How to Write a Story with Dual Protagonist

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  • čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
  • Get Practical Tools to Write Your Great Screenplay: www.practicalscreenwriting.com
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    A question I get asked all the time is can you create a story with two protagonists? The short answer is of course, yes. But there’s a few different ways to do it. And you need to have a clear understanding of the type of Dual Protagonist story you are writing if you want the end result to work.
    So what does a dual protagonist story look like? And how can you incorporate this idea into your own story? Today I will answer these questions and give you a practical look at writing Dual Protagonists.
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    #Screenwriting #LittleWomen#Storytelling
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Komentáře • 107

  • @TylerMowery
    @TylerMowery  Před 2 lety +6

    Get Practical Tools to Write Your Great Screenplay: www.practicalscreenwriting.com

  • @adrianw.a.9384
    @adrianw.a.9384 Před 3 lety +173

    It's confirmed. Tyler is a psychic. I just started working on a story with two protagonists!

  • @dlumyoung09
    @dlumyoung09 Před 3 lety +75

    I think Marriage Story would be another good example of a "Conflicting Protagonists" story.

  • @janhalouzka8582
    @janhalouzka8582 Před 3 lety +44

    Name more iconic duo than Tyler and philosophical concept, I will wait

    • @Seven71987
      @Seven71987 Před 3 měsíci

      King Clawthorne and Vee Noceda

  • @jessegoonerage3999
    @jessegoonerage3999 Před 3 lety +29

    It can also be worth considering when writing from 2 perspectives can hurt your story. Nerdwriters video on passengers is a good example on how revealing everything to your audience can negatively impact tension and suspense.
    Its also worth considering what your story is about. Often writers like to have 2 or more characters at the centre because they havent really thought about the theme of their story, and who is fundamentally more important to conveying that theme.
    Too many perspectives can also make a story harder to follow. If we follow tim going to the store to buy some milk thats pretty clear, but if we also have to follow patricia arranging a divorce, it can become more difficult to follow along with the story.

  • @francescovecchione3106
    @francescovecchione3106 Před 3 lety +8

    I got so addicted to your content that I see this video literally 30 minutes after its release. Holy shit! I surprised myself!

  • @nicholaspitti8171
    @nicholaspitti8171 Před rokem +6

    3:30 different than each other same goal. 4:00 take action to change the story
    5:20 understand both

  • @dir.george5458
    @dir.george5458 Před 3 lety +28

    This is such a coincidence as I’m working on a story with two protagonist also haha

    • @willadkins1354
      @willadkins1354 Před 3 lety +2

      That’s not ironic, that’s coincidental.

    • @dir.george5458
      @dir.george5458 Před 3 lety

      @@willadkins1354 you're very right

    • @mai_hai2274
      @mai_hai2274 Před 2 lety

      Hey how's it going? If you want to tell it to someone I'm here!

  • @sofiberchenko5525
    @sofiberchenko5525 Před 3 lety +12

    My second protagonist was always like important, but I felt frustrated to make her another main character, because the story itself is more focused on my other character.

  • @WoolgathererCinema
    @WoolgathererCinema Před 3 lety +8

    I’m currently working on outlining an 80s buddy action screenplay & I was really having a bit of trouble with it. You really came in the clutch today. Thanks!!!

    • @EaZiiDuzzIt105
      @EaZiiDuzzIt105 Před 2 lety +1

      I'm doing a kind of buddy action screenplay but with one character being a woman and their relationship being lovingly platonic!

  • @odwa2026
    @odwa2026 Před 3 lety +9

    I've actually been trying to find a vid like this u really been helping wit my writing ur a good guy man

  • @RM-uy3yp
    @RM-uy3yp Před 3 lety +5

    I feel like the romance genre does a great example of the duel protagonist narrative. E.g. Pride & Prejudice, Notting Hill etc.

    • @MinaF99
      @MinaF99 Před 2 lety +1

      Both those stories don’t have duel protagonists

  • @Mangofdestiny7
    @Mangofdestiny7 Před rokem +2

    now i'm wondering how to write three co-protagonists

  • @vivekchoudhary9301
    @vivekchoudhary9301 Před 3 lety +14

    Watching from India 🇮🇳

  • @user-bp4ys3xp1x
    @user-bp4ys3xp1x Před rokem

    I just want to say thank you as your channel helps not just me but a lot of aspiring authors. Wish you the best man.

