Monday, July 5, 2021

2021 - July through September - Why They Kill List

    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:

Janet said...

It's interesting that "money" tops your list. Money seems to drive a lot in society these days.

Catherine said...

Hi, Janet,
Yes, money is, as they say, the root of all evil. Thanks for commenting.

Catherine said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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.

Catherine said...

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.