New rule: you're not allowed kill a character's family to motivate them

Yes it makes sense. It would motivate them powerfully. But it's been done too many times, and it's too easy.

The rule makes you find more interesting ways of motivating them. Are they driven by bruised pride? By romance? By obsession? Anything is more interesting than rehashing the cliché Hollywood loves.

Similarly, don't make a villain more evil by saying "they're a dictator and also a kiddie-fiddler orremoved". That's just tacking on villainy.

That would be like having a right-wing US President, and saying "oh he's also aremoved and best friends with a child-trafficker" - lazy, unrealistic writing. Make your villains more nuanced please.