The hardest part . . .

Once you come up with a believable motive for your story's bad guy you pretty much have your story.

However, coming up with a motive that is:

a.) interesting,
b.) doable,
c.) a problem for the Good Guys, and:
d.) something that can actually be achieved

is problematic.

In the old days you'd have a bad guy who wants to Rule The World! Not any more. People have actually thought about it, and it doesn't make any sense. What does it even mean? And how will having this doofus ruling the world change my personal world anyway?

Likewise, someone who wants to steal something valuable, like a lot of money or expensive artwork or jewels or whatnot. So? It's hard to get worked up about that sort of thing, these days, with corporate execs and politicians looting the US Treasury for billions and billions of dollars. We're used to it.

Of course, this is for those big, epic stories involving larger-than-life characters. More personal stories are easier. Someone wanting to murder you, personally, is something that would focus your attention, especially if it's someone who would actually do it. Likewise, someone stealing from you, or trying to get you fired from your job, or whatnot.

I'm sort of thinking out loud here because I'm trying to plot out this new project and I'm having an issue with what the bad guys want to do. One of the plot points is there is an effective costumed vigilante patrolling a particular area of the city, one who has demonstrated that he'll be more than happy to kick a criminal's ass if necessary, and he has the skills required to do so.

So, most criminal organizations would just move somewhere else, where this guy doesn't patrol. The hero doesn't have superpowers or anything--he's just a guy who is a good athlete and who can handle himself in a fight--so he can't be everywhere. This would remove the need for the guy. Which would effectively kill my story--I need him to be around and active.

Dammit.

*sigh*

I like this story. It's got a lot of stuff in it that I find fascinating. But right now I'm struggling with this particular aspect.

Also, I don't have an ending. Once I have the ending I should be good.

Oh, well. Forgive me for the fragmentary, incoherent nature of this entry. I'm just in the initial stages of world-creating and it's a difficult and delicate phase. Terrifying, to me, because as I get older I get more and more wary of spending my time on projects that have no possibility of going anywhere.

I'll get there. Even sitting here and writing this has started the creative juices to flowing a bit, again. So, if you've made it to this point of this posting, thank you.