Showerthought: My whole plot outline collapsed when I realized my villain had no motive.

It happened while revising chapter three last night, and I had to scrap two weeks of work. Anyone have a good method for fixing a weak antagonist fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_west7411d ago

Been there, it's the worst feeling. I had a story fall apart because my bad guy was just angry for no clear reason. What finally worked for me was asking what he wanted more than anything, and what the hero was doing to stop him from getting it.

jamesm4811d ago

How do you figure out what the bad guy wants without making it too simple? Like is it always a thing they can grab, or can it be something less solid?

dakotawood11d ago

My last villain just wanted a quiet retirement.