Stuart J. Tanner and Cullen McHael trade examples of compelling antagonists in speculative fiction from Sci-Fi to Fantasy, deconstruct the role of the antagonist, and offer advice from hard-earned lessons about how and when to consider your antagonist in your writing process. Cullen lists nine kinds of antagonist, which one are you?
0:00 Intro
5:28 The Role of the Antagonist
8:40 Antagonist Example: The Joker in the Dark Knight
15:41 The Antagonist Letdown
24:32 9 Kinds of Antagonist: Which One Are You?
30:46 The Complexity of Antagonists
33:01 The Bully: from Nurse Ratchet to Big Brother
41:23 Antagonists Beyond Ideologies
48:26 Cullen's Final Comments: Lowering the Bar and Escaping Inflated Expectations
53:04 Stuart Final Comments: Joys of Speculative Fiction
Questions of the Day
When do you decide on an antagonist?
Great Antagonists—what makes them great?
The Joker from The Dark Knight
Roy Batty in Bladerunner
Sauron in The Lord of the Rings
Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Johan from Monster
Failed Antagonists—why?
Types of antagonist?
Fallen hero
Competitor hero
Evil mask
Bully
Corrupt priest
Unstoppable force
Grand shadow
Wild beast
Hostile environment
How might you fit an antagonist into the narrative, especially at the first third of the book?
How does your choice of antagonist shape your narrative?
How do we set out to decide what kind of antagonist to use in a given story?
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Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/
Music by Cullen McHael
Edited by Cullen McHael
Produced by Cullen McHael
Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael
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