Perhaps your protagonist and the antagonist are not as far apart as they believe, or perhaps it’s much worse than either of them ever could have realized. Only a heart to heart conversation will make it clear. Sometimes, it’s a stranger that your protagonist opens up to first, revealing the need for a conversation that they didn’t realize before. Granted, these conversations may never make it into the story, but they can reveal what’s driving your protagonist (and the antagonist) in the moment and foreshadow future events or introduce new complications to the plot. It may also give you useful dialogue. So don’t hold back. Allow them to take a deep breath and get everything off their chests.

The Exercise:

A Conversation with a Confidant: List three characters your character could confide in. What drives your character to open up to someone? What emotions or circumstances lead to this need for conversation?

Now, with the understanding that you’ve gained from answering the two questions above, write a dialogue scene where this conversation with the confidant takes place.

The Heart to Heart:

List three locations or situations in which your character and the antagonist could talk at length without a physical conflict.

Some Questions to Consider:

  • What drives them emotionally or psychologically to seek out the conversation with the antagonist?
  • How might these conversations change their relationship or the power balance between the character and the antagonist?
  • How do these conversations align with or challenge the character’s core values and beliefs?
  • How do these conversations align with or challenge the antagonist’s core values and beliefs?
  • What internal conflicts or emotional struggles does the character face before and after these conversations?
  • What internal conflicts or emotional struggles does the antagonist face before and after these conversations?
  • How do these conversations impact the character’s relationships with other characters in the story?
  • Are there moments of regret, revelation, or transformation associated with these dialogues?
  • What growth or changes for the antagonist might occur as a result of these interactions?
  • What growth or changes for the character might occur as a result of these interactions?
  • In what ways can these conversations drive the plot forward or introduce new complications?
  • How can these conversations influence the dynamics between the character and the antagonist?

Now, with the understanding that you’ve gained from answering the twelve questions above, write a dialogue scene where this heart to heart conversation with the antagonist takes place.

What do you think of this exercise? Throw a comment at me down below. I would love to hear your thoughts.