John’s Hero and Villain
What I learned… to add more depth (and aspects) to the main characters and plot in order to make the journey more interesting and, in some ways, satisfying.
Hero Morally right: Evan wants to avenge his friend’s killing and destroy the international smuggling operation.
Villain Morally Wrong: Vovk killed Evan’s friend and partner, stole a large haul of rough diamonds, continues his violent rampage and raids on diamond mining operations around the world.
Hero: Evan Merritt: Mining Engineer
A. Unique Skill Set: Brilliant Chemical Engineer, photographic memory, resourceful planner, fearless
B. Motivation: avenge the death of his friend, recover stolen diamonds, destroy the smuggling ring, restore his tarnished reputation
C. Wound: Failed to stop two site raids by violent criminals, no one wants to hire him
Villain: Nikolai Vovk: Russian mercenary
A. Unbeatable: Ex-military, weapons/explosives expert, has a team of violent, well-trained and -equipped mercenaries, amply-financed
B. Plan/Goal: to conduct raids on diamond-mining sites around the world at any cost to disrupt the world supply
C. What they lose if Hero survives/wins: hundreds of millions in ransoms, and raw and polished diamonds
Impossible Mission: Evan must stop Vovk and his henchmen, and destroy the smuggling organization
A. Puts Hero in Action: Evan determines the most logical location for the next raid, and sets a trap to thwart it and capture or kill the mercenary team
B. Demands They go Beyond Their best: Evan liaises with the Fed’s for help to no avail, later discovers he has an undercover “assistant” working in the background, sets up a ragtag team to help carry out his plan to stop the marauding mercenaries and their violent, thieving activities.
C. Destroy the Villain: Evan sabotages the raid, but Vovk gets away, hidden by his married lover. A final do-or-die takes place in an airport parking lot between Evan and Vovk, ending in Vovk’s death. The head of the organization slinks away to a foreign country, and gets taken down a week later.
I skipped ahead after reading the assignment and asked, “If Evan can’t convince Police Departments to take him seriously, then how might Evan stop these guys himself.” The improved answers are already incorporated above.