How to make the Villain remember of his past?

[Glykeria]

Hello! I'm terribly stuck in my story and would appreciate your help!

My story is divided in two parts.
The first part is the previous lifetime of the characters.
The second part is where the story (I'd like to say "the book" ) actually begins - in the current lifetime of the characters.

My protagonist is a Witch and all the characters involved will be subconsciously influenced by their previous lifetime. There is also a magical book that I wish to be the MacGuffin (an object to set and keep the plot in motion) and this book can remove curses, undo spells and so forth. I will not get into any deep details, because there's a lot going on.

My problem is this: The villain of the story is a guy who was affected by the Witch's spell in his previous lifetime and whose spell is still affecting him to this day, causing many problems in his life. However, he is not aware of it.

Now... I want to make him remember the spell that the Witch did, but it's not so simple!
The problem is that even if he somehow remembers her spell, I also need to make him aware of the Witch's whereabouts, as well as the fact that this book can undo the spell.

Without him knowing about the book, the whole thing falls apart.

IF he knows about the book, I was thinking of making him go to the Witch and ask about the book (falsely assuming that since she's a Witch, and it's a magical book, she ought to know where it is) and after almost killing her (someone protected the Witch and couldn't finish the job), he left in order to find the book without having any clues about it (he will head towards the library, and then things take a roll from there).

The villain going to the Witch and asking about the book while threatening her will be the catalyst for the rest of the story. However, in order for that to happen, the villain needs to know her whereabouts, her past spell and the fact that the book can undo it.

I'm pulling my hair out trying to find a way through this.

 

[Queshire]

Hmmm.... could the villain have found a second magic item? Something too weak to break the curse but could let him know about the book and the witch? Like a magic mirror or something

 

[ThinkerX]

Kerr, in her 'Deverry' series dealt with an issue much like this by 'splitting the story' - the contemporary characters would encounter something or somebody that would invoke a very strong 'deja-vu' situation, and the next portion would be a past life novella about the circumstances behind that feeling.

I would argue that something similar happens with the villain in your story - he goes somewhere or encounters something that brings on such an overpowering deja-vu feeling he is compelled to act on it - that is undertake basic research, be it questioning people or plowing through old archives. That in turn leads to more deja-vu moments, culminating when he finds a portrait of the witch and an image or description of the book - maybe a few spells from it cribbed by a long ago copyist.

 

[pmmg]

Perhaps he goes to the witch and threatens her, and then finds out about the book.

And suppose he learns about the spell, finds out about her do to stuff she posted online, and learns about the book from some paranormal Discovery channel show that mentions it as some type of lost treasure

Twice, I have written a story with a road block I could not figure out, and both times I wrote the story as far as I could worrying each day what would they do when I got to that place where I got stuck....And both times the answer revealed itself just as I got to the scene in question. Maybe you will have similar luck.

 

[Glykeria]

Thank you everyone for your responses!

...

After I posted my question here, someone in the chat of the website gave me a similar idea! They suggested that perhaps he was able to remember through magic (by perhaps finding another magical item that granted him knowledge). It is a very good idea and I will have to consider it.

...

Funnily enough, this was my initial approach but I gave up as it still left some holes in the plot. In his previous life the villain had been kidnapped, and I had thought of experiencing something similar in this lifetime (and the trauma/fear/etc making him suddenly remember) but there was still the issue of him learning about the magical book that can undo the spell, as well as the whereabouts of the Witch. Perhaps I could mix this up with Queshire's suggestion above.

Twice, I have written a story with a road block I could not figure out, and both times I wrote the story as far as I could worrying each day what would they do when I got to that place where I got stuck....And both times the answer revealed itself just as I got to the scene in question. Maybe you will have similar luck.

Hehe, thank you so much, I really hope so.
There is a lot of secrecy revolving that book, so no matter how much I wanted to make "rumors" spreading around (and him realizing it could undo the spell), it wouldn't be possible in this case. Also, there is no Internet or televisions in my story! (making the spreading of knowledge even more difficult! )

However, you all gave me good ideas and I think I will most likely use a mixture of the Deja-vu, as well as another magical item giving him knowledge about the book and the Witch's whereabouts.

