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History’s abundant with the greatest heroes and figures that have set examples of greatness. But these leadership lessons may come from someone you might not expect – a villain.

Yes, you read it right. We will share valuable leadership lessons from a fictional villain from one of the biggest science fiction franchises in the world. He is a faceless overlord clad in a black cape and hiding behind a mechanical helmet. He is known for his eerie breathing and hissing quite a few times.

A vast Empire army leader, Darth Vader, has superior power, influence, and intellect to obliterate the Rebel Alliance. Saving the most iconic reveal in history (we all know it), Darth Vader was a multifaceted fictional character who is universally loved despite being evil personified in the Star Wars franchise.

This might also sound like an exaggeration, but Darth Vader might have pioneered character development, as he eventually turned against the Empire and saved his son. His legacy of being a well-rounded character earned him a lasting legacy that will be remembered for all generations.

Leadership takeaways from the most “evil” villain

Darth Vader’s influence didn’t grow out of nowhere. While he may not be an ideal example because of his strongman leadership style, it doesn’t mean we have nothing to learn from. Disregarding all his atrocities, here are some of the crucial leadership lessons from Darth Vader.

Be assertive.

No one is born a leader. They are made and molded into someone with the right amount of ambition and compassion. By moderately demanding the best from your team, excellent results are possible. The thing about Darth Vader is that he makes things clear to everyone. He doesn’t want to make changes when unnecessary to prevent the swaying of others’ minds around him.

Darth Vader has also mastered the art of negotiation. He craftily increases the rewards he wants as a show of dominance. He is an example of a leader who should send a clear message without mixed signals. By being clear about what you want, you can avoid further complications in reaching your target.

Pick a side that will benefit everyone.

Choosing your most trusted allies can be an impossible task. At the same time, it can be a recipe for complications. The book Moon Luck by Scott Harral is a story of astronauts living on the moon and doing their best to work as a team. However, they eventually developed animosity towards each other. After all, familiarity breeds contempt, and a rift can break apart even the closest of friends.

Keeping the right people that not only work well with you is crucial, but so is inspiring loyalty to them. It would be best to establish enough influence to make people stay by your side. In the case of Darth Vader, he helps maintain a solid rapport in the team so that they remain focused on the bigger things.

Authenticity is attractive.

The biggest cinematic reveal in history was in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. When Darth Vader admitted to being Luke’s father, it solidified the concept of truth eventually unfolding no matter the circumstances.

In the same way, a leader must always be truthful to their team and practice what they preach. There must be a good balance of authenticity and authority when leading people to where you want them to be. Be wise like a serpent yet innocent as a dove.

This also rings true with keeping promises.

Despite being the evilest person on the planet, his authentic attitude towards keeping his promises is well-known. He acknowledges that there’s something greater than himself while still upholding his militaristic beliefs. Darth Vader helps manage expectations by not overpromising and still delivering.

Recuperate when you can.

Even a villain like Darth Vader needs rest on occasion. He goes to his meditation chamber to relax without his armor on. Leaders still need to recover their energy from carrying significant responsibility. Only then will they continue to lead efficiently and in their best condition.

Take advantage of necessary resources.

Leaders can’t do everything alone. They might still move forward by doing so, but having another set of people to do the legwork will take you miles. It won’t hurt your pride to ask for help beyond your circle and use the proper leverage to get things done.

For example, when Darth Vader needed someone to find the Millennium Falcon, he could’ve searched himself or left it to a few Stormtroopers. Instead, he outsourced someone else and ultimately accomplished the task given. True leaders know they’re not always good at everything and will need someone to do things sometimes.


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April 6, 2023 Guest ArticleTips0
Photo by Nicolette Attree

Authors craft characters that readers either hate or love. However, with the constant need to create engaging and exciting plots, authors have created a new set of characters that are neither truly good nor evil, those morally grey ones.

