Antagonistic Beats of a Story: Understanding the Role of the Antagonist in Story Structure

Antagonistic Beats of a Story: Understanding the Role of the Antagonist in Story Structure

Story is about more than just the protagonist

Regular consumers of story, either written or film, learn to recognize the patterns that come with the rise and fall of action. They develop this innate instinct about when things should happen. If something is off with the pacing of a story, the readers know. They can feel it. They may not be able to explain why the pacing is off, but they still know that it's off.

Story structure models help to provide reasoning and some mathematics to what the readers know by instinct. However, many story structure models focus on the protagonist of the story. The antagonist is often treated as an afterthought or ignored completely. As such, the dynamic interplay between the protagonist and the antagonist is not leveraged to its full potential.

This book aims to examine the role that the antagonist plays within story structure, recognizing the different types of antagonists present in story.

Whether you are writing a romance or a high-octane action thriller, this book will help you gain a better understanding of the antagonist in your story and the significance they have in driving the story action.

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About the Book

This book is currently under development, slated for release in February 2026.

Details
Author: Judy L Mohr
Genres: Nonfiction, Writing
Tags: Coming Soon, Ebook, Latest Releases, Paperback, Writer Resources
Publisher: Rhodon Press
Publication Year: 2026
Judy L Mohr

Kiwi Judy L Mohr is a writer, developmental editor, writing coach, amateur photographer, and a science nerd with a keen interest in internet technologies and social media security. Her knowledge ranges from highly efficient ways to hide the bodies through to how to improve your SEO rankings for your websites. When she isn't writing, editing, or doing something for writing within the local community, she can be found plotting her next foray into mischief and scouting for locations to hide the bodies. (Shh... Don't tell anyone.) Follow her crazy adventures and writing journey on her personal blog.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."