Villain Motivations

[browngirl]

I realized that one of my stories is stalled because I need to overhaul it. Among other problems, the villain lacks pesonality and motivation.

Without giving too many story details... Picture a NUMB3RS case-of-the-week. The bad guy's a lone man, 'average' age/build/income, who fled to the city from another region and is currently living under an assumed identity; he has built some booby traps into a local construction project so he can set them off as revenge if he's discovered.

But what was his original crime, and why is he continuing in crimes? Does he think the world owes him, and if so, what and why?

*contemplates*

Comments

[1trackmind.livejournal.com]

Kidnapping? If I can't have x then no one can?

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. I don't think I can write a kidnapping story in NUMB3RS unless it's the kind of plotbunny that rears up and grabs me. There are some really good ones around.

But that plotbunny might just sink its fangs into my head one day...