Category: Podcast

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:

1. When do you decide on an antagonist?
2. Great Antagonists—what makes them great?
   1. The Joker from The Dark Knight
   2. Roy Batty in Bladerunner
   3. Sauron in The Lord of the Rings
   4. Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
   5. Johan from Monster
3. Failed Antagonists—why? 
4. Types of antagonist? 
   1. Fallen hero
   2. Competitor hero
   3. Evil mask
   4. Bully
   5. Corrupt priest
   6. Unstoppable force
   7. Grand shadow
   8. Wild beast
   9. Hostile environment
5. How might you fit an antagonist into the narrative, especially at the first third of the book?
6. How does your choice of antagonist shape your narrative?
7. How do we set out to decide what kind of antagonist to use in a given story?

 

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Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com 

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

Stuart J. Tanner and Cullen McHael share hard-earned lessons about getting your fight scenes right.

0:00 Intro
1:34 What are Fight Scenes For?
10:00 The Fun Element
11:00 Problem Solving
14:39 Scaffolding, Worldbuilding, and Playing With Rules
24:22 The Great Challenge: Clarity
28:25 Examples of Compelling Fight Scenes
32:52 4 Things a Fight Scene Can Do
34:56 Establishing Stakes: Costs, Risks, and Invincibility
40:17 Reading: Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
45:10 Analysis of Altered Carbon’s Effectiveness and Choices
55:18 Final Thoughts

Edited by Cullen McHael
Produced by Cullen McHael
Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael

Questions of the Day:
1. Why are fight scenes important in speculative fiction?
2. Examples of compelling fight scenes?
3. What makes a fight scene compelling?
4. Why have fight scenes?
5. Where do authors sometimes go wrong with fight scenes?

Book Recommendations
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan