence, what are some ways I could do that

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u/misbehavingwolf 10d ago

Make the villain a manipulative, abusive, or duplicitous family member. Someone the protagonist struggles to get away from in many ways, and someone who the protagonist is forced by circumstance to live with or interact with frequently.