Empathy001
Acolyte
I was talking through some details of my book with a friend of mine, and we ended up deep in the world building plot bunnies surrounding it. We were talking about motivations and goals for my characters, and she brought up SEVERAL interesting things I never considered.
First, how my Antagonist was both a foil and a reflection of my main protagonists. Protag 1 is very straightforward and logical, and somewhat of a control freak. Protag 2 is extremely adventurous and has trouble accepting reality. My Antag is unaccepting of reality and very controlling. Protag 2's best friend is conveniently also a foil of them, but in an opposite way. MC's best friend is logical and smart, but adventurous and thrill-seeking.
Second, Antag's whole world revolves around Protag 1, and refuses to accept that she has grown up. My friend asked me how Antag felt about Protag 2, and when I said I wasn't sure yet, she suggested that maybe Antag believes Protag 2 is just like the MC's best friend, who also used to work at the palace. And since the MC's best friend was against her (in her mind at least), Protag 2 must be also. Which leads Antag to blame Protag 2 for Protag 1's change. It was a "eureka" moment for me, since while I had never considered it, it was perfectly in character with my Antag and made her so much more complex and interesting. It even lined up with the MC's Best friend's backstory, despite me NEVER MENTIONING IT PREVIOUSLY.
Anyway, all this to say letting your characters tell the story while you simply document it is so cool and makes everything feel so much more alive.
First, how my Antagonist was both a foil and a reflection of my main protagonists. Protag 1 is very straightforward and logical, and somewhat of a control freak. Protag 2 is extremely adventurous and has trouble accepting reality. My Antag is unaccepting of reality and very controlling. Protag 2's best friend is conveniently also a foil of them, but in an opposite way. MC's best friend is logical and smart, but adventurous and thrill-seeking.
Second, Antag's whole world revolves around Protag 1, and refuses to accept that she has grown up. My friend asked me how Antag felt about Protag 2, and when I said I wasn't sure yet, she suggested that maybe Antag believes Protag 2 is just like the MC's best friend, who also used to work at the palace. And since the MC's best friend was against her (in her mind at least), Protag 2 must be also. Which leads Antag to blame Protag 2 for Protag 1's change. It was a "eureka" moment for me, since while I had never considered it, it was perfectly in character with my Antag and made her so much more complex and interesting. It even lined up with the MC's Best friend's backstory, despite me NEVER MENTIONING IT PREVIOUSLY.
Anyway, all this to say letting your characters tell the story while you simply document it is so cool and makes everything feel so much more alive.
Myth Weaver
