Story needs a committed antagonist with an active plan. Okay, got that. But...
...what does ACTIVE really mean? It's the ACTIVE part that I'm having trouble with. Examples:
1. a specific, step-by-step plan to steal a billion dollars from the Nakatomi Building in the next 12 hours
2. a large and complex plan to pipeline heroin from Asia to the U.S. via Europe over a span of years
Both plans will hurt innocent people, both plans have logical goals, both plans require active implementation by the antagonist. But...
...is #2 just not active enough? It was active enough for THE FRENCH CONNECTION--or was it? Frog 1 and his cadre were being stalked by Popeye Doyle but not ACTIVELY committing much crime in real time. Not like Hans Gruber, killing hostages in front of our faces and blowing stuff up.
I recently read a script that involved a DEA agent disrupting a narcotics pipeline (like Popeye Doyle). I was asked for feedback, and said the main problem was a passive antagonist--the antagonist was basically sitting around fuming while the protagonist climbed a ladder of bad guys toward him for a final confrontation.
So. Is there a specific DEFINITION for an *active* plan?
...what does ACTIVE really mean? It's the ACTIVE part that I'm having trouble with. Examples:
1. a specific, step-by-step plan to steal a billion dollars from the Nakatomi Building in the next 12 hours
2. a large and complex plan to pipeline heroin from Asia to the U.S. via Europe over a span of years
Both plans will hurt innocent people, both plans have logical goals, both plans require active implementation by the antagonist. But...
...is #2 just not active enough? It was active enough for THE FRENCH CONNECTION--or was it? Frog 1 and his cadre were being stalked by Popeye Doyle but not ACTIVELY committing much crime in real time. Not like Hans Gruber, killing hostages in front of our faces and blowing stuff up.
I recently read a script that involved a DEA agent disrupting a narcotics pipeline (like Popeye Doyle). I was asked for feedback, and said the main problem was a passive antagonist--the antagonist was basically sitting around fuming while the protagonist climbed a ladder of bad guys toward him for a final confrontation.
So. Is there a specific DEFINITION for an *active* plan?
Comment