Story Club — Opposites

Yesterday’s writing workshop was abuzz with opposites. A fiery, lightning-thrower met an intuitive, listening water woman. A nature-lover and city-lover teamed up to build a sanctuary to meet both of their needs. A traditional, formal conversationalist met a modern-speaking short-phrase-thrower and a woman who spoke ‘like hazel’ entered the scene. Pink met Green, all in the world of stories.

What can we do with opposite characters in our stories?

Opposites like Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter can bring tension into the plot. Or those with opposite characteristics can team up together to combine skills. In The Philosopher’s Stone, it takes Hermione’s book knowledge, Ron’s knowledge of Wizard’s Chess and Harry’s sporting (Quiddich) ability to get through the gates.

Whether we are looking for arguements that reveal character’s personalities and up the tension, or we are looking for teamwork, opposites can help us build stories. And of course we can also explore another angle — opposites attract!