Guest: NAIWE’s Novel Writing Expert Greg Smith

You’ve probably heard of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.” This is the time-worn pattern of stories that dates to antiquity. But as every story must have a hero (or protagonist), there must also be a villain (or antagonist). In this hour-long webinar, Greg Smith (The Agile Writer) will review the Hero’s Journey, then lay out the Villain’s Journey — it’s similarities and differences. Greg will impart why you need an oppositional character (who is not always villainous) and how a villain becomes a villain. Greg will also share the pitfalls of creating the pure evil villain and how to avoid a weak villain.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this class:

• Why study movies

• The original model of heroism

• 3 dimensions of heroism and villainy

• Attributes of heroes and villains

Duration: 54 minutes

Greg Smith is a writing coach, editor, and publisher. He founded the Agile Writer Workshop in 2011 with the mission of finding a method to help beginning writers complete a first draft in 6 months. The Agile Writer Method is based on the writings of experts in mythology, screenwriting, psychology, and project management. His seminars on the Agile Writer Method have informed and delighted thousands of writers, scholars, and university students. Agile Writer authors have written over 50 first draft novels and 10 published novels. Greg is a developmental editor for novelists and memoirists. He also coaches authors through the self-publishing maze. Greg runs the popular Agile Readers Book Club where new writers can get a beta read from a dozen or more readers.