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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.



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



WritersWrite12monthsagoIfitsnotintentional,then?Alex12monthsagoIfyourprotagonistissoweakthatheorsheischallengedbysomebodywhodoesthingsunintentionally,youmayhavechosenthewrongprotagonistforyourstory.Readersdon'tlikeprotagonistswhoarevictims.WritersWrite12monthsago