“What if evil doesn’t really exist? What if evil is something dreamed up by man, and there is nothing to struggle against except out own limitations? The constant battle between our will, our desires, and our choices?”

― Libba Bray, Rebel Angels

Let’s talk about evil. What makes a character “evil?” What motivates your antagonist? Think about your own sense of morality, what you think is good and evil, and then think about your OC’s. How does your protagonist’s moral compass work? What events in their life helped shape their sense of morality? The same goes for your antagonist. Take a moment to either write a backflash of an important event in both your antagonists and protagonist’s life, or make a list of events and the justification your character used to create their ideas of “good” vs. “evil.” Did both of your characters experience similar things (i.e. loss) but perceive it and react to it differently? Did they experience loss in different circumstances? Think about nature vs. nurture and how the character’s personality, financial status, and home life may have affected who they are now. Also what is your character’s goal and to what extent are they willing to go to reach it?

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Hello my little friendly geckos, thanks for the read! Just a reminder that you can see get a free copy of my poetry collection, The Moth that Haunts the Laundry Room, on Prolific Works. If you want to support my creative endeavors, you can also purchase the book on Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Don’t forget to check me out on Instagram (thegarrulousgecko) and twitter (@theheckingeck) for herpetofauna photos, poems, and more! If you write something based on one of my prompts and want to share it with me, you can use the Share and Recommend tab at the top of the page, I’ll even post it on the website! Happy writing.