Open Thread: Oracle Hotline
Mar. 6th, 2026 12:38 pm --What does your antagonist believe they're fighting for, and how do you ensure their motivations feel genuine?
Oh dear, here we hit a snag, which is I don't know for sure who my antagonist is! The Joker is dead in this Elseworld, and both Luthor and Zod are recently-defeated. I might look into Brainiac, or find a Batman villain who fits well with a steampunk vibe (I think there are probably plenty of choices!) I can never write the Riddler well, but a Victorian Riddler might be fun. He would definitely be bored and amusing himself, fighting to prove himself the smartest in this new age, and that will always be a very genuine motivation for Eddie.
Or Poison Ivy! An anti-technology Pamela Isley who hates all this new-fangled electricity and machinery and is fighting to return humanity to an agrarian age could be really interesting, hmmnmm. That might be inspiring!
Who is your antagonist right now? In general, I don't tend to focus as much on my antagonists, which I do think is a weakness in my writing...
Oh dear, here we hit a snag, which is I don't know for sure who my antagonist is! The Joker is dead in this Elseworld, and both Luthor and Zod are recently-defeated. I might look into Brainiac, or find a Batman villain who fits well with a steampunk vibe (I think there are probably plenty of choices!) I can never write the Riddler well, but a Victorian Riddler might be fun. He would definitely be bored and amusing himself, fighting to prove himself the smartest in this new age, and that will always be a very genuine motivation for Eddie.
Or Poison Ivy! An anti-technology Pamela Isley who hates all this new-fangled electricity and machinery and is fighting to return humanity to an agrarian age could be really interesting, hmmnmm. That might be inspiring!
Who is your antagonist right now? In general, I don't tend to focus as much on my antagonists, which I do think is a weakness in my writing...