When it comes to novels, the primary characters are sectioned into protagonists or antagonists. Authors typically craft their characters as either good or bad, adding depth and background to each so they move or influence the course of the story. However, readers won’t have to debate who they want to win or lose. Between these characters, it’s natural and typical for readers to root for the protagonist, someone characterized as an all-good and just figure fighting for a cause they believe is right.

 

Protagonists and antagonists are often clearly distinct in how they’re presented and, often, how they look. Some authors may want to confuse their readers and not put their true protagonists at the forefront of the story, telling the whole thing from their antagonist’s perspective. But overall, these characters can be determined based on their beliefs and choices.

 

But What Happens When the White Mixes With Black?

 

It’s the quintessential and expected dynamic, the protagonist will always stick to what’s right and best for the situation, and the antagonist will always oppose. There may be instances where the bad guys disguise themselves and have morally sound choices. But their real motives will be uncovered sooner or later, revealing the selfish reasons behind their actions.

 

It’s good vs. evil. Light vs. dark.

 

And these white or black personas are the fundamental characters in every story. However, authors aren’t sticking to monochromatic traits these days. Gone are the days when heroes and villains stick to stereotypes. Instead, the authors have mixed whites and blacks, creating interesting characters. These figures challenge morality and make readers question their beliefs, keeping them on their toes in amusement and alarm.

 

Today, people aren’t all that crazed about helpless and innocent princesses locked in towers. Instead, they might root for princesses who aren’t afraid of manipulating their captors or even shedding some self-defense blood for freedom.

 

The Shades of Morally Grey Characters

 

Readers are introduced to troubled characters in Scott Harral’s sci-fi and mystery book, who are too ambitious for their good and their teammates’ benefits. They’re more than willing and adamant about achieving their goals, so they aren’t afraid to put others in uncomfortable situations. However, they aren’t hurting others. Instead, they’re only too fixated on their goals and unapologetically aspiring, and they may fail to notice others’ feelings.

 

Does this make them the bad guy? When they aren’t hurting others, not necessarily. But their behavior doesn’t also make them a generally good person.

 

A morally grey character lives by their moral code, often deviating from social standards. While they may sometimes do questionable things, these characters are the most human. After all, people are rarely ever all good or all evil. They’re flawed. Instead, they will aim to do good deeds, which may or may not end positively. They may also fall into bad habits and be blinded by their goals and ambitions, leading to questionable and often harmful choices.

 

Writing These Characters

 

These figures, while morally ambiguous, still have purpose and reason behind their existence. They may tip the moral scale either way between good and evil. But they will still have goals they want to achieve. When crafting these morally grey characters, authors don’t write them carelessly. They will also need a well-written profile with a realistic portrayal of people’s needs and goals.

 

Here’s a guide when writing these characters:

 

Must Have a Reason

 

Like any character, morally grey characters must have a motive. They need a reason for their actions. While they may practice questionable beliefs, morally grey characters must still have their “why?” Readers don’t have to agree or side with these characters. But they must, at least, understand why they’ve chosen that path.

 

This is what makes readers question their morals, as well. By making them empathize with these characters, they will wonder if they agree with these questionable beliefs.

 

Must Have a Weakness

 

Another way to make readers empathize with morally grey characters is by giving them a weakness. A perfect character won’t resonate with the readers. Instead, authors need to deepen and explore these characters’ development by giving them a weakness that either drives or hinders them toward their goal. Weaknesses will make these characters more realistic and humane for readers to understand and connect.

 

Must Make Difficult Decisions

 

While they aren’t inherently good or bad, this doesn’t mean they can’t make decisions that may be for selfish reasons or set for the betterment of others. How morally grey characters make their choices will reveal much about their beliefs, presenting their ambiguity.

 

Additionally, characters achieve character development and reinforce the idea and existence of their goals through these difficult decisions. Hence, authors must incorporate these events into the story, allowing their characters to choose between what they believe is right or wrong.


