An Encounter with a Villain.
Write an account in which you encounter a villainous character. You should make up details about his/her appearance, their character, and what they say and do. Try to use description to entertain and excite the reader.
Practise this exact question with personalised feedback on your writing.
Understand the task
A convincing villain emerges through behaviour and speech, not just frightening looks. Stage an encounter that lets a small action reveal the antagonist’s nature.
- character construction
- dialogue
- descriptive tension
- pacing
Requirements to keep in mind
Write an encounter with a fictional villain; include appearance, character, words and actions.
Plan your response
- Give the villain a distinctive appearance or manner.
- Use speech and actions to reveal character.
- Build a clear conflict with the narrator.
- Create an exciting but understandable ending.
Check your response against the task requirements. Leave time to review sentence clarity, punctuation and spelling.
Original atoply example response
Written by atoply, not an official school answer or mark scheme. Other successful responses are possible.
Reveal example and teaching notes
The first time I met Mr Vane, he was standing beneath the station clock, polishing a silver-topped walking stick. His coat was spotless, his smile was narrow and his eyes watched every person who passed as though he were counting secrets.
I had just found a lost wallet on a bench. Before I could take it to the ticket office, Mr Vane stepped into my path.
“I believe that belongs to me,” he said softly.
I looked at the name printed on the card inside. It was not his. “Then why does it say Mrs Patel?” I asked.
His smile disappeared. “Children should not ask so many questions.”
He reached for the wallet, but I stepped back. There was something frightening about how calmly he spoke, as if he expected everyone to obey. Behind him, I noticed a woman searching anxiously through her handbag near the ticket barriers.
“Excuse me!” I called to her. “Have you lost something?”
Mr Vane’s fingers tightened around his walking stick. For a second I thought he might follow me, but a station employee turned towards the commotion. The villain’s face became a friendly mask again.
“An unfortunate misunderstanding,” he murmured, before vanishing into the crowd. I handed the wallet to its grateful owner, but I could still feel the cold weight of his stare.
Learn from the example
- Concrete details build an impression of the subject. Notice how those choices work together rather than reading as a list of general adjectives.
- The viewpoint controls what the reader notices. Choose details and an order that sustain the task's requested perspective and atmosphere.