How can I write this seduction scenario, character development wise?

Carrie experienced severe childhood abuse and trauma. Have you forgotten her mother? That is not an example that works well for your side of this.

 

Well her retaliation is against men sexually, for rejecting her, so I want to stick with that theme. I want to make the plot more plausible but keep the theme the same.

What about the book Carrie as an example?

That character was constantly being treated badly and persecuted by others, to the point where she snapped. What if wrote it like that, so they do not just reject her, but they persecute her for it as well?

 

Carrie: Severe childhood abuse and trauma.
Hannibal: Severe childhood abuse and trauma.
Buffalo Bill: Severe childhood abuse and trauma.

 

So you want to keep the theme that not getting sex on demand will "cause" a person to become insane.

Why? Just, why?

 

I feel that a lot of the story could be changed around if I change that, and it will just not be the same story. I would have no idea what new theme to explore or where to go. I feel that a villain needs a point, even if the reader is suppose to disagree with it. So I have no idea what new point, the story would be about, and not know what direction to go in at all.

At what age for a person, do they become old enough, so that the abuse would not cause them to become a killer? How young does the person have to be in order for it to take this extreme of an effect?

 

I'm done. At least, I hope I'm done.

 

It seems like she's obsessed with revenge for being rejected. Have you thought about if she's anything like American Psycho where she has an insatiable need to rape and murder? What kind of psychopath is she?

There's a choice in creating the scenes depending on how she is as a 'predator'. How does she choose her targets, are they strangers who she seduces and manipulates as part of a pathological web of deceit? Does she have a pattern to make sure she can keep killing in her spare time, in stead of just randomly getting pissed off at anyone? It seems like depending on if she's impulsive or calculating, you can create different scenes.

For example, she's on the bus and asked to present her ticket. After a moment of awkward fondling, unfortunately she can't find it. The bus driver let her on the bus, so she must have paid. Unfortunately, he doesn't help her, and says he can't remember all the faces... She could have gotten on the bus through the backdoor, for all they know. She's escorted off the bus.

Does this rejection make her boil of anger? Does she strike the bus driver sooner or later?

Or is she extremely promiscuous and stalks anyone who doesn't seem interested in talking?

 

I don't know what kind of psychopath, sociopath, or serial killer type she is.

I had an idea for villain with this problem, as their motivation for doing what she is doing. But I did not put any type of psychological label on her. I just came up with the problem, and the obsessive drive.

She has a pattern for sure, and she chooses guys who she thinks deserves it, but ones that cannot be directly traced back to her, to safeguard herself from hopefully being caught.

She would definitely plan a crime methodically before she commits it though.

 

What more do you need?

 

Oh well some people have told me that her motivations do not make sense, so do I need more?

 

People are mysterious creatures. There's no sense in trying to make sense to everybody.

 

Well when it comes to the police investigators seeking out a criminal psychologist to help make a profile of the crook, to help catch her, and try to figure out what she is doing, what kind of explanation should I have him give, if the underlying reasoning is far fetched?

 

This sounds more like an issue of what a detective would have to solve. The information of her profile would be helpful to the people who would have to deal with her. It's important to know how to approach her: armed to the teeth, using lethal force, or with reason and sensible arguments?

I can't help your research what a criminologist might say that a detective finds useful. See, it depends on the situation and on the person if they want to call in the help of a behavior scientist. Or maybe it's even a required process when there's a murder case, to look at signs of pathological motives based on the traces that are found. All these clues are mere suspicion until the suspect is found and found guilty, and then still need some kind of confirmation. If there is a suspect that hasn't been found yet, I think relatives or other associates are just as valuable a source as behavioral scientists. They would, I think, affirm suspicions. A breakthrough insight provided by a criminologist is rare, I think. The information provided by this aid needs to come from something, either testimonies or evidence from a crime scene. The situation is detrimental to make the professional statement about her mental health.

If it's a stand alone report... what would be in there that the police investigators, and those who help in the research, know? The facts that they gathered are based on what they know.

