Suffer the Consequences!

Last time we talked a little about the string of violent, public attacks that have been going on in our country and around the world over the past decade or so.

Like I said before, myself, my husband and one of my best friends were chatting about it. Someone put in the idea that the media shouldn’t even give these people’s names out. If any of their motivation was 15 minutes of fame and “Sympathize with the sad story of my life” this would thwart it.

Just an idea, but we played with it.

So the media doesn’t ever mention the killer’s name. Which means that their family may be spared a great deal (not all) of humiliation, heartache and public grief. Especially on a national scale.

One of us talking said, “I think they should say horrible things about the shooter. Call them stupid, they’re idiots, find every dumb thing they’ve done in their lives and point it out.”

Someone else said, “Uh, no. What about their family (who is already going through hell about this)?”

Good point. Not a great idea.

Then we started talking stories. And we discussed what if when someone did something so bad that a police force of some sort would then go back in time and completely erase not their existence, but every reference to it? Could be magic or technology or whatever.

A story idea. I like those. J

The anime “Death Note” came up. In it a death god gives a teenage kid a notebook in which the kid can write down anyone’s name, and they die.

At one point in the story the kid is so powerful that no one in the country dares even break a law, because somehow this kid sees them and then kills them.

Extreme consequences. They can make pretty awesome ideas for stories.

It’s important to remember to have some consequences for your villains, both good and bad (from their point of view). They are a character in your story, and as such, they have the same right and need to progress, have good and bad days as your good guys.

Sometimes it makes things very interesting.