Hey guys!
Just wondering about the antagonist and how he’s introduced into the story. My story starts off where my MC is just taunted and jeered at by people, and she distrusts the man with ‘eyes like the wolves’. But there is no real opposition yet really, that comes later in my second act when MC finally chooses to trust everyone, because she feels that will lead her to happiness, but it lands her in a deep mess when she trusts the antagonist and he traps her. Then the rest of the story is her trapped in the mega antagonist’s clutches with her friends and family trying to free her.
Should I put more antagonist work in my first act, or can it just be her feelings and doubts that lead her to the antagonist in the second act? Sebastian (antagonist) is working constantly to deceive her, she’s just too cautious. There are lots of hints that there is an antagonist out there trying to get her, but no physical opposition, just thoughts and maybes.
Is that a problem?
Thanks!
Colleen,
Sharing an idea. Just imagine the mega antagonist walks in on a situation occurring very early in your story. It becomes fun if they have a different view of what is going on there, and they were not supposed to be there.
Hey Colleen. Great question.
It’s always tough to answer something like this without seeing the manuscript, but it sounds like what you’re describing would work. It sounds like the antagonist needs to be sneaky, so of course you have to slow-play that reveal.
Could you amplify the threat from the mega-antagonist in order to compensate for this? Even if the MA isn’t specifically targeting the protagonist yet, show us what kinds of things the MA does to people, and what he could potentially do to your protagonist.
Short answer: nope, not a problem. Go for it and then you can feel it out in revisions. But you are wise to be thinking about it, keeping an eye on it, and making sure that you are bolstering the threat/conflict wherever you can in order to compensate for it.
Thanks Brad! I’ll see about Queen Arnoria (MA) and how I could introduce her earlier, it seems hard, LOL, but I’ll try! 😛