Build-a-bad-guy!

For side characters, or other point-of-view characters in your book, you can ask them the same questions, and figure them out as you go. But, not all stories are about MC's and side characters. Who's the bad guy, villain, or antagonist? Is it a concept, an organization, a person, a monster, or some other kind of threat? 

In a lot of my stories, demons are the main bad guys in the story, and I pit my MC's against awful characters who get defeated (hopefully) by the end. Not all novels go this route, so figure out what works for your story.

If your antagonist is a person, or humanoid, rather, start asking them the questions from earlier. Also, consider how your villain is a threat to your MC or the side characters. What's the threat that this bad guy presents? How are your characters going to struggle in their fight against the bad guy?

It's more fun, as a writer, to make your MC struggle to defeat the Big Bad. It's more relatable for readers if there's a balance of both sides winning and losing smaller battles. Now, not all stories work out like that, but that's ok. We'll go over plot next week, but until then, if you struggle with figuring out how your villain is a bad guy, look at media. 

Who are the villains from your favorite books, movies, TV shows? Make notes of what makes each villain unique, what gives them that fear factor? How do they perfectly oppose your hero? Sometimes you don't know, and that's ok. Books aren't written in a day. Nanowrimo is a great place to explore how your bad guy is a villain, or how your hero is or isn't a hero. So if you aren't sure who your characters should be, that's ok.