You can't really base a psychological profile on things that forensic investigation focuses. You can choose for it, that your characters can do this. If you want it to be realistic, they have to make a connection between the murder(s) and based from that conclude that the suspect is a female psychopath, with a specific historic background that changed her from victim to perpetrator.

They can't just meditate and "sense" what's up... obviously you didn't say paranormal investigator.

 

Okay thanks. Well in my story the police cannot question relatives, cause they do not know who she is at this time.

She sends in letters to the media though, saying why she is doing what she is doing and she makes further threats of further murders to come... Kind of like what the killer in the movie M (1931) did. So the police know her motivations behind the acts, based on her the threatening letters she sends in.

 

I think if she is rejected harshly enough, with insulting comments appearing at least a few times, that could piss her off and/or make you insecure. And if she has some underlying issues, she's already a bit of sociopath but latent, then it could trigger something. You could include her parents being strict and/or getting a divorce. That can potentially affect people's outlook and emotions negatively.

 

I could do that, but I feel that if parents have become tropes when it comes to serial killer type villains. Almost every time I see a serial killer villain, in a story, it's almost always a parental thing. I feel that with the theme I want to get across, the parents have nothing to do with it. So I could use them but it comes off as a trope or a cliche to me, cause it's become a standard reason in fiction so much.

But if I used it, then it feels like her real problem is with the parents maybe, and the theme is not as main therefore maybe?

 

The parent thing was optional. You could just use the rest of my suggestion.

 

That's true. Okay thanks. I am not sure really. Originally I planned on not giving her a reason. She is a mystery character, sort of, told mostly from the MC's point of view, who does not know hardly anything about her. So I am wondering if I could go that route, or whether not, the reader needs an explanation.

But what about what ChickenFreak said, that it has to be a result of childhood abuse to push a person this far?

 

It doesn't have to be, but it's the most common factor in creating, enhancing or triggering issues. There are many potential routes, I think that was more about your previous explanation being a little lacking than that specific suggestion being the right answer.

 

Okay thanks. Some others have said that they have a hard time justifying the villains actions as well, as what ChickenFreak said. However, I do not understand the reader has to justify the villain's actions. Why can't a reader be okay with the villain doing something that is unjustifiable? Since the villain is into doing wrongful acts, why can't they readers accept them as wrongful to the point that they cannot be justified?

 

It's not so much that it's not justified it's that it's too unjustified to make sense. Unless she's already got issues, latent or otherwise, it feels like she's snapped for not quite enough reason.

 

Well some people value different things in their lives than others. In this case, being mistreated by the opposite gender, is a big deal to her. It's kind like how for one person, something may be a big deal, but to others, it would not.

But in my research there are a lot of people who have never had a mate, and as they got older they become very bitter at the world for it. To most people, it is important to be accepted in that area, to a degree at least.

When you say unless she already had issues, her involuntary celibacy issue has been bothering her for over a decade. Is that not long enough of a period of time to be an issue?

 

Hm. If she's a very tantrumy person, maybe, but... I'd probably give her more than that.
Also, "a lot" is a bit much in terms of people with this problem. Most people get dates. That's why it's ostracizing to not.

 

Yep I would have to come up with a reason as to why she never got a second date. Maybe there is something about her that comes off as a deal breaker, such as a disfigurement, or a developmental disorder, or something?

For example, I know someone in real life who is autistic, and in his 30s and he never was able to get a date in all his attempts. Yet he is really smart in some areas, just not developed in social skills.

Perhaps I could write it like that where a the villain is disfigured or disabled in some way, to the point where men do not think much of her, but is capable enough to be a criminal mastermind otherwise.

I also looked up people with the same problem as her, and the reasons usually boil down to disfigurements or disorders of some sort. Could it be something like that, on where she wouldn't get second dates, ever in her whole life?

 

Oh yeah, absolutely. If she is a sociopath, then she can have socially bad behaviours and be capable of very selective compassion. It would be perfect for this character.