  • @benjaminread5287
    @benjaminread5287 Před 3 lety +1

    Good to see another video, simple and informative. I still need to catch up on the podcast, hard to find the time to listen 😂.

  • @singaravelsudeeksha281
    @singaravelsudeeksha281 Před 3 lety +10

    I liked it in 'Agent Carter' series when they showed us Jack Thompson and Daniel Sousa (although the main characters were Agent Carter and Jarvis) as there personality were very different from each other and relatable to us...
    I just wish we would soon get season 3 with Jack alive in it and get a solution to the cliffhanger...
    BTW, Tyler, how did you post this video at the same time I going to write a story with dual protagonist???
    Could you even post a video for multi protagonist and how not to mess up a story/script with multi protagonist?
    Thank you so much Tyler :)

  • @rodannnkekw2866
    @rodannnkekw2866 Před 3 lety +2

    NEEDED THIS. THANKS!!

  • @honnashankara3681
    @honnashankara3681 Před 3 lety +3

    You kinda read my mind.. This gives a lot of perspective! Thanks for this

  • @TheNeonWerewolf
    @TheNeonWerewolf Před 3 lety +2

    Yesss!I've been writing a 2 protagonist story, but I haven't seen anyone talk about this.

  • @munashemhungu3219
    @munashemhungu3219 Před 3 lety +3

    You been a great help my guy.

  • @theversacelife5232
    @theversacelife5232 Před 3 lety

    I GASPED THANK YOU I’ve been trying to find advise on dual protagonist for so so long omg you’re a saint

  • @byakugan2173
    @byakugan2173 Před 3 lety +1

    Scenes from Sleuth and Mysterious Skin. Nice.

  • @ai-man212
    @ai-man212 Před 2 lety +3

    LA Confidential is my favorite example of dual protagonists. The two cops start out hating each other. In the end they join forces.

  • @erickinsey7268
    @erickinsey7268 Před 3 lety +2

    Without spoiling the prestige there are. More than 2 protagonist

  • @FennyFoxx
    @FennyFoxx Před 2 lety +2

    Thanks for the video, I’m working on becoming a writer someday and one of my ideas is to create a story involving two protagonists.

  • @alexman378
    @alexman378 Před 3 lety

    Dude, how do you do this? How? I’m writing a story right now with more than one protagonist and I was wondering what I could do to make it better, and here you come with this video. Why is it that when I always have some doubts and questions you come out with the exact video I need?

  • @siddhant9818
    @siddhant9818 Před 3 lety +1

    Good stuff man.

  • @midorikia
    @midorikia Před 2 lety +1

    Great conclusion.

  • @trinktmalnent7744
    @trinktmalnent7744 Před 3 lety +2

    Searched for such a video a short time ago... and also watched the prestige a short time ago... it's scary...

  • @KenyaWright
    @KenyaWright Před 3 lety

    This is a great channel for writers

  • @aaronaquila1872
    @aaronaquila1872 Před 2 lety +2

    Cobra Kai is a great example of Dual Protagonists

  • @commonsense5199
    @commonsense5199 Před 3 lety +6

    When you mentioned about giving too much of the spotlight on one character over the other. That is one my fears when it comes to writing including my fears of make each character the same person. I want characters the same I want to make each character original and distinct personalities. is okay that some of the characters that are lighthearted and some angry without making them too similar. Like let's say I write a superhero team for a tv show like the number 7, is it too many protagonists? or does a team have to be a "Five-man Band" and I want to know how the interaction and relationship feels natural and organic.

  • @Aidenfilmsfriends
    @Aidenfilmsfriends Před 2 lety +1

    glad i got this after finalizing my second draft about two protagonists lol

  • @charliewilde7011
    @charliewilde7011 Před rokem +1

    I bet one of the first movies with two protagonists I watched was the Brokeback Mountain.

  • @ManasCITY
    @ManasCITY Před 2 lety +2

    My favourite example of dual protagonist is Naruto and sasuke

  • @kemusephking5163
    @kemusephking5163 Před 3 lety

    I loved it!!!

  • @Shan17992
    @Shan17992 Před 3 lety

    Malayalam film 'Ayappanum Koshiyum' has two conflicting protagonists and the makers had done it so well that we would be confused at many places to root for which one. Throughout, the film constantly questions our morals and righteousness as an audience. A great cinematic experience. The film is available in Amazon Prime.

