My protagonist's big reveal fell flat during a workshop in Austin, so I rewrote the entire scene from the antagonist's point of view.

During a critique group last month, the emotional climax I'd built for 40 pages got a room full of blank stares, forcing me to scrap my draft and rebuild the chapter around the villain's hidden motive to finally make the twist land.

4 comments

4 Comments

robert_ross952mo ago

Did your friend ever try something like that?

barbara_lane552mo ago

Wait, what exactly are you asking about, @robert_ross95? My friend tried a few things... but I need the details.

terryscott2mo ago

Why would you even need more details?

wright.leo1mo ago

Switching to the villain's perspective is a solid fix, honestly. Sometimes the hero's journey is too obvious, so the real tension is hidden in what the bad guy doesn't want found. You basically have to ask yourself what the antagonist is most afraid of the protagonist learning. Build the scene around that fear getting exposed, and the hero's reaction becomes way more powerful because the reader finally gets the full picture.