NaNoWriMo 2015 Project

Day 10 - Antagonist Background Story - Contest #2

Saturday, Oct. 10
* Required: Contest Round 2: Antagonist Background Story ▼

Write a story about your antagonist that takes place outside of your novel. The object of the contest is to make your judges understand and empathize with the antagonist's motivations. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that. Add the background story to your character database (if applicable.)

*Submit your ITEM or ENTRY number by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday, Oct. 11 to compete. If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you may still post your assignment completion for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines.


"Carson." came the calmly deep voice from behind him.

The boy stopped in his tracks and tightened his grip on the laces of his skates that hung around his neck. He turned slowly and raised his eyes to look at his father.

"Yes, sir." he said in a voice that feigned confidence.

His father kept his eyes on the paper in front of him as he flipped over the sheets scanning the work. "Is this your finished project?"

The boy nodded, then clearing his throat since his father had not yet looked at him, he said, "yes, sir."

His father looked at him then and let the silence hang a moment, before he said, "I think you can do better."

Carson swallowed the sigh that wanted to come out. He had already spent enough time on that project. He was sick of working on it, but he knew a sigh would only anger his father, so he folded and put his skates down. When he rose, he saw the disapproval of leaving them there on his father's face. So he quickly bent and picked them up and put them away before moving to his father's side.

"If your going to do a job... do it well the first time."

"Yes, sir."

* * * *

Striving for perfection had made Carson very particular. Now when he did a job he never did it 'half assed'. He put everything into it. Being that way made him a great mechanic. He could find things the sloppier mechanics missed. He wasn't boastful of that fact, but his supervisors where well aware of his anal adherence to a job.

He expected others to do the same... and was loath to hang out with anyone who didn't toe the line and do what was expected. This limited his friendship circle.

His one area of weakness was with women. He tended to let them take advantage of his generous nature. He had suffered through one bad marriage as a result of not breaking things off when he knew things were going poorly. He had been young and stupid and she had a sob story that had him caving in. She left him after Christmas, married only six months. She just up and disappeared and he couldn't understand why. He figured she just was not willing to pull her load... he had been paying for everything and then when he was to be going back to school, she was supposed to support them during that time. He was thinking she had not wanted to do that... what else could it be?

But he was glad she was gone. She hadn't been a good housekeeper and over time, the sex had been... well, it wasn't... what he expected. She'd even lied to him about being on birth control. Thank goodness she had miscarried. Any complaints he made had fallen on deaf ears... she didn't love him enough if she couldn't do the basic things for him.

He had finally managed to let her organize the divorce just before he proposed to Taryn. It had taken her three years and it hadn't cost him a thing. He'd gotten the forms, signed them and mailed them back. There. Done. Now he could get on with his life... no more hiding his fiances so she couldn't get her hands on his hard earned money. Good thing Taryn was nothing like his ex.



Note: ▼

Thing is, Taryn becomes, in his mind, the same thing eventually..., as his behaviour beats the spontaneous wonderfulness out of her... his negativeness and over the top expectations cut her down and leave him in another broken relationship.

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