The Villain is the Hero’s Nemesis
The obstacles that the hero confronts In Act Two can’t arise willy-nilly from everywhere and nowhere. They must originate from a single source—the villain.
One of the great antagonists/nemeses in movie history is Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) in William Friedkin’s 1971 classic, The French Connection.
Throughout Act Two, this urbane Frenchman and big-time drug smuggler torments the movie’s hero, NYPD detective Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) relentlessly and exquisitely, always keeping one jump ahead and always making Popeye look like a chump.
Like the zombies in The Dead Don’t Die or the Tripods in War of the Worlds, the villain is the source of all the hero’s troubles.
Even when the hero is dueling internal demons of his or her own (like Popeye’s rage and burning passion to make this bust), or struggling with hostile allies (the Feds attached to his case) or other “friendly fire” antagonists (his boss at the precinct [played, by the way, by the real “Popeye Doyle,” Detective Eddie Egan], the actions of the villain are what trigger and reinforce these supplementary nemeses.
In a way, this idea is a corollary to, or restatement of, Steven Cannell’s famous axiom:
Act Two belongs to the Villain
In Act One, we in the audience may be introduced to the villain (think of Charnier in France preparing his heroin-smuggling operation or the Tripods being activated in their subterranean lairs by the super storm from space). We may experience anticipatory chills at the Evil One’s apparition. But it’s not till Act Two that the hero truly becomes engaged with the Bad Guy.
That’s when you and I as writers have to pour oil on the fire.
I know, when I’m stuck in my Second Act, I remind myself, “Go back to the villain. Make him or her smarter, make him/her more formidable, more ruthless, more dangerous.”
DO THE WORK
Steve shows you the predictable Resistance points that every writer hits in a work-in-progress and then shows you how to deal with each one of these sticking points. This book shows you how to keep going with your work.
THE AUTHENTIC SWING
A short book about the writing of a first novel: for Steve, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Having failed with three earlier attempts at novels, here's how Steve finally succeeded.
NOBODY WANTS TO READ YOUR SH*T
Steve shares his "lessons learned" from the trenches of the five different writing careers—advertising, screenwriting, fiction, nonfiction, and self-help. This is tradecraft. An MFA in Writing in 197 pages.
TURNING PRO
Amateurs have amateur habits. Pros have pro habits. When we turn pro, we give up the comfortable life but we find our power. Steve answers the question, "How do we overcome Resistance?"
Great insights! Thank you Steve. Thank God for Wednesdays!
Thanks for this concise reminder – “pour oil on the fire” – it’s going up on my bulletin board this morning!
Great post! I get as much enjoyment from reading the posts as I do from your use of language. Thanks for sharing!
As far as villains who are “formidable, ruthless, and dangerous,” I’d have a hard time beating Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem” in No Country for Old Men.
Joe—how many villains decide their victim’s fate by letting them flip a quarter?
Stone. Cold. Killer.
Jule… Chilling, ain’t it?
https://youtu.be/3B_rRmkbA9I
And something else worth noting: Chigurh has his own ethical code he follows. Like he views himself as an agent of destiny. Uncle Cormac is a genius.
I like it- even the friendly fire antagonists are driven by the main villain
All the villains in my life must think it’s Act Two . . .
Thanks for this, Steve! Making me re-think how my character’s enemy/antagonist really increases pressure leading up to the final confrontation. I need to make him meaner still. TY
This is invaluable, “I know, when I’m stuck in my Second Act, I remind myself, “Go back to the villain. Make him or her smarter, make him/her more formidable, more ruthless, more dangerous”. This may be your third or fourth act, but you are nailing it! Thank you for sharing.
UK citizens who want to watch live rugby world cup scores can opt for ITV. All 48 matches can be streamed on ITV STV Player.
Got it!
A hero is just a villain with good excuse.
And a villain is, in his own mind, a hero.
Thank you for this, Steve.
Very helpful. I appreciate how you make it so simple and clear. You are much more than a writing coach/teacher/guru. You are a voice of cognitive organization. This is so very needed in the world.
In our lives, the multiplicity of “villains” is no good as a narrative thread. This multiplicity of distracting villains can be distracting to the writer. I wonder how readers appreciate all that we writers have to do to sort out and edit the narrative so that our own confusions in life are set aside in service of the narrative.
Thank you so much for being a partner in this task.
Renita
One more thing. I remember how Ursula Le Guin in her novel Wizard of Earth Sea said that the power was in naming the villain. So it is.
Renita
Finest blog!I would like to thank for the efforts you have made in writing this post. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well.
These posts, your books and the Jabs are invaluable. You have totally redirected my writing for the better. I had an architectural edit from a renowned editor but I am getting just as much from all this. I want to thank Steven Pressfield, Black Horse and everyone involved for helping us distill the essence of our works, to persevere with the alchemy knowing the goal is not our “precious,” that gold ring originally sought.
Namaste!
I love this, thank you Stephen!
Another component to this I’d add is in your book “No One Wants to Read Your Sh*T” (which got me writing more than ever before, so thank you for that); about Act Two also being the place for the “all is lost moment” either the villain is at their strongest, hero is at their weakest, or simply both.
