The first part certainly did, later parts had less to do with it, but it was directly generic, anyway.
My first reaction is spite house, as far as motive is concerned.
Not that it is this specific thing, but that this drive is one that is willing to lose all that you are to be cruel to someone else.
Easiest way is for the antagonist to be losing everythjng by losing this fight. If their life, livelihood, reputation, prestige is at risk by this annoying MC, then “I’m willing to ruin them and me in the process”. But if you want it to really be believable, you set up the steps to stripping away multiple things they want to keep.
Like if they have a boss or King, have that boss do the whole “you’re fired if you don’t fix this!”
A lover, in an argument could sympathized with the MC, playing on the “Am I in the wrong vs. you’re leaving me for him” hyperreaction.
Then there’s:
My finances are tied up in this thing you’re taking down. You bankrupt me and I’m taking us all down.
Possibly thinking about your antagonist as if they were the MC and trying to figure out what their life is like makes it a lot easier to strip who they are from themselves, have everything they value crumbling before their eyes. You’re trying to get this person to snap and believe that there is no coming back from this fight.
This is helpful advice, thank you. It makes sense with the character too, because she lost everything once because of the MC and if I have her lose everything she’s managed to gain since then because of him again, then that would definitely give her motivation to do what I need her to do. She would feel like she’s got nothing left to lose so the risk would be worth it for her. Thanks again. This definitely helped me generate some ideas.
So I’ve been wanting to get back into drawing again (I used to), but I didn’t really have motivation to start. Then I realized despite all of my intensive Pinterest searches, I could never find exactly the reference I needed for the characters in my stories. Then I was like ah hah! I can use drawing my OCs as motivation to draw - two birds with one stone! It’s been years so I decided to trace first until I get my mojo back. Then I can get closer to what I have in mind.
Anyway, so I decided to start with one of the mobster villains based somewhat on this guy. Writing some scenes of when the MC meets him in my prequel, and I’m like… oh no… he’s hot. Piece of sh*t guy, but def one of those “toxic bad boys” some gals are crazy for. Maybe I’m villain-ing right? It’d be too easy to make someone you hate right off the bat.
Anyway, here are my rough concept for today! Practice! (Also tattoos?! Hard! I just grabbed random stuff)
Slowly reveal in dialog and character actions, maybe. Like when they hear something of their memory, it triggers a reaction and the reaction is explained to the observer. Slowly, these small trigger moments and explanations build up into the revelation and explanation.
I rarely do flashbacks. At most times I do them this way. Sometimes it works, and at other times it doesn’t.
Oookay. I edited chapter 13 of the Fireman’s Girl to post a bit later today on Wattpad. I cleared all reading yesterday. I am not doing editing for Radish today (since I edited my weekly).
My goal is to do a big villian background chapter today at the police station, the ‘before storming the castle’ prep part of the finale. My main concern is balancing the backstory and revealing the villain’s past crimes against the Love Interest in short bursts through the finale, without overshadowing the actions and avoiding the Villain ‘Why I Did It’ Monologue feel. But I need to put in three or so key pieces!
One option is the “Why did you do this to me?!” from the LI. Even amongst the most secure people, wanting closure can tear that question out of them.
It also gives your villain the chance to gloat, briefly, and to further antagonize the LI and forces the hero to pause for the answer, with a “why the heck did she choose now?!”
If used, it’s best for the puzzle piece that you can’t figure out how to write the backstory for, or would cost you the most to flesh out.
Another option is to use the taunting in a fight, normally aimed at the MC, to torment the LI…which still aims at an invested MC. (Which reminds me of my father: you could insult him until you died, and he’d just have fun messing with you, but if you went after his wife or kids, yeah he quit playing.) Quickly break it off with whatever counterattack the MC has with a “You don’t have time to eff with her, pay attention to me!”
Just two thoughts on how to keep the pace faster than is typical.
Maybe I’m villain-ing right? It’d be too easy to make someone you hate right off the bat.
