I have a character, a young character who's suffering from PTSD, depression, extreme low self-esteem, insomnia and a drug addiction that's getting intense.
So I don't want him to go insane but he's heading towards the end of his rope due to a nasty break up [he's in love but wants to hate her] He's trying to write this novel/play [haven't decided which haha] so he's wrapped up in that. I want him to start hallucinating, possibly having to do with something that has happened in his childhood when he found his father dead on the floor. I want something not too drastic but something definately weird. [maybe more like a flash back instead?]
Also, he's becoming one angry guy but he's a very anti-social guy with a small, underweight build. So how can I make this guy become like a Lex Luther/bad villian type of character? He's going to soon find his ex's brother who is 20 making out with a student. Since the brother works at the school as part of the staff, he could get in serious trouble if they were caught. He and the brother have been terrible enemies ever since they met. Put simply, they hate each other's gut, especially my character. So he's going to blackmail him for money, homework, etc. But is there any possible way to take it another step forward with it?
But I don't want him to go bad completely, for plotting sake's there's got to be a way to reach him. A part of him vunerable. So would you think him finding like an abandoned kitten or something be good? Cause it'll somehow remind him of his childhood and he'll start taking care of it? Something like that? Just to show he's not completely changed from vunerable awkward guy to cold creep guy? Opinions?
All/any suggestions and opinions are very much appreciated and loved! <3
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Mei 13, 2008 - 20 51
How'd the dad die? If it wasn't blood and gore, you could just describe the flashback scene as a child would see it - i.e Daddy's sleeping - and never quite say right out that he was dead, that might be weird but not drastic. Or if it's more a hallucination, Daddy could sit up and start talking (again, if he wasn't gruesomely dead, 'cause that'd be drastic).
No idea about strength, though in today's world (which it sounds like you're writing in?) one doesn't need physical strength as long as one avoids direct confrontation. Certainly not if blackmail is his weapon of choice - as for that, why not have him try to make the brother start messing with the ex (his sister)? If your villain-type is still convinced that he hates her, he could try to get her brother to hurt her somehow; if he has realized that he loves her, he could use the brother to try to get her back (with varying degrees of creepy-stalker-ness, depending on the rest of his personality, I suppose). Or he could just go after the brother - if the villain is clever enough, he could get the brother to do things that seem innocent at first and end up framing him for something, or just straight out say "if you don't run across that busy street I'll tell" and make a game of seeing how far he can get the brother to go.
Kitten... er. Rather blatant. Can he still be nice(ish) to his ex? Does he still see her around, can he sometimes have periods of vulnerable awkward guy around her, even if cold creep is telling him to hate her? (Maybe always be his old self around her, and he's only a creep when she isn't around, which in my mind would make him even creepier). Or anyone/thing else he cares about - sibling, friend, the little creatures who show up when he's on six different drugs at once? (Which might be weird, but doesn't strike me as creepy - sort of sad, and I am disturbed when I feel bad for villains, but it does make them seem more human. Just makes me wonder about me :))
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Mei 13, 2008 - 22 21
Hi. You might go with the drug addiction scenario. When he runs out of drugs, he is bad-ass and desperate, more & more as time goes on, and he needs his fix. His blackmail scheme might be for money because he needs it for drugs, or he forces the ex's brother to actually buy & deliver the drugs (giving him something else he can blackmail him about). Certain drugs can exaggerate an underweight condition, and lots of anger. Speed, I think. (Do they still call it speed?)
Now, for the "ghost" in his past, it could be the memory of a really bad trip he had once when he took some drugs that were not pure enough? -- a horrible episode in which he found his father's dead body while he was on drugs? -- it haunts him and he is desperate to get high to erase the memory of it? -- at the time of the bad trip he was supposed to help (or be there for) his father? -- something happened that night to dad and he feels responsible? rightly or wrongly? -- he writes a scene in his script and it reminds him of this thing he wants to forget? and down he goes in a spiral of depression or panic? -- He comes across someone in worse shape than he? and wants to help him/her but can't, due to being frazzled or high, and he is afraid the same horrible event will happen again? He drives people away (breakup with girlfriend) because he thinks he is jinxed? or too irresponsible?
The kitten is maybe too sweet. When bad he might mistreat an animal and not be considered "redeemable" sympathetic character. However, abandoned is a good element -- maybe a runaway youngster that reminds him of his younger self? Eventually he sees that this kid looks up to him and his best advice is to go straight? Does he have to follow his own advice?
Perhaps an injured animal might work. What if it's a bird? Symbol of freedom. I changed my mind -- even a kitten could work, if the injury made it so fragile, it kept him from being mean to the animal when he's drugged or freaking out. Maybe an animal could reach his vulnerable side where a person couldn't.
I just remembered, my cat was found at age 8 weeks, abandoned in a trash bin with a huge boil puffed out just under its chin. The woman who found it lived down the alley from our vet, who lanced the boil for free for her. She then found me to adopt it. The kitten did not have normal behavior -- ask me if you want that description. (He's fine now & quite a charmer.)
Good luck!
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Mei 14, 2008 - 15 53
Moving to Plot Doctoring
----------Heather
Forums Moderator