Villainous Motivations and Plotting

Hello everyone, I hope I put this in the right spot?

It's been a while since I posted a topic here-but I need help! Forum user Harlequin on another topic (what's on your mind about your writing) suggested I post a summary here and maybe you guys can help me work out the kinks? I hit a wall with regards to the villain and his Villainous Plot (tm), the book has been at a standstill since really the whole story's plot hinges on his actions. Any suggestions on how to unkink this or suggestions for how one develops their villains or villainous motivations in general with regards to a story is most appreciated.

To keep this from being a TL; DR post I'll try my hardest to keep it short but informative. This is a fantasy novel set in a world that's (at least for comparisons sake)technically, historically around the 1400's (so the 15th century), so the very beginnings of a Rennisance are being rooted. In this world magic, while not technically forbidden is strictly controlled by a larger organized (semi Christian inspired) type religion, if one does not pledge their magic and soul to this religion and it's God (if one has magic) one is burned at the stake or has their magically forcibly drained from them. There is a specific reason for binding the magic and souls of these people and why burning is suggested as a solution to those who refuse, but I won't go into in this post-it is world building related.The binding ceremony is an imperfect process that leaves the victim brain dead or insane for the most part and the magic lost .What happens depends on what authority is in charge of this religion at the time, or what scripture is favored at the present. For the past century or so it's been burning.

This is what happened to the villains mother, she was burned for refusing to bind her soul to this religion. So far this is his motivations and the Plot was based around this, he wishes to bring down this religion from the inside, by freeing what he believes is an Ancient God or Spirit of this world from a dark spell trapping it somewhere beyond the veil of Life and into Death. He's been seeing visions from this being and hearing voices from it for years. He's convinced freeing it will help aid him in pulling apart this religion and bring the world peace and freedom. He fakes zealotry to disguise his true motivations. His mother, being someone who followed the older ways before said religion became dominant used to tell him stories of the old Gods and Spirits that ruled this realm. He was very young when this happened so the foundation for his actions have been formed by these lessons and stories.

That part I have, all other actions he takes and repercussions and plot related incidents stem from this plan and this is where I get stuck? What is his plan to free this spirit? How can he take apart this religion from the inside? Does he wish to use the magic of this spirit to undermine the religions hierarchy from the inside? This is where I'm stuck, I have the goal and the why but to get there is what trips me up!

I even have the plan and motivations of the Spirit whose voice he's hearing and trying to free (they are "not good" as it were). The villain can't free this spirit on his own because he cannot cross that line between life and death, only a necromancer can and-since the religion started this purification process across the realm-most of the necromancers have gone missing (another subplot related reason I won't go into for TL;DR). But the heroine? She's young and an untrained Necromancer and he plans on using her to free this spirit. She's become his ward, that's where the story starts. The reason she's escaped notice from the dominant religion is because she's been living in an Alternate Realm with her Mother who was murdered (I was going to have her murdered by the villain but now I'm not sure, it may not make sense. This is *her* plot motivation and goal, find out who murdered her Mother). The villain has a plan but how to get there? How to make it work for the setting I have, which is going to take place mainly inside one castle, where the ruler of this Dukedom-where the story is set in lives. He's the Arch Dukes personal Priest (I call them Magus's). He keeps the heroine close to him and is slowly training her to use her magic.

But here's where I get stuck-so again, what is his plan? Sure I know his goal but that's not much of a plot if the villains plan is: train heroine, use her to break spell on this spirit, profitt???. Free spirit and thus free magic users? This is only the first book as this turned into a series on me.

I'm sorry if the post is too long! Does anyone have any suggestions or help with regards to creating dastardly plans to achieve ones goals? How do you create the plots and schemes of your villain? Does your villain even have a dastardly plot? Any suggestions or comments are most welcome!

MAS said:

Wow, that's a broad question, Marumae. But to bring down the organization, he'd have to analyze what it is that keeps it in power -- a single person? An organizational structure? Armies? It's hard to brainstorm any ideas without knowing more about the organization that he hopes to overthrow.

BTW, your "villain" sounds more like a protagonist to me.

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It is a rather broad question isn't it? I tried to make it short and that didn't happen (woops! lol ) did it? But good points on how the organization works, I have the skeletal structure of the organization and how it runs, holidays any important figures etc, so that's a good place to start! Not sure why I didn't think of that. I spent two years world building here because the story wouldn't come until it had a foundation to work on (or a house to live in as I mentally call it.)

Your last comment as well as sideshowdarb's comment is giving me food for thought. Perhaps I can't find a "plot" for the villain because he's not a villain after all? What if I'm trying to make the character fit into a role he's not suited for? I wanted to make him realistic and his goals believable because to me, the best kind of and most terrifying villains are the ones whose motivations you can understand and hell, even relate too. I definitely enjoy the "road to hell is paved with good intentions" kind of story (which is my theme). Perhaps co-protagonist is the way to look at him. The more I think about it, the more it works actually...so thank you both!

Also, sideshowdarb-a McGuffin is a good idea-this is an old world with a lot of history and perhaps I can work something around some object to make his goal easier to achieve...I will give that a thought. Thank you!

Ambrosia said:

He can still be a villian, even if he helps the protagonist. It all goes to motivation.

How do you write? Are you a plotter? A panster? In between? How do you get a story down?

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Very true, although I think the word I'm looking for (and seemed to have forgotten) was antagonist. He's the antagonist as in he is (or will) block the protagonist from reaching their goal. But like you said it's all in the motivation and as others have said what he'll do to reach his goals which is (the more I do writing exercise studies about him) pretty much anything.

As for how I write, I only sketch down scene summaries if they are ones that helped inspire the story itself. The rest I seat of my pants. I'll write outlines that read like three page summaries you'd give to an editor (or a publisher). However with the world of this novel, I was inspired for the story (basically), the characters and the tone of the story. This one, however as it's a secondary world I did some in depth serious world building. It was a hell of a lot of fun and my background in History certainly helped.

The key thing in mind is what they want and what they think are the limits they'll go to in order to get it. If someone is doing evil things purposely, than that is part of their goal and that has to be taken into consideration. If it isn't the intention, than the evil things are just what they are willing to do to get what they want. A villain would come up with a dastardly plan if that was their goal, and if that was the case, it would be focused on what is the most damage I can cause, or the best way to achieve chaos or problems?​

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That part about what the limits are they'll go in order to get it is what's making me rethink the character as less villanous and more antagonistic and ruthless. So good points on creating as much chaos as possible, which isn't really his schitck. He's doing what he thinks is right in all the wrong ways. Thanks so much to everyone who replied, I think you've helped unstick something with this so I'm going back and doing some more character development I think to further this story along