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June 20, 2022 sci-fiTips0

Have you ever noticed how some of the most science fiction novels that make it out to the mainstream are typically those that seem very realistic?

These novels are commonly grounded on reliable scientific concepts that make their audience ponder the “what-ifs.” What if these events become true? Or, what if this is already happening without us knowing. Some of the key factors in a science fiction ground the story in reality, making it believable and understandable.

This is one of the many charms of science fiction. Its possible realism makes people reflect on themselves and their relationship with the world. It helps them make sense of their mistakes and explore and see fault in their behavior concerning the issues experienced by the world. For instance, in movies about eco-catastrophes, people may reflect on how their behavior and habits can affect the world and bring possible consequences. If not for its entertainment value, this is perhaps one of the reasons why realism should be highly considered in novels.

Why do people enjoy watching science fiction, even if they include catastrophic and scary themes?

The concept of realism focuses on creating an illusion of reality in your media. If a novel, for instance, is labeled as realistic, its concepts should have a clear reflection and association with the real world. If this makes sense, people want to experience the excitement or catastrophe science fiction has to offer without actually experiencing it. And realism in the media puts the audience into this world that the author (or director for movies) has created, which makes it so popular.

It’s been solidified that somehow people can be so curious about morbid events. Humans, as curious beings, like placing themselves in other people’s shoes, especially if this involves rather tragic circumstances. This instinct can be associated with people convincing themselves that they would never end up in these situations. If they do, they can protect themselves and survive. This unusual fact can explain why most people remain so invested in horror movies, despite being easily scared and even paranoid afterward.

This inclination has been programmed in them since time immemorial. This can be explained at the anatomical and psychological levels by how their brain functions. Being scared is reflected in the brain the same way as excitement is. This means that if people are faced with scary events, their brains can mistake it for excitement, which is why they mostly continue to anticipate or look for a stimulus that induces this emotion.

This implies that one of the ways to make a science fiction novel catch people’s interest is by making it realistic and with a theme that can stir people’s emotions. And as an aspiring writer, who aims to write great and gripping science fiction novels, you need to find ways to improve your writing skills. Here’s how you can do it.

Utilize existing or highly debated creatures and technology

There is a reason why most dinosaur and alien movies never fail to catch people’s attention. For instance, dinosaurs have been known to exist a long time ago, and how they behaved is something people are generally curious about. On the other hand, aliens are the center of the debate about their existence. Therefore, writing about them can create debate and discussion, which can help boost your book’s publicity.

This is what Harral’s sci-fi and mystery book offer. While Moon Luck doesn’t have aliens or highly dangerous predators in it, this novel tackles the curious case of moon travel. Whether or not humans can survive days on the moon has consistently been something that scientists and citizens alike have pondered the possibility of. This is why movies about this concept can quickly become blockbusters in today’s society. 

Study physics and science

Just because you’re writing science fiction – with capital fiction – it doesn’t mean you can write whatever your heart and mind want. You still need to bank it on some realistic components if you want your events to seem plausible. With this, learning is still required. But this doesn’t mean you need a degree and fluency in the language of science. This only entails that you should have done ample research before you write anything involving science. For your novel to be believable, it needs to have any sense of reliability and validity.

Consider building your world around existing ones

While there’s something very unsettling about the dystopian world, creating your sci-fi world on something closely similar to the current society is even more dramatic. This does for your audience only amplifies the realism, adding even more possibility to your narrative. Perhaps in making this, you’re adding more dread to your story with the heightened plausibility of whatever catastrophe you place your characters into.

When it comes to writing science fiction, the sky’s your limit. The world becomes rather liberating, and you can devise whatever mechanism to help make your world as exciting as you’d like it to be. Realism isn’t necessary, but it does impact your story. What’s great about writing science fiction is that anyone can be a master of it with a bit of planning and wit.


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February 16, 2022 Guest ArticleTips0

Every author starts with an idea. Afterward, people think it’s smooth sailing from there – authors sit down with their laptops and continuously type for days on end. But what happens for most authors is that after having the aha! moment, the thought of interpreting the idea isn’t as simple as it seems.

