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?

3. 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

4. Failed Antagonists—why?

5. Types of antagonist?

6. 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

7. How might you fit an antagonist into the narrative, especially at the first third of the book?

8. How does your choice of antagonist shape your narrative?

9. How do we set out to decide what kind of antagonist to use in a given story?

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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 Intro1:34 What are Fight Scenes For?10:00 The Fun Element11:00 Problem Solving14:39 Scaffolding, Worldbuilding, and Playing With Rules24:22 The Great Challenge: Clarity28:25 Examples of Compelling Fight Scenes32:52 4 Things a Fight Scene Can Do34:56 Establishing Stakes: Costs, Risks, and Invincibility40:17 Reading: Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan45:10 Analysis of Altered Carbon's Effectiveness and Choices55:18 Final ThoughtsEdited by Cullen McHaelProduced by Cullen McHaelHosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHaelQuestions 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 RecommendationsAltered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

On this first episode of Inking Neon, journalist, author, and teacher Stuart J. Tanner is sent to Baghdad at the height of the Iraq occupation and discovers that and other strange worlds. We discuss what makes for compelling characters, the process of investigation in writing, and read from Stuart's book Devas: Book 1 of the Absolute series, in which a serial murder case spirals out of control when a detective discovers an alien civilization.

0:00 Intro
7:21 The Ultimate Challenge
10:15 Visitors in a Strange Land
19:04 Examples of Compelling Characters
29:30 The Case of the Tabula Rasa Character
35:34 How to Keep Your Characters from Knowing What You Know
43:00 How Do Good Author’s Make Bad Characters?
52:41 Reading: Devas, a Sci-Fi Novel

Buy Devas, by Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XWSCFP9