10 Essential Tips for Writing Antagonists - Writers Write
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5/18/2018 10EssentialTipsforWritingAntagonists-WritersWrite-slidepdf.com http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/10-essential-tips-for-writing-antagonists-writers-write 2/12/2015 10 Essential Tips for Writing Antagonists - Writers Write http://writerswrite.co.za/10-essential-tips-for-writing-antagonists Login Writers Write Write to communicate. We offer the best writing courses in Sout Africa. « Back to blog 10 Essential Tips for Writing Antagonists I find that beginner writers have often not thought through the role of the antagonist in their novels. Sometimes they don’t even have an antagonist. This is a problem when you have to write 80 000 word and your protagonist does not have an adversary. These 10 Tips for Writing Antagonists will help writers when they are creating this vital role in their novel. 1. The antagonist is the character who MOST stands in the way of the protagonist achieving the sto goal. 2. He or she is known as the villain but need not be evil. 3. The antagonist’s goal is in direct conflict with the goal of the protagonist. 4. It is better if your villain is a person, not a force of nature (earthquake, flood), a group (gang, big company) or a general life condition (poverty, corruption). 5. The antagonist should be equal in strength to your protagonist in order to fight a good fight.
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Transcript of 10 Essential Tips for Writing Antagonists - Writers Write
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2/12/2015 10EssentialTipsforWritingAntagonistsWritersWrite
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10EssentialTipsforWritingAntagonists
Ifindthatbeginnerwritershaveoftennotthoughtthroughtheroleoftheantagonistintheirnovels.Sometimestheydontevenhaveanantagonist.Thisisaproblemwhenyouhavetowrite80000wordsandyourprotagonistdoesnothaveanadversary.
These10TipsforWritingAntagonistswillhelpwriterswhentheyarecreatingthisvitalroleintheirnovel.
1. TheantagonististhecharacterwhoMOSTstandsinthewayoftheprotagonistachievingthestorygoal.
2. Heorsheisknownasthevillainbutneednotbeevil.3. Theantagonistsgoalisindirectconflictwiththegoaloftheprotagonist.4. Itisbetterifyourvillainisaperson,notaforceofnature(earthquake,flood),agroup(gang,big
company)oragenerallifecondition(poverty,corruption).5. Theantagonistshouldbeequalinstrengthtoyourprotagonistinordertofightagoodfight.
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6. Thebestantagonistissomeonewhoalreadyplaysapartinyourprotagonistslife.7. Createacharacterwhosemotivationforopposingtheprotagonistsstorygoalisasstrongand
logicalastheherosreasonforopposingtheantagonistsgoal.8. Theantagonistdoesnothavetoworkfromanegativemotivation.Iftheroleswerereversedthe
villaincouldbecometheprotagonist.9. Agreatantagonistbelievesthathismotivationsarevalidandhisactionsjustified.
10. Nevercreateanantagonistwhoexistsmerelytoobstructthelead.Youwillendupwithashallowstereotypicalcharacter.
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Ifyouenjoyedthisarticle,youwillloveTheSixDefiningCharacteristicsofStrongFemaleProtagonistsandUniversalNeedsCreatingCharactersand123IdeasforCharacterFlaws
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tseboover1yearagoInmystorytheprotagonist*becomes*theantagonist.Throughlogicalmeans(circumstances,eventsanddifficultmoralchoices).Andbyslowdegreestheyendupputtingindangereverythingtheyeverstoodfor.LauraAthenaover1yearagoThethingis,someIMOexcellentstoriesbreaktheserules.Forexample(offthetopofmyhead),thevillaininHollyLisle'sISeeYouisashallow,stereotypicalthrillerpsychovillain.Hehastobe,becauseotherwiseI'dsympathizewithhiminsteadofbeingterrifiedfortheprotagonist.TimKTimKingover1yearagoThisissoimportant.Irecentlybloggedaboutitinmyregulartipssection.Antagonistscanbesuchrichandfascinatingcharacters,it'ssoimportanttogivethemthetimetheydeserve.Emilyover1yearagoCantheantagonistbemorethanoneperson?Forexample...formycharacter,theantagonistsarethosethatsheendsupinrelationshipwith,asifshechoosestobeinrelationshipwithpeoplewhoundermineherpersonalgoals...Brookeover1yearagoYoushouldhaveonemainantagonist.Heorshemayhave'henchmen'whohelppreventtheprotagonistfromachievinghisorherstorygoal.WritersWriteover1yearagoI'vebrokenanevenmoreimportantrulethanthat:Idon'thaveonecentralprotagonist!It'smorelikeAMidsummerNight'sDream.christianeover1yearagoThanks,Amanda.It'srefreshingtoreadaconcisepostthatdoesn'tramble.
"Nevercreateanantagonistwhoexistsmerelytoobstructthelead."I'vemadeamentalstickynoteofthistip.KathySteinemannover1yearagoHavinganantagonistisfinemostofthetimebutitisnotaruleandnotanecessity.Iwroteanovelwithnoantagonist.ItwasonplaceoneforaweekonAmazonGermanyandisstillinthetopten.Ithas1005Starreviews.Iwantedtoshowitcanbedone,anditworked.PatriciaKoelleover1yearagoIdisagreewithnumber3.Manvs.Manisnottheonlyconflictoutthere,andtherearemanygreatbooksouttherewhereitisManvs.Self,Manvs.Nature,Manvs.Technology,andetc.MariahPorterover1yearagoNumber4isn'tgreatadvice.Ifyouonlymakeyourantagonistsasinglehumanbeing,you'reseverelylimitingyourself.Whyisitabadthingtowriteaboutsomeonetryingtosurviveanearthquake?What'ssowrongwithastoryaboutapersontryingtopullthemselvesoutofpoverty?Neitherofthoseideasneedacentral,humanantagonisttoworkbeautifully.Austinover1yearagoExcellentarticle.Iloveagoodantagonist.Oneofmyfavoritesinliterature,isIagoinOthello.Inhismind,hewasjustifiedintakingdownOthellobecausehefelthe'dbeenwronged.Hehadaclearlydefinedmotiveandmethodicallypursuedthisgoal.Itdidn'tmatterthathedied,hehadthesatisfactionofknowinghe'dbeensuccessful.DellaniOakesover1yearagoI'vealwaysfoundthat#6canbringthestrongestdramaticpossibilities.Especiallywhentheantagonistdoesn'tnecessarilystartoutthatway.DannyAdamsover1yearagoCanacharacterbeanantagonistonlybecausehe/sheiskeepingtheprotagonistfromachievinghisgoal?Evenwhenhe/shedoesnotactuallydoanythingtocausetroubleforthemaincharacter?Alex12monthsagoIftheantagonistkeepstheprotagonistfromagoal,heorsheissurelycausingtrouble?WritersWrite12monthsago
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WritersWrite12monthsagoIfitsnotintentional,then?Alex12monthsagoIfyourprotagonistissoweakthatheorsheischallengedbysomebodywhodoesthingsunintentionally,youmayhavechosenthewrongprotagonistforyourstory.Readersdon'tlikeprotagonistswhoarevictims.WritersWrite12monthsago8visitorsupvotedthispostYourNameEmailAddWebsiteURL
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