You know some of my favorite kind of characters to write? Anti-heroes. Why? Because they are the ideal character type for intense inner conflict. But what is exactly is an anti-hero and how are they different from the hero and the villain?
That’s what this week’s video is all about. Not just “what is an anti-hero” but “how do I make my anti-hero so compelling and realistic and complex that my readers feel kind of morally-gray for falling in love with him?” < that’s exactly the question I’m answering in this video.
I’ve crafted quite a few of these bad boys for books I’m writing and books I’m still plotting, and the more I dig into the minds of my characters, the more I realize that there are really 4 KEY INGREDIENTS to crafting a compelling anti-hero — a main character who is too bad to be hero, but too good to be the villain. A character who goes on a journey only to discover that he has been going about getting what he wants in all the wrong ways.
So in today’s video I’m talking all things anti-heroes:
- What makes an anti-hero different from the villain AND different from the protagonist
- Crafting the perfect juicy internal conflict unique to your anti-hero
- The best ENEMY to give your anti-hero (hint: it’s not the villain!)
- How to tie everything back to the THEME in your story
- And make readers see not only why this story matters to the characters, but why it matters to the world we live in
Let’s talk.
Let’s talk anti-heroes! First, who is your favorite anti-hero in fiction or film?? Why? What is his/her internal conflict? Have you ever written an anti-hero character? (Or have you been unsure of how to write one? if so, I hope this video has given you some inspiration!)
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