Writing a novel isn’t an easy task, especially in writing science fiction. Besides, sci-fi authors aren’t simply narrating their experiences or day-to-day events; they create a new world. And as a writer, it is your responsibility to give your readers a new experience. Something mind gripping that they can’t help but revisit bits and bits of your book from time to time. Here’s how you achieve that:

Brainstorm

For starters, your idea might not be enough to create a couple of chapters for a book. To have a solid foundation for your story, you need to consider more aspects – overall theme, fantasy world, characters – to make your idea more intriguing.

There are hundreds of sci-fi stories out there. This means one thing: competition is tough. For you to stand out, you need to experiment with new ideas. Don’t be afraid to write about something new. One way to do this is by finding inspiration from the real world and putting your twist over it.

Take Wayne Scott Harral’s sci-fi and mystery book, Moon Luck, for example. Its main plot is simple: in a group of scientists, somebody dies, and they need to find out who killed them. But Harral adds his twist to the seeming cliche plot – he made it happen on the moon. The unique setting thrusts the story to a new perspective, where the characters have a different and limited means of solving their problem than how they normally would have.

Know Your Audience

If you’re thinking of publishing your work, you’re writing for others and not only for yourself. To create a compelling story, you must first know who your audience is. Whom are you attracting? What are the possible expectations they might have?

Plan Your Plot

Your characters need to have a circular character arc to be effective. This means they transform, grow and change throughout your story, and this can only be achieved through an organized plot.

To help sort out your plot, you need to pinpoint the heart of your story. What is its core? Is it about a son’s revenge against his family’s killers, or is it a story of acceptance and healing? After you’ve decided on your story’s core, you can then build conflict, complications, climactic events, and resolution around it.

Do Your Research

Just because you’re writing fiction doesn’t mean you can just write everything as you go. While most of its element does revolve around fiction and the somewhat impossible, science fiction – as the name says – is still, in a way, based on science.

Make sure you’re writing the right things. If a detail in your story mismatches your audience’s expectation, this can affect their immersion, likewise, your story’s impact. But while having accurate information is essential, you shouldn’t overwhelm your audience with facts. You don’t want them to feel like they’re reading a science textbook instead.

Create an Interesting World

Besides creating your plot, world-building is one of the most critical elements that carry your work to perfection. After all, everything in your story takes place in your made-up world. Therefore, if you fail to design it clearly, your readers will also have difficulty imagining your story.

Besides the structures in your world, you also need to pay close attention to how you mold your characters. Enjoyable characters are those whom your readers can relate to. While it’s understandable that it’s difficult to relate to wizards or superheroes, besides, we can’t shoot lasers from our eyes; you can still make your characters relatable by giving them actual everyday conflicts and fears. Make them more human than fiction.

In Moon Luck, though not everyone can relate to being an astronaut or a scientist, there still existed a more mundane plot point which was all about finding out who killed their colleague.

Be consistent with how you present your world

The structure of your world is essential to plan out but so should be its mechanism – the laws and the overall logic governing it. A novel doesn’t just end after a couple of short chapters. It means there is more room for you to commit mistakes with the uniformity of your world. Remember, while your story is fictional, your world should appear believable. Having a consistent world creates credibility and makes your story more enjoyable.

Ultimately, writing any type of novel isn’t an easy task. It takes a lot of brainpower and creative juices to make your idea come true. 

 


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July 31, 2021 Guest ArticleTips0

A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Science Fiction

Science fiction is one of the most enduring genre of all time—wherein other genres are slowly fizzling out, sci-fi flourishes to the top of the genre chain. Its popularity lies in its use as a tool to interpret the world around us and investigate areas of our life that are too complex, too implicit, too subtle to discuss due to the limitations of realistic fiction.


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Copyright by Scott Harral 2020. All rights reserved.