The Hero & The Antagonist

How to create the perfect opposition in your novel.

Welcome, new subscribers! If you’re just now joining us, or want to catch up, all of my previous posts in this writing series can be found here. You can scroll to the bottom to read them in order, or simply read what interests you. We’ve covered Premise, Story Shape, Characters, Central Question, Plot and Frame. But today I’ll be building on my previous posts about plot because that topic is a perennial favorite in this little community.

If you’re not here for the writing series, no worries! I’ll be back on Wednesday with another essay on finding a word for the year and why that is so much better than any resolution you could possibly make.

Photo credit: ReadyElements on Pixabay

There is no relationship in your novel more important than that of the Hero and the Antagonist. It is no exaggeration to say that the strength of your book rests upon the actions these two people take to thwart each other. And while that might seem intimidating at first glance, it is actually great news. It gives you the funnel into which you can pour the majority of your plotting energy.

Even better? There’s an easy technique that will help you create this funnel. 

And do you want the best news of all? It works for every genre.