Off to stop procrastinating on my day job (it’s a constant act two in my case).
very informative content to share..thanks for this wonderful post
The Badr vs. Benny fight was initially expected to take place at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Holland in June, serving as the headliner of
At 10:20… Sorkin on writing villains:
https://youtu.be/V-ETDTXUnB0
栗原vs井上ライブファイトの見方. 栗原は1月14日（木）に井上戦でOPBFバンタム級タイトルを守るためにリングに戻る。試合は午前12時から始まる。 ET。
Hi! I am here to help with your home assignments. Don’t have time to do your difficult tasks? So, I know for sure how to fix that. At this online website you can buy high school essay format works. Writing assignments of any complication and the highest results are guaranteed. Use their online smart company and I am sure for 100% that you or your school friends will be satisfied with the result of their correct works, just click on the weblink to find out more needed for you info.
I do consider all of the ideas you have introduced on your post.
They are very convincing and will certainly work. Visit this WEBSITE and let me know if u enjoy it alot. thank you^^
these websites are really needed, you can learn a lot.
Thanks For sharing such valuable information.
I appreciate your hard work for writing this awesome article.
This is really great work. Thank you for sharing such a useful information here in the blog.
Its an amazing website, I really enjoy reading your articles.
This is really helpful post and very informative there is no doubt about it.
Everyone an extremely breathtaking chance to read from this blog.
US News Updates
US News Updates
I hope you appreciate the time you spent reading this wonderful book!!! I definitely enjoy all the small parts of it and I’ve bookmarked a blog you must read to check out the new things on your blog! I bookmarked it on my bookmark internet site list and am checking back soon. 메이저토토
Coinbase Pro Login are two separate but connected platforms, owned by the same company, yet they cater to very different types of traders and users.
https://www.charlestonstateuniversity.com/
raja slot 777 must be trusted before playing slots because you can only invest in trusted sites. If you do not visit a trusted website, you can run a lot of risks.
You there, this is really good post here. Thanks for taking the time to post such valuable information.
okbet philippines
Don’t doubt this raja slot which is very funny, has a Thai server that supports it and is already well-known throughout Indonesia, now that you are playing, you will be given additional capital to play slots.
auto car repair near me Thanks for sharing this information. I really like your blog post very much. You have really shared a informative and interesting blog post with people.
Thanks for the info. http://www.fooddoz.com
Thank You for the sharing this information Asap Market
I am offering an IDM (Internet Download Manager) reset software designed to restore the default settings of the program. idm trial reset This user-friendly software helps users overcome any issues or errors they may encounter with IDM, allowing them to start afresh with a clean slate. Simplify the troubleshooting process and optimize your download management experience with IDM reset software.
Thank you for being such a talented and versatile writer. Your ability to create compelling narratives, informative articles, and engaging blog posts is truly admirable. rugby world cup channel incredibly grateful for the content you produce!
Who do you think has the toughest schedule in the ICC Cricket World Cup schedule pdf? Let’s discuss the matchups and potential challenges for each team!
Thank you for your help.
Crystal Palace F.C. vs Arsenal Lineups A Clash of Titans Welcome to our comprehensive coverage
Crystal Palace
FlutterFun.com is open source platform for flutter app templates, source codes, tutorials and many more.
Ganimikawa is a famous social site in which we provide various types of information.
Be sure to like our Facebook page to review such new developments
SEE DETAILS BLOG HERE
SEE DETAILS BLOG HERE
SEE DETAILS BLOG HERE
SEE DETAILS BLOG HERE
Using Temporary Emails for Critical Work Communications:
Using temporary emails for crucial business communications is a serious mistake. They have a limited shelf life and are designed for brief operation. If you rely heavily on them for important work-related information from clients, future employers, or colleagues, you run the risk of losing out on communication and opportunities. To guarantee dependability and consistency and prevent making this error, make a commitment to using your primary email account for crucial business conversations.
visit now free email creation
Your All post is so good i like it pls go to https://www.trackutech.com
Ganimikawa is a famous social site in which we provide various types of information.
Be sure to like our Facebook page to review such new developments
See More
News Update
News Update
News Update
News Update
there are so many humorous movies on the internet to watch, i can snicker all day watching humorous videos.
Hi, That looks great, Very nice and informative content. I am a tech blogger and I own a site. If you are interested in Tech Write for us
, Please contact me using the link if you need any guest post services.
Great Quality Content In This Blog.
SEO Backlinks Services Order Now On Legiit Discount On Multiple Sites Order.
honeyburn
Honey Burn comes up as a superb weight loss supplement, employing the lipase enzyme’s capacity to boost the body’s natural fat-burning processes. By the transformation of stored fat into usable energy, this cure from nature helps successful and healthful weight loss.
Wow, this article really got me thinking about the importance of a strong antagonist in storytelling. I’ve always believed that the villain can make or break a story, and this piece reaffirms that idea. Do you have any favorite literary villains that stand out to you?-industrial valves