“Don’t listen to yourself; listen to the advice that you give others.”
— Michael Lottner
How do you introduce an antagonist into a story? I'm stuck. They are important to the plot.
The antagonist should be introduced in a memorable way that is useful to the story. However, first appearances and introductions can be different thing, and introducing them as a character versus introducing them as the antagonist can be two separate events entirely.
When you’re introducing the antagonist, you should keep in mind what the reader knows, and what they have yet to learn. Sure, maybe they know this person is the main character’s roommate, and they’re finding out that this roommate has helped their significant other cheat on them, but they don’t know that the roommate has held a grudge since high school which informed the decision to help them cheat. The antagonist’s introduction should be a strategic disclosure of key information.
The introduction should also be memorable enough to evoke its own details in future scenes regarding the character. Perhaps what they say or do in their introduction should come up later. Their introduction should act as a bookend to their arc throughout the novel, so keep the ending in mind as you write their beginning. You must also be mindful that this is probably the first (or a new first) impression of that character on the reader, so you want to set the tone for their presence in the story and offer some preliminary character development for the reader to build on as the plot progresses.
Here are some other resources you may find helpful:
Resources For Describing Characters
How To Fit Character Development Into Your Story
Making Characters Unpredictable
Writing Good Villains
Giving Characters Distinct Voices in Dialogue
Gradually Revealing Character’s Past
Tips on Introducing Characters
Creating Villains
How To Write A Good Plot Twist
How To Foreshadow
Tackling Subplots
Tips On Dialogue
Writing Intense Scenes
Tips on Writing Flashbacks
Describing emotion through action
A Guide To Tension & Suspense
Foreshadowing The Villain
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Masterlist | WIP Blog
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“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”
— Nathaniel Hawthorne
“You must go on adventures to find out where you belong.”
— Sue Fitzmaurice
Sometimes when I write black women I feel like I have to be like SHES BLACK! SHES DARK SKINNED! SHE HAS BEAUTIFUL DARK EYES! SHES DARK SKINNED AND BEAUTIFUL SHES BLACK! because I know that a lot of ppl would imagine a white woman if it's not expressly stated that shes black and even if they do imagine her as black they'll default to a light skinned woman especially if she's described as beautiful or she's a romantic interest
“We do not remember days. We remember moments.”
— Cesare Pavese
“We didn’t talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough.”
— Stephen Chbosky
Hi there! I was curious for your advise on how to get back into writing after a long absence? I haven't written for at least 3 years and I can't seem to figure fire out a way to motivate myself and get excited about something to write. I'm incredibly out of practice and stories rarely come to me nowadays. It seems to be easier to just continue with life mindlessly, not trying to write since when I think about trying to write I immediately think about what a failure it would be.
Choosing Your Writing Path
Restarting Your Writing Passion
How To Motivate Yourself To Write
Reasons To Improve Your Lifestyle
Tips & Advice for Aspiring Authors, Writers, and Poets
On Getting Started As A Writer
On Hating Your Old Stuff
Depression As An Inhibitor
Healthy Forms of Motivation
How To Have A Productive Mindset
How To Fall In Love With Writing
How To Incorporate Health Into Your Writing Routine
So You Want To Start A Blog?
Writing Through Mental Health Struggles
How To Improve Your Life In Little Ways
Dear Writers Who Are Hesitant To Start Writing
Insecure About Writing Without Formal Training?
“All First Drafts Are Crap” -- My Thoughts
Getting Back To Writing After A Long Hiatus
Why “Burnout” Is Oay - The Creative Cycle
For Writers Who Want To Become Popular
Wanting To Finish A Story You’ve Fallen Out of Love With
You Don’t Need To Be A Professional To Practice Advanced Writing
Getting Motivated To Write
“Does What I’m Writing Matter?”
Taking Writing Seriously For The First Time
Sharing Your Writing With Others
Getting Burnt Out Near The Finish Line
The Beginning of The Writing Process
Benefits of Low-Stakes Writing
Taking Risks With WIPs
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Masterlist | WIP Blog
If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, or pledging your support on Patreon, where I offer early access and exclusive benefits for only $5/month.
Bali is the only place that has been observed to consistently have funerals with no tears. In Bali, funerals are held two years after the person has died.
I'm just a weird girl who likes to read about history, mythology and feminism.
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