These scenes test the protagonist’s and antagonist’s knowledge, ingenuity, and strength. They are battles of will and wit.
They develop how the protagonist and antagonist face off in between the external conflict scenes.
They develop how the protagonist and antagonist face off in between the external conflict scenes.
If you are only following the protagonist’s POV, these scenes are where the lead alien and the hero face off, the serial killer taunts the investigator, the brothers fight over the woman, the scientists clash over the best way to thwart the meteor, or the knight and the infidel cross swords.
If the verbal camera follows the antagonist, or these scenes are written from his point of view, they show him actively pursuing his goal and reveal his personal dilemma. They show him interacting with his henchmen or threatening secondary characters.
In some stories the antagonist force may be pushing the character to do something positive. Some stories that don't have an evil villain. In a Road Trip, Team Victory, Romance, or Golden Fleece tale, there may not be an overt corrupt or evil character. In these cases, the character who serves as an antagonist is the one who has the biggest impact on the protagonist. They butt heads and interfere. They exchange barbs if they aren't exchanging bullets.
In Antagonist scenes, the villain states his side of the thematic argument. All of these conflicts lead to the climactic confrontation with the protagonist. The final scene reveals the fate of the antagonist.
If you are using antagonistic forces rather than a person, these scenes show the protagonist struggling against them. If the force is nature, these scenes show the protagonist being threatened by nature. If the force is society or a controlling power, these scenes show him working against them. If the force is family disapproval, and a specific member isn’t singled out as an antagonist, then these scenes show the protagonist trying to win them over or to break their hold over him.
Antagonist scenes escalate the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist or antagonistic forces: snags in the plan, unexpected discoveries, reversals, gains, important information concealed or revealed, and increasing levels of threat. They are arranged in an order that will make the most impact. The first scene should introduce the antagonist or forces. The final scene should reveal the final disposition of the antagonist or vanquishing of the forces.
Using our thriller story seed, let's look at what the antagonist scenes could look like.
Ted is directly opposed to stopping the meteor. He has been so damaged by life that he thinks it is time for humanity to be destroyed. Since this is a thriller, we will allow the verbal camera to follow Ted.
1. Ted learns there is a meteor headed toward earth. Finally, the world can be destroyed and he doesn’t have to lift a finger. All he has to do is sit back and watch the show.
2. Dick has come up with a plan. Ted vows to make sure it doesn’t work.
3. Ted is denied access to the equipment. He has something on one of the grounds crew, Bob, and uses that pressure to convince him to tamper with it. But we’ll all die. Do you want to die now or later?
4. Ted confronts Dick. Why are you trying to stop the inevitable?
5. Dick has come up with a new plan. So Ted must tamper with the laser beam.
6. Ted calls Sally and tells her Dick and Jane are having an affair.
7. Dick confronts Ted. You had something to do with this. You’ll never prove it and in a few days it won’t matter anyway.
8. Ted must find a way to make certain the shuttle doesn’t take off.
9. Ted’s attempts to prevent take off fail.
10. Ted is led off in handcuffs.
Next week, we will look at Interpersonal Conflict scenes.
1. Ted learns there is a meteor headed toward earth. Finally, the world can be destroyed and he doesn’t have to lift a finger. All he has to do is sit back and watch the show.
2. Dick has come up with a plan. Ted vows to make sure it doesn’t work.
3. Ted is denied access to the equipment. He has something on one of the grounds crew, Bob, and uses that pressure to convince him to tamper with it. But we’ll all die. Do you want to die now or later?
4. Ted confronts Dick. Why are you trying to stop the inevitable?
5. Dick has come up with a new plan. So Ted must tamper with the laser beam.
6. Ted calls Sally and tells her Dick and Jane are having an affair.
7. Dick confronts Ted. You had something to do with this. You’ll never prove it and in a few days it won’t matter anyway.
8. Ted must find a way to make certain the shuttle doesn’t take off.
9. Ted’s attempts to prevent take off fail.
10. Ted is led off in handcuffs.
Next week, we will look at Interpersonal Conflict scenes.
The four layer method is laid out in Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict, available in paperback and e-book if you wish to have a copy with all of the information. The theory information is also available on https://dianahurwitz.com/.
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