    • @seriouslyyyyy
      @seriouslyyyyy Před rokem

      I'm a telugu guy....i have seen it malayalam.....the performances of both actors are top knotch....and clever screen writing too....

  • @orangewarm1
    @orangewarm1 Před 3 lety

    Interesting topic. There's a theory there can only be one protagonist. Eg if you watch Heat, you might think there are two, but actually, the protagonist is Vincent Hanna. If you watch The Departed you might think there are two, but actually the protagonist is the Matt Damon character. Tropa de Elite also has a similar thing.

  • @anshumanroy1551
    @anshumanroy1551 Před 3 lety +3

    Love from India 🇮🇳

  • @soulman888
    @soulman888 Před rokem

    What about say in Cloud Atlas with multiple protagonists/antagonists? Or is there just the one soul (denoted by the shooting star birthmark) running through the whole movie?
    Thanks for your content Tyler! Always love it!

  • @riiddisbuk2496
    @riiddisbuk2496 Před 3 lety +2

    I've been thinking of writing something like this for a while. But because of my stress, anxiety and all forms of mental illness I have, I can't write them well ;(

  • @refriedboogie
    @refriedboogie Před 2 lety +1

    Candi wants to find Velouria and help him. Mr.Grieves wants to find Velouria as well. One is the adoptive mother and the other is a tortured soul. One seeks their son and the other wants answers. Ultimately they want peace at any cost since they have nothing to lose.

    • @refriedboogie
      @refriedboogie Před 2 lety +1

      Candi was turned into a demon via satanic rituals. She was later turned into a vampire when a family of vampires took her under their wing.

  • @saucysoy2682
    @saucysoy2682 Před 3 lety +1

    May you do a video showing how to write a good movie trilogy??

  • @wannabewriter
    @wannabewriter Před rokem

    saw this in recommended and thought "Wow it would be cool to write a story with conflicting protagonists." I was then shut down.

  • @constancegoldwing5867
    @constancegoldwing5867 Před 3 lety +1

    Hey Tyler, what about multiple POV's? (in books). I know we are primarily talking screen plays here, however as a lot of the narrative rules apply in novel formats too, I was wondering what your take on this subject is regarding say, Game of Thrones. Book 1 for example. Eddard Stark is a clear protag, but is Tyrion, John and Caitlin also? Bran, Arya, Sansa and Dany have less 'screen time' in the books but I am wondering how the rule of duel/multiple protags applies or if there is only one clear one when multiple storylines are happening through different character viewpoints.

  • @bunnysenpai7471
    @bunnysenpai7471 Před 2 lety +1

    Okay what about game of thrones now.
    I am halfway through season 1. So far the stark family seems the protagonist. Jon snow seems to have his own sub plot on the wall. And each family member either acting as a supporting character in some scenarios, also take up major and important roles, have their own quests too.
    Is game of thrones a collection of sub plots with each having it's own protagonist messed together in an overarching story. Or an extremely complex story with multiple protagonists

  • @zzzzz7523
    @zzzzz7523 Před 3 lety

    Could you make a video of how and where can we sell our script? Thankss

  • @Seven71987
    @Seven71987 Před 3 měsíci

    I have reworked my version of Owl House King & Vee (Scrappion King & Scrappion Vee) to be more unique co-protaganists.

  • @nickbarber100
    @nickbarber100 Před 3 lety

    You should have done Boss Baby!
    One of my favorite kid's movies ever.

  • @zyxer3610
    @zyxer3610 Před rokem

    Instantly thought of arcane when reading the title

  • @VegimorphtheMovieBoy
    @VegimorphtheMovieBoy Před 3 lety +5

    I got a bit overly ambitious with my first feature and thought I was creating four protagonists. The third and fourth don't show up as much as the first and second. Would that mean they're secondary protagonists or just supporting characters?

    • @MajorJack92
      @MajorJack92 Před rokem +1

      Mortal Engines has "four protagonists" from what I rememebr. You should check it out

  • @saltyghostcrow
    @saltyghostcrow Před 3 lety +1

    Is it possible to write about four main protagonists for a story? I know Sense 8 had eight protagonists but would four main protagonists be easy to manage?

