Writer

A have a friend who can easily think up a dynamic main character, but that struggles a lot with antagonists, and since I discussed foils with her she has improved a lot in that regard, so I though I would share, since others might have a similar problem.

The idea is to pick your protagonist as you like them to be and then create the antagonist by contrast. This is nothing new, but I see that some writers do it in a very naive or general way, like good vs evil, subversion vs control, progress vs stagnation, while I’d suggest that the more specific the contrast, the more powerful it becomes.

Your protagonist has a peculiar flaw? Make the antagonist someone who succumbed to that very flaw. Your protagonist is struggling with a moral problem? Have the antagonist reach the opposite conclusion, or even the same conclusion but with one meaningful and unreconciliable detail.

It doesn’t even need to be a moral matter. Does your protagonist need something more than anything? Make that the only thing that your antagonist could never give up on (or viceversa to be honest).

This kind of dynamic also can be use for synthesis. If you have a character who relies a lot on others too succeed you can pair them up with an antagonist who relies only on their own strength. This way you can show how mutual reliance is useful by having it overcome the antagonist, but also have the protagonist learn some self-reliance from their opponent so they can become a more balanced individual.

I’m trying to improve my sight reading. As a beginner, would it be helpful for me to write each individual note name on the sheet music or would this be counterproductive?

Thank you!