Mine is an evil laugh!
Sep. 22nd, 2011 08:35 pmA lot of times when I have a character but no plot, I tend to ask myself 'what is the worst thing* I can do to this character?' or 'what does this character most value (so I can either pit two of these things against one another, or take it away or threaten it)?'
I find it to be remarkably effective for generating plot, but it also makes me feel a bit... evil. Mwa ha ha!
It also is one of my things; I like manipulative antagonists who do think about how to get under the protagonists' skins to get them to do what they want anyway. And protagonists who can play this game right back. Granted, threatening someone's loved ones is a bit gauche. Better to get someone else to threaten them, then be there to thoughtfully provide help... for a price.
I file this under one reason I love Utena, since most of the villains are good at swords, but better at making sure they win battles before the swords even come out.
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yuuo once suggested I make up a list of Cool Stuff I Like in Stories... I ought to do this.)
* Barring things like 'kill them' or 'end the universe'. Those aren't really interesting from a storytelling POV, unless you want to mess with afterlives or multiverses. Which are fun, but you can't play with them all the time.
I find it to be remarkably effective for generating plot, but it also makes me feel a bit... evil. Mwa ha ha!
It also is one of my things; I like manipulative antagonists who do think about how to get under the protagonists' skins to get them to do what they want anyway. And protagonists who can play this game right back. Granted, threatening someone's loved ones is a bit gauche. Better to get someone else to threaten them, then be there to thoughtfully provide help... for a price.
I file this under one reason I love Utena, since most of the villains are good at swords, but better at making sure they win battles before the swords even come out.
(
yuuo once suggested I make up a list of Cool Stuff I Like in Stories... I ought to do this.) * Barring things like 'kill them' or 'end the universe'. Those aren't really interesting from a storytelling POV, unless you want to mess with afterlives or multiverses. Which are fun, but you can't play with them all the time.
