Consider the following villains: Darth Vader, Maleficent, Hannibal Lecter. What makes them so delightful to hate? These characters appeal to the audience for many reasons, which boil down to a simple fact. A convincing antagonist is much more than a roadblock to your protagonist’s goals; he/she is an integral member of your cast. In fact, your antagonist contributes as much to your story as your hero does.
Here are two methods to build a strong antagonist for your story:
Flat, round, static, dynamic: these are all words describing character types in literature. But what do they mean? Flat and round characters easily compare and contrast with each other. In the simplest terms, a flat character exhibits one trait while a round character exudes many traits, even some that conflict with each other.
On the other hand, the terms “static” and “dynamic” refer to the character’s development. In short, a static character does not undergo any significant internal change during the story; a dynamic character evolves through conflict. Thus, you could write about a flat dynamic character, a round static character, etc.
Have you ever started story and given up halfway through? Sadly, this is the common experience for many writers, especially when it comes to finishing a big project such as a novel.
There are many reasons to scrap a story after you’ve started writing. Maybe your premises wasn’t as interesting as you thought, or maybe your character lacked the motivation to make it to the finish line.
Here’s a simple way to bulletproof your writing process against this problem:
If you’ve spent much time exploring books on story structure and fiction writing, you’ve probably run across the term “narrative distance.” As a concept, narrative distance is not hard to grasp. Finding the right narrative depth for your story can get tricky, though.
Few things are worse than a two dimensional protagonist, but creating multi-faceted characters isn’t easy. Building a strong backstory and compelling internal conflict takes more than time; it requires practice and discipline. Here’s a simple exercise to help you breathe life into characters when they feel less than convincing: Continue reading →