Draft Two - Rewrite Day Two

Let me speak about one of the issues I'm addressing in the rewrite.

The antagonist in the story is unlikeable.

Yes, this is a valid note. Because to get us on board with the main character in this story we have to fall for the antagonist like she did. If we don't see why she would fall for him, then we will question if we know her, if we trust her logic for the rest of the story and that would be bad.

You don't question a character when you recognize their motivations as reasonable. That's the goal: To write a character that people will identify with or recognize. Not that the audience will have necessarily shared the same experiences with the character, but that they can understand and "go with" the character's choices based on the character you have drawn. The parts of the story you've woven in to show who these people are and what informs their decisions.

For example, your audience member might not pull a gun on a creep in a parking lot who is trying to rape her friend. But, if you've built a believable character who has suffered abuse in the past and who would do anything to protect her friend from the same, your audience will believe that the character would do just that. The audience will be invested. They may cringe in their seats and say "no, no" - and you hope they do - because then you've done your job. Your audience will be on board for the ride, even if that ride ends with your main characters driving off a cliff.

(If you don't know what I'm talking about then do yourself a favor and rent Thelma and Louis.)

My personal goals today (if you are invested in my actions are to finish off the chapters of my novel so I can turn them in tomorrow) and then start addressing my antagonist in the screenplay. I do this from an organic place, once I know what needs fixing, I read the script and make notes as to what bubbles up. Wish me luck.