“Embrace the Unexpected: How Flipping Your Protagonists Can Transform Your Story’s Narrative!”
Have you ever found yourself rooting for the villain, wondering what makes them tick? It’s funny how, in every narrative, characters we often see as antagonists can be just as fascinating as the “main” protagonist. In our recent online course, “Create a Compelling Protagonist,” a thought-provoking question popped up: what if we treated our characters as if they were the heroes of their own tales? Well, that’s the intriguing premise behind the exercise I call “Switch Protagonists.” By diving into the motivations and goals of every character—yes, even the nemesis—you can unlock deeper layers of your story, revealing just how everyone has their unique struggles and desires. So, let’s take a closer look at this character-switching strategy, and see how it influences not just your writing, but the very essence of your narrative. If you’re ready to shift perspectives and explore the interconnectedness of your characters, you’re in for a captivating ride! LEARN MORE.
After all, every character is the Protagonist in their own story.
In a recent Create a Compelling Protagonist online class, a question came up: Could we use some of those same character development tools we’re studying with other characters, specifically the Nemesis? Yes, indeed, with an exercise I call: Switch Protagonists.
That is, you can work with every character in your story as if they were the Protagonist. Indeed, from their experience, they are their own Protagonist. And this includes the Nemesis.
Indeed, we do many of those exercises in another one of my Craft classes: Write a Worthy Nemesis. For example, take some key questions we ask about the Protagonist:
- What is the character’s Conscious Goal (Want)?
- What is the character’s Unconscious Goal (Need)?
- What does the character Fear the most?
- Who or what Opposes the character?
Now direct them toward the story’s antagonist figure. Go deeper. When delving into your Protagonist, think about what their Shadow dynamic is, aspects of their psyche they try to repress, avoid, or ignore representing dark, negative instincts and impulses.
Are there ways in which your story’s Nemesis reflects the Protagonist’s Shadow, a king of physicalized projection of the Protagonist’s Negative Self?
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