  • @bonafide4874
    @bonafide4874 Před rokem

    How do you know if you need two protagonists, though? Or vice versa, if you need to cut out a 'protagonist'? As in, when does it help to use/ have two protagonists and when does it help/ is important to only have one over having two?

  • @mistrae7
    @mistrae7 Před 2 lety +1

    If I have two protagonists, should I write in first person POV or second person POV?

  • @BrandonNinja
    @BrandonNinja Před 3 lety +1

    Conflicting protagonists is what I'm doing.

  • @noahyumuk4702
    @noahyumuk4702 Před 3 lety +1

    Perfect example for conflicting Protagonists is Death Note

  • @eklipser2627
    @eklipser2627 Před 2 lety +1

    Anybody can answer, but when writing a story with two protagonists how can they follow the 3 act structure? They are literally on two different sides of the same coin. Does the first protagonist have a disaster in the first act followed by the other second protagonist having a disaster in the second act? Do they each have their own disaster throughout the same acts at the same point? Any advice is appreciated

  • @ravishankarvenus7029
    @ravishankarvenus7029 Před 3 lety

    Pease, how to write a road movie, please? Thank you

  • @baxterjaye3984
    @baxterjaye3984 Před 3 lety

    Do these same rules apply when I want to write a story with, say, four protagonists?

  • @carpetcatco
    @carpetcatco Před 3 lety +2

    When you got 2+ protags... :')

  • @polar6066
    @polar6066 Před rokem

    im having an issue where i feel my history has no protag at all lol everyone else has their storyline then the dude is just, there, blank. i was thinking about making something out of that in a meta way but idk

  • @juju10683
    @juju10683 Před rokem

    Is Lethal Weapon a duel protagonist story or is Danny Glover’s character just a mentor character for Mel Gibson’s character?

  • @SkyHakym
    @SkyHakym Před 3 lety +1

    Would buddy comedy movies like Monsters Inc/University (or any movie driven by partnership like Mystic River/Sherlock) not count as dual protagonist movies because the spotlight is just a bit more on one protagonist than their buddy? Indeed, the line is quite blurry (and I suppose that’s the lesson to take away- that these dual protagonists movies aren’t built on different foundations from a traditional story).

  • @jirayu350a
    @jirayu350a Před 3 lety

    Should we only have one philosophical conflict in the movie or not?

  • @josephlomingo3106
    @josephlomingo3106 Před 3 lety +1

    Is it necessary for both protagonists undergo the same character arc?

    • @greggeverman5578
      @greggeverman5578 Před 3 lety +1

      Probably not.

    • @CharroArgentino
      @CharroArgentino Před 3 lety +1

      Same goal is not the same as same arc, both can walk the same path but reach different conclusions at the end, even if they achieve the same goal, their growth would be different.

  • @scheduledmaintanence1616

    Is this the concept of friendship?

  • @doublelizard767
    @doublelizard767 Před 2 lety +1

    Yerv? Is that you?

  • @user-xg7cr6ky9m
    @user-xg7cr6ky9m Před měsícem

    Meanwhile over here I'm writing a story with 3 protagonist-

  • @quieracollins5127
    @quieracollins5127 Před rokem

    What about romance??

  • @InSomiON
    @InSomiON Před 3 lety +3

    Two protagonists are Jack and Ashi, right? They were having different style and point of view about life and Aku.

  • @nuthing8893
    @nuthing8893 Před 3 lety

    It's almost as if u stalking me...been working on something similar for the past month

  • @GustavoSilva-ny8jc
    @GustavoSilva-ny8jc Před 10 měsíci

    0:09 Kick Freud and put Jung there (and maybe Nietzsche on the other side)

  • @film_magician
    @film_magician Před 2 lety

    Dude, you're wrong about shawshank. It's Red's story. 100%. He's the hero.

    • @TomEyeTheSFMguy
      @TomEyeTheSFMguy Před 2 lety +1

      It's Andy's story told through Red. Red is the perspective character. That doesn't make him the character driving the story.

  • @mn-ru4li
    @mn-ru4li Před 3 lety +1

    OMFG!

  • @pedronevesurias2318
    @pedronevesurias2318 Před 2 lety +1

    My story has like eight fucking protagonists... 😐🤔

  • @quieracollins5127
    @quieracollins5127 Před 3 lety

    Bride wars 😂