Letter A
Arsenic will kill your Antagonist and the you'll need an Alibi for the Murder.
A in the legal arena is for Alibi: n. an excuse used by a person accused or suspected of crime. In the original Latin it means "in another place" which has to be the ultimate alibi.
The accused may try to offer an alibi (a person to testify) that the accused was somewhere, other than the scene of the crime, at the time crime was committed. This is an alibi witness. The First National Bank on Main St., Tampa, Florida, was robbed on October 1, 2017 at 4:45 P.M and the defendant is accused of the crime. In his defense, the accused offers testimony from a witness who will testify that the accused was with alibi witness, in Denver, Co., therefore he could not have committed the crime.
Antagonist in crime fiction:
One of my favorite antagonist and a stand out character is Anton Chigurh, the creepy villain portrayed by Javier Bardem in the film No Country for Old Men. The novel was written by Cormac McCarthy.
The character's known not only for his bad haircut, but for his lack of conscience and killing people with a a bolt pistol. He showed no emotion as he flipped the death coin ... the toss of a coin. Each victim, per instruction, chose heads or tails and unknowingly decided their own fate. Correct choice big bad dude spares your life. Wrong call and Anton executes you with a bang. Fair enough ... huh? I mean at least he keeps his word. Pretty nice for a cold blooded killer, don't cha think.
A weapon (method) used for murder: Arsenic --
Arsenic is tasteless, odorless, so your killer can put the poison in just about anything for the victim to swallow and she'll not be the wiser. It mimics the symptoms a natural illness and if no one is suspicious or request the ME to specifically look for it, it's hard to find in the body. Arsenic in known to cause cancer. Yikes ... that scary's enough, but what if your villain used arsenic to cause the victim's cancer. When a person dies of cancer, the only thing going on that death certificate is Natural Causes.
After watching a loved one battle and suffer through months or years of cancer, often their death feels like a relief. A relief because there's finally an ending to the never ending pain and suffering. Many people, family and friends have just witnesses his/her demise, literally watched the person they love dwindle away before their eyes until there's nothing left inside of them. They hold on until they know we will be okay.
How cruel it would appear if one insisted upon an autopsy after their loved one's suffering finally ended? They've finally left this world for a better place. We're left behind to mourn. Why on earth would we delay our grieving. It's time to move on. But, if the loved one is unusually young for the kind /type of cancer they are stricken with, listen to your instincts. You are always your best judge of wrongdoing. That niggling inside your gut or your MC's belly ... usually means something. It's the brain sending a message that somethings wrong and needs further exploration.
Years ago arsenic was the perfect poison. Arsenic is not used as often today, but it still works and it's still hard to detect, tasteless and odorless. But, your story requires a cruel victim because death by arsenic poisoning is painful and inhumane.
Where would your Antagonist bad guy come across arsenic in todays' world without drawing attention to himself?
- Lumber Yards
- Pesticides
- Batteries
- Glass Manufacturing
- Horticulture/Nursery business
- Farming Business
A favorite book for the letter A:
Fiction: The Associate by Phillip Margolin
Non Fiction: Advanced Brilliant Writing by Susan May Warren at My Book Therapy ... Academy offers many Writing Classes & Workshops, such as Learn How to Write a Novel.
Be sure to visit her affiliate/Sister site Novel Rocket and view the Private Coaching Services.
You''ll also want to check out Novel Academy and of course Susan May Warrens's other books & workbooks, which are incredibly helpful for creating multi dimensional characters with backstory, a wound or ghost from the past that causes them to believe a lie. The workbooks are fantastic aides for walking you through your character's flaw and how the flaw manifest itself throughout the story. You'll learn what the protagonist must overcome in order to achieve her outer goal. If you're anything like me and you had a difficult time understanding how your character's flaw and the internal and external goals and needs affect the plot, this workbook is an eye opener.
It's one of those duh ... uh ... moments when the light bulb goes off and you knock yourself in the head and wonder what took so long.
It's one of those duh ... uh ... moments when the light bulb goes off and you knock yourself in the head and wonder what took so long.
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