The "Threat Escalator" Prompt

How to make your hero sweat

Hey there!

They say the devil's in the details.

But in your novel, the devil should be in the middle, raising hell and taking names.

If he's not, your story's in trouble.

It's time for the bad guys to step up their game. So today, I'll show you how to make your antagonist more threatening (without making your hero look like a chump) in the "Bad Guys Close In" beat.

Here's what we'll cover:

• Why most writers struggle to ramp up tension after the midpoint

• The "Threat Escalator" prompt to create a more formidable antagonist

• How to use this prompt to build internal and external conflicts

Let's dive in.

Why Ramping Up Tension After The Midpoint Is Critical (But Tricky)

In our last post, we walked through the Midpoint beat.

Your hero had a false victory or defeat.

So, what happens next?

The bad guys close in!

Think of it like a chess match. At the midpoint, your hero's made a strong move. Now it's the antagonist's turn to counter.

But watch out for these mistakes:

1. Throwing random new obstacles at the hero, which feels fake.

2. Making the bad guy suddenly too powerful, which feels unfair.

3. Keeping the tension the same, which makes the story boring.

Instead, make your bad guy stronger—not by flipping the chess board over, but by putting your hero in check.

Crank Up The Heat Until It’s Hell For Your Hero (And Create Heaven On The Page

Let's look at an example from "The Martian" by Andy Weir.

At the midpoint, astronaut Mark Watney has managed to grow potatoes on Mars and establish communication with NASA. It seems like he might actually survive (the false victory). But if Weir had let things continue smoothly from there, the story would've lost all tension.

So, Weir cranks up the heat.

• Watney's calculations show his food will run out before rescue arrives.

• His attempts to make water create dangerous levels of humidity in his habitat.

• NASA's rescue plans keep hitting snags.

Each problem compounds the last, making Watney's situation more precarious and the story harder to walk away from.

Now, let’s see if we can light fire under your hero with the "Threat Escalator" prompt.

The "Threat Escalator" Prompt

This prompt helps you create a more formidable antagonist and ramp up the heat on both external and internal conflicts.

It takes your hero's goal, their main flaw, and the external antagonist as input.

Here's the prompt: