This year's posts will deal with "lists" (also known as Cheat Sheets) that help a writer recall necessary elements before writing (or after) that make for a marketable story, a story worth telling and selling. Such Cheat Sheets are the backbone of a producing writer's Project Bible.
The "Why They Kill" List
Be they hero or villain, Protagonist or Antagonist, have you every thought about why they would kill or why they might loath killing?
Disregarding them being caught red-handed or cornered with no way out of the predicament they've gotten themselves into, below are some reasons to ill that might help flesh out or better understand your Antagonist or Protagonist. They would kill for:
MONEY
ENJOYMENT (sadistic or cold-blooded)
REVENGE
SEX (jealousy)
JEALOUSY OR ENVY (over personal possessions, social or job status, etc.)
PERVERTED ACTS
DRUGS
CULTISM
TERRORISTS
CHILDREN ARE A BURDEN
INADEQUACY AS A PARENT
HATE
BECAUSE THEY ARE DELUSIONAL, MENTALLY ILL, OR INSANE
BECAUSE THEY ARE ASSASSINS
BECAUSE THEY ARE ADDICTED TO BLOODLETTING OR HOOKED ON KILLING
It should be noted that men far outnumber women when it comes to the above. And speaking of women killers, did you know that 50% of women shoot their victims while 3% bludgeon, stab, torture, suffocate, neglect, or drown victims? And then there are the 29% of woman who employ a combination of the above.
One last thing, there is little difference between terrorists and hit men (assassins), but there are types—
● The Enforcer who has a cold-blooded mentality
● Those where murder is an art to them
● Those that are loyal only to the person who pays them
● They are vicious psychopaths— having aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behavior
● They are sociopaths— having a personality disorder marked by aggressive, antisocial behavior
So, under what circumstances would your Protagonist kill someone?
Under what circumstance would your Antagonist kill someone?
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Next posting October 1, 2021
5 comments:
It's interesting that "money" tops your list. Money seems to drive a lot in society these days.
Hi, Janet,
Yes, money is, as they say, the root of all evil. Thanks for commenting.
Today I received an email about a missing element for the list - insanity. Being delusional isn't necessarily insanity but both deal with mental illness so I revised that entry.
I'm just getting caught up with your blogs and loving them! I would say Love is also something for which an antagonist would kill. All people love someone and might be motivated by wanting to please a lover by killing for them or in order to be with them; or they might be motivated by Love for a child and they are afraid of their son or daughter being taken from them by an ex-spouse, and so on. I know Love could play into and intertwine with the reasons you have of sex and/or jealousy, but Love alone can be a major motivator.
Hello, Anonymous, and thank you for reading my blog. Yes, love can be a reason (for all the reasons you mentioned) in either the protagonist or antagonist killing someone. In rereading my list, I see that I focused heavily on the reasons a villain would kill more than the protagonist. Thank you for pointing that out. I'll be making a few corrections to my list. :) Have a great day.
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