What is an anti-hero and why do they fascinate us? How do they keep us invested in their plight scene by scene? Even as they do immoral, criminal, or deplorable things?
I’m a big fan of antiheroes because we can’t have a neutral reaction to them.
So in this episode, we’ll talk about different anti-heroes on screen and in fiction. And I’ll share 4 ways to write an anti-hero with complexity, magnetism, and unforgettable appeal.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Episode at a glance:
[01:08] What’s an anti-hero, and why are they so compelling?
Anti-heroes are troublesome characters wrestling with a big life problem. They wreak havoc on the people closest to them, even though their intentions may be good, maybe even honorable. But they cross a moral line to solve an urgent problem, and that’s what makes them fascinating. We can’t have a complicated reaction to them.
[09:31] 1. Make us care.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that we like him or her. And we certainly don’t have to condone what he or she does. But we do need to understand their dilemma. We can identify some aspect of our humanity with theirs.
[12:18] 2. Build Belief In Your Anti-Hero’s Motive
All great anti-heroes are rooted in a problem – a problem that obsesses them for the whole story and drives their choices, even if those choices are destructive to themselves and those closest to them.
[14:00] 3. Moral Ambivalence
All great anti-heroes wrestle with moral ambivalence. There’s deceit, secrets, and bad behavior. They feel torn about this, and feel terrible about their behavior, but they’re beholden to their impulses.
[15:49] 4. Supporting Characters
Supporting characters amplify your anti-hero’s good qualities and bad qualities. Tony Soprano has a therapist to whom he opens up to about his anxieties. It shows his more vulnerable side, the one he hides from the rest of the world. Walter White has Jesse, who reveals Walter’s soft, fatherly side, and his manipulative, destructive tendencies.
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Episode 190: How To Create Page-Turning Tension
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
MacBeth by William Shakespeare
Rate, Review, and Follow on Apple Podcasts.
“I love Writer Unleashed!” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show. This helps me support more writers — just like you —to bring the story burning in their imagination onto the page. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. It’s chock full of writing tips and inspiration every Tuesday. Follow now!
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What is an anti-hero and why do they fascinate us? How do they keep us invested in their plight scene by scene? Even as they do immoral, criminal, or deplorable things?
I’m a big fan of antiheroes because we can’t have a neutral reaction to them.
So in this episode, we’ll talk about different anti-heroes on screen and in fiction. And I’ll share 4 ways to write an anti-hero with complexity, magnetism, and unforgettable appeal.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Episode at a glance:
[01:08] What’s an anti-hero, and why are they so compelling?
Anti-heroes are troublesome characters wrestling with a big life problem. They wreak havoc on the people closest to them, even though their intentions may be good, maybe even honorable. But they cross a moral line to solve an urgent problem, and that’s what makes them fascinating. We can’t have a complicated reaction to them.
[09:31] 1. Make us care.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that we like him or her. And we certainly don’t have to condone what he or she does. But we do need to understand their dilemma. We can identify some aspect of our humanity with theirs.
[12:18] 2. Build Belief In Your Anti-Hero’s Motive
All great anti-heroes are rooted in a problem – a problem that obsesses them for the whole story and drives their choices, even if those choices are destructive to themselves and those closest to them.
[14:00] 3. Moral Ambivalence
All great anti-heroes wrestle with moral ambivalence. There’s deceit, secrets, and bad behavior. They feel torn about this, and feel terrible about their behavior, but they’re beholden to their impulses.
[15:49] 4. Supporting Characters
Supporting characters amplify your anti-hero’s good qualities and bad qualities. Tony Soprano has a therapist to whom he opens up to about his anxieties. It shows his more vulnerable side, the one he hides from the rest of the world. Walter White has Jesse, who reveals Walter’s soft, fatherly side, and his manipulative, destructive tendencies.
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Episode 190: How To Create Page-Turning Tension
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
MacBeth by William Shakespeare
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Rate, Review, and Follow on Apple Podcasts.
“I love Writer Unleashed!” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show. This helps me support more writers — just like you —to bring the story burning in their imagination onto the page. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!
Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. It’s chock full of writing tips and inspiration every Tuesday. Follow now!