AUTHORS GOTTA WRITE - THE ANTAGONIST

AUTHORS GOTTA WRITE – THE ANTAGONIST

The most important character besides your protagonist is your antagonist – your antagonist must pose as a threat to your character, or else, your antagonist isn't an antagonist at all. Your antagonist is as crucuial a part to your story as the protagonist; without a worthy opponent for the protagonist, your protagonist's goal is often questioned.

There is something you must remember about writing an antagonist – it doesn't always have to be a tall, intimidating, burly being who could crush your protagonist if he wanted to. Your antagonist could be a virus your protagonist must struggle against; your antagonist could be the nextdoor neighbor who strives to take your protagonist's belongings, such as land or a pet; but regardless of the form your antagonist takes, remember this: your antagonist must pose a threat to your protagonist.

Like the protagonist, your antagonist must have purpose other than to put your protagonist in peril; they must have goals and motives behind their actions, or they make poor opponents.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD AVOID:

Protagonist: "Why are you so evil?"

Antagonist: "Because...well...because I just am! Bwahahahahaha!"

Protagonist: "But that doesn't make any sense!"

Antagonist: "OF COURSE IT DOES! DIE, SCUM! DIE!"

Protagonist: "Nooooooo!"

Consider your antagonist – make sure they aren't cruel just for the purpose of being cruel.

Try this: write a scene (in or out of your story) where the protagonist and the antagonist have a battle of motives – have your protagonist explain his/her reasons behind her actions, and then, have the antagonist do the same. But here's the catch: make your antagonist's reasons convincing. Your antagonist should have motives and goals like your protagonist – while the protagonist often brings the readers to their sides quickly, try writing a scene where your readers wonder, "Is the antagonist right?"

If your antagonist doesn't have a motive behind his/her cruelty, why give the protagonist a motive to fight back?

SOMETHING TO TRY TO TEST YOUR ANTAGONIST:

Protagonist: "Why are you so evil?"

Antagonist: "Because people like you made me this way! People like you, noble and selfless, took my family, my friends, my home...how can you call me evil? HOW?"

Protagonist: "Those 'people like me' who took your family and friends did it out of self-defense! They did it to protect themselves!"

Antagonist: "And how do you know that? Who told you that? Friends of yours who want you to believe they were right all along? Family of yours who want you to believe a lie? What if your friends and family you're so nobly trying to avenge were the ones who attacked me first? What if my family and friends killed in self-defense, too? What if they were protecting themselves?"

When I was reading the Harry Potter books recently, I found that whenever Voldemort came into the scene, I felt frantic; I actually felt worry, wondering, "Will the characters survive? What will happen? What's Vodemort going to do?" It made me want to read on as fast as I could. That is something else you can strive for in your antagonists: make them scary, but not cliche: give them a unique trait that makes them scary, even to your brave protagonist.

Why stop at a "bone-chilling, deep laugh" and "burly, tall, muscular figure" when you can make your antagonist cunning and sneaky? When you can make them strategic and intelligent to the point where they pose a real threat to your protagonist? There's nothing wrong with having a tall, strong antagonist with a deep laugh – all I'm saying is, there is so much more you can do with your antagonist than just that.

Antagonists are as important as your protagonist – like your protagonist, they have to have structure, purpose, and even personality – even if the personality is being homicidial, violent, or cruel. Make sure your antagonist has a motive and a reason for being there, and doesn't just exist for plot's sake.

-Beyond