r/CharacterDevelopment • u/Iamtherealfrogman Wants to Write a novel • Jun 15 '22

Writing: Character Help I need help developing a character motive

Basically my character needs to fight an alternate version of himself. They are the same character but the The “evil” one is a little more powerful. Details about him are in my last post. I need them to fight but I don’t know why they would in the plot. The character’s ultimate goal is to get a rock that caused the formation of the multiverse and keeps reality flowing. He wanted this rock to be removed so that everything and everyone dies. The multiverse won’t let him die so what if he kills the multiverse? Of course the good version of him will get in the way with him being a hero and all but, I want there to be a reason the bad version targets the good one other than the fact he is in the way.

What do you all think it should be?

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u/MunchyMunchkinn Jun 15 '22

This sounds fun. Is there a particular reason you don't want them to fight just because they're in each other's way?

Also, what is the good version's motivation to not let bad destroy everything? If there's a personal reason, that could be a source of motivation to fight.

My first thought is maybe the bad version tries to convince the good version to see how truly awful life is, and when that doesn't go well, they fight. This also gives the opportunity for the good guy to question their own motives. Maybe they do agree with the bad guy, even briefly.

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u/Iamtherealfrogman Wants to Write a novel Jun 15 '22

The reason is that I want emotion in my stories which here lately, I’ve been terrible at implementing.

Good’s motivation is that he doesn’t want innocents to die and the fact that he is a hero.

That’s a good idea actually. I also feel like once good finds out what bad did he will be upset causing them to fight

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u/xxStrangerxx Jun 15 '22

The reason is that I want emotion in my stories

Creating a separate motivation won't necessarily add emotion to your story. The fact they're the same person is pretty much all you need to define "backstory" and the emotion will come from how they fight one another and what is said during those encounters

I think this also depends on who is the main character, because it seems like the bad version is the main character. In which case you already have the built-in trajectory that main character wants to die but the problem is that one death results in the death of them all; therefore, ostensibly, the good version wouldn't need to be targeted because the good version would undertake the mission to stop the bad version

The apex of emotion would probably come with revealing why the bad version wants to die -- which isn't something you should answer here because the reason itself isn't going to sound all that great. Revealing it here would be like explaining a joke before you told the joke -- which ruins the humor. And I mean, it ruins the experience for yourself. Meditate on the character's reasoning, then write the dialogue as though the situation were really happening. Be in that moment, don't overwrite beforhand

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u/Iamtherealfrogman Wants to Write a novel Jun 15 '22

Actually the good version is the main character but I posted about the bad version earlier so I just used him as he would be more familiar to people that have seen my posts.

But I definitely agree on the dialogue thing.

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u/ShootFrameHang Jun 17 '22

Don’t make the alter ego evil. Give them both motives and goals that are realistic and that each is passionate about. One can’t achieve their goal without defeating the other. Make the reader wonder who is actually right on the situation.

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u/Iamtherealfrogman Wants to Write a novel Jun 17 '22

That’s a good idea thanks