Beginning the End
On giving your antagonist the death they deserve.
Isn’t it disappointing when you’re watching a movie or reading a book, and the asshole antagonist just….dies? Case and point: SPOILER ALERT! Cersei Lannister. (are you all groaning with me right now??)
I mean, c’mon. We’ve hated this woman from the moment she first laid her glaring eyes on the Starks, and we detested her only moments later when she laughed as her incestuous brother shoved little boy Bran off the wall.
And in the end, she gets to have an uneventful death, back in the arms of her incestuous brother. Of course, I’m sure having large chunks of her concrete castle squishing and suffocating her to death wasn’t pleasant…but I also think it’s pretty safe to say that, after all the suffering she’d caused so many others, we all wanted to see her suffer a bit more before the end.
I’ve known the ending of my current WIP for a while now, and I’ve been working out the details lately. As I was writing, I realized that my antagonist just kind of…perished…along with the rest of the people in the scene. And I knew that if I weren’t satisfied with that ending, my readers certainly wouldn’t be.
To the Tarot!
From a recent video of my decks, my paid subscribers know I like using the Somnia Tarot for my antagonist. It has a wickedly dark, mysteriously old-world feel, so it fits him perfectly.
I was just going to pull one card to see where it led me, and four literally fell out as I was shuffling. I almost ALWAYS use the jumper cards as it seems like the deck itself is shouting, “HERE!” Although four seemed more like a terrible shuffling job (ahem) than a nod from the ol’ Universe, I went with it anyway.
And, wow.
So, in the scene, my protagonist suddenly unleashes ALL of her powers, destroying everything and everyone around her. This takes place at the edge of an ocean. But look! If I seek guidance from The Moon card shown here, my asshole got thrown into the water, but he did not die. He tries to sneak his way out but, of course, doesn’t get past my badass heroine. The Two of Coins definitely tells me he has some decisions to make, and there is an inner struggle there. For my antagonist, she suddenly sees and understands why he is the way he is. She gives him a choice and he does not choose wisely.
I love the Somnia image of the Four of Swords. The classic Rider Waite Smith version below shows a person lying on top of a surface, but they are tucked underneath a blanket in Bruno's deck.
I suddenly imagined my protagonist burying the jerky dude up to his head in the sand and letting the tide slowly take him…I admit, this is a total nod to the old “Something to Tide You Over” Creepshow segment written by our favorite King of Horror. (of all the shows/horror movies I’ve watched over the years, that is one that has always stuck with me.) It took me a while to come up with this idea, as The Four of Wands typically strikes me as a very peaceful card…but then again, Swords represent thoughts and communication. In the Somnia depiction, the person may be resting, but I also get the feeling that those Swords may be keeping him trapped in that blanket. That makes perfect sense for my bad guy, as his twisted thoughts and the damage his mind (and heart) has received led him to do the terrible things he did. My friends, fear is all in the mind, and it can keep us stuck in so many ways.
Then we come to The High Priestess, which, oh my goodness, is EXACTLY what my protagonist turns into at the end of this story. An all-knowing being with powers beyond understanding or measure, not good, not bad, but commanding that liminal space of balance and order that lies between. And there she is.
And, Scene!!!
Pretty amazing, eh? The magic of the tarot comes to the rescue again. Could I have come up with a version of this on my own? Sure, probably…but wow, using the tarot makes the process so much fun, and by doing this, the details of the pictures and symbols also made me think of other aspects of my story.
I would like to say that this means I’m almost done with my first draft, but, alas and alack, that is not the case. But, given my first draft end-of-summer deadline by the incredible Martin from Spellbound Sky, I’m pretty sure I’ll make it….whew!
How about YOU?
I would LOVE to know what you are working on! Have you tried pulling some cards around scenes or characters yet?
Don’t forget—our monthly Parlor Room gathering is just around the corner!
For those of you who are new—HELLO and thank you for being here!— this is offered to paid subscribers. In these Zoom sessions, I will pull cards around any aspect of your WIP, one that’s been shelved, or to help stir up ideas for something new! It’s really fun to meet with like-minded writers to help you brainstorm any ideas that may come up from the cards.
We typically meet on the 3rd Monday of the month, so the next session is June 17th, 6:30 pm central time. I will be sending out the link to subscribers shortly!
Until next time, keep writing and making magic! XO
I always use jumper cards too-even when an entire crowd ends up in my lap! I didn't pull any cards for my characters yet but I did pull one to make sure the time was right for a submission to go out. I got a resounding YES from the Six of Cups, which also hinted a romance & love-which is what my submission piece is about!