Twisted: How to Write Villains That Stick

Ready to ditch the cliché villain? In this two-hour immersive, interactive masterclass, acclaimed true crime author and criminal profiler, Kerrie Droban, pulls back the mask on psychopathy to teach screenwriters how to craft unforgettable antagonists. This session is ideal for writers of crime dramas, thrillers, psychological suspense, and character-driven narratives who want to elevate their villains beyond trope into terrifying truth. Using true crime cases, psycho cinema examples and psychological profiles, Kerrie Droban shows you how to build villains with seductive masks, complex motives, and emotional shadows that mirror your hero. Includes live diagnostics, scene breakdowns, and guided writing prompts.

BIO: Kerrie Droban is an award-winning true crime author, podcaster and television journalist.  She writes about violent subcultures, undercover lives, and criminal pathology.  Her books have been optioned for film, and made into the television series, Gangland Undercover, now streaming on Hulu. She has appeared in numerous television documentaries for American Greed, Netflix, Investigation ID, 20/20, Oxygen and most recently in A&E’s docuseries, Secrets of the Hells Angels.

This project is partially funded by the City of Tempe – Community Arts Grant”.