So I rarely ever post questions about something I'm actually working on, but I wanted to get some opinions. In my current WIP, I had a plan for a character to get poisoned on purpose by another character so she will help him find a long sought after anti-venom for various poisons. My MC has other motivations in the story, but I was wondering if poisoning her and putting a "ticking clock" so to speak on trying to discover the cure would overshadow her other motivations: redemption in the eyes of the public for something she was framed for and remaking her image as a champion of the common people and not a lackey of the rich elite like she was before.
So her 3 motivations are:
1. Redemption
2. Remolding her image
3. Self-preservation
I wonder in this case if her self-preservation may trump her other two motivations, which feel what I want my story to be about the most. I want the poisoning (which is slow acting and doesn't cause immediate side effects) to always be in the back of her mind so she has to work fast.
I worry if this over-complicates things too much. If so, I don't want to include it. But if it sounds like something that could be another good thing to drive the plot forward, then I'd like to use it because it gives her more of a sense of urgency.
Should I include this poisoning as a potential sub-plot and motivator or should I focus on my original motivations only?
Thanks in advance!
So her 3 motivations are:
1. Redemption
2. Remolding her image
3. Self-preservation
I wonder in this case if her self-preservation may trump her other two motivations, which feel what I want my story to be about the most. I want the poisoning (which is slow acting and doesn't cause immediate side effects) to always be in the back of her mind so she has to work fast.
I worry if this over-complicates things too much. If so, I don't want to include it. But if it sounds like something that could be another good thing to drive the plot forward, then I'd like to use it because it gives her more of a sense of urgency.
Should I include this poisoning as a potential sub-plot and motivator or should I focus on my original motivations only?
Thanks in advance!