I just hope it won't seem far-fetched to the readers. (you know, how some things seem too "convenient" and out of the blue in a story. )
But I think it does make sense. I will just need to create a more in-depth background story about that second magical item.

Honestly, a million thank you to everyone. I was stuck so much here, I had started freaking out a bit, thinking I will never manage to write this book.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Is your villain a viewpoint character? Because if he isn't then you don't actually need to know how he gets his information, you could just leave it up in the air (though of course it does help if you as a writer know).

Another thing to consider is that he doesn't actually need to do both things at the same time. He can first find out about the witch and her spell, and only later learn about the book being able to remove it. It could make sense that way: first he learns that he's cursed and he searches for someone to remove it. he starts with the witch who did it. Then, when that doesn't work he searches for an alternative way and comes across a mention of the book.

 

[Glykeria]

...

Hey, thank you for responding.
I actually do intend on making him one of the viewpoint characters. I basically want to change the POV in certain chapters and I wish to show his background story as well (through instant memories or way of thinking - not through bland narration of the past).

Also, thank you so much for the suggestion! It does make more sense to make the story go that way...

I've been very troubled by the fact that magic is prohibited in that world (think of the Middle Ages, but in a more modern age - no Internet or TV though) and since any research on magic can be punished with death, I will have to get really creative for leading the villain towards the book. There is a secret School of Anti-Magic, in which the protagonist will end up to, and the villain would actually go to that place as well. I can certainly take advantage of that, and make the book being mentioned there, giving the villain a very specific target.
And then I can reveal in a future chapter (when the protagonists face the villain in some way) that he's actually also after the book.

 

[Glykeria]

I don't know if there's a way to "close" this topic, but I wanted to inform everyone who has answered (or thinks of giving new suggestions ) that thanks to everyone's help here, I finally managed to solve this issue!

In the end, I did use a bad experience as the instigator of him remembering his past life trauma, in which he was kidnapped and a spell had kept his parents away from him... And as he delved into the "bad neighborhoods" searching for answers, he was actually appointed to a Witch, who tried to sell him a magical orb that would answer all of his questions.
The orb was expensive and he hated the Witches. He ended up stealing it and killing the Witch.
He used the orb and found out about the magical book and the whereabouts of the Witch that had done that spell to him. (the orb can't show him the whereabouts of the book, because it's a magically protected book) In the meantime, the mafia, for whom the Witch was working, is now chasing after the villain. The villain finds the Witch, almost kills her while asking for the magical book... The Witch is saved by someone else, aaaand the story begins!

I feel soooo happy I managed to overcome this problem... A huge burden was lifted off of me, and I can finally start writing again!

A million thank you to everyone who responded!

 

[ThinkerX]

I've been very troubled by the fact that magic is prohibited in that world (think of the Middle Ages, but in a more modern age - no Internet or TV though) and since any research on magic can be punished with death, I will have to get really creative for leading the villain towards the book. There is a secret School of Anti-Magic, in which the protagonist will end up to, and the villain would actually go to that place as well. I can certainly take advantage of that, and make the book being mentioned there, giving the villain a very specific target.
And then I can reveal in a future chapter (when the protagonists face the villain in some way) that he's actually also after the book.

Almost commented on this yesterday.

First, at least some of the people at this 'secret school of anti-magic' will be magicians. Such groups tend to suppress all magic that does not originate with them, but they get a pass because they're more ethical or brutal or whatnot than the common herd. Villain and protagonist need not know this, at least at the outset.

Second, the severe penalties for magic use argue for there being actual wizards and witches to persecute. This type of situation, these people either

1 - seek out powerful patrons who can protect them,

2 - hide, quite possibly going the secret society route. ('No, no, officer, we're 'stage magicians,' sleight of hand artists, not real wizards.' Or they pretend to be a society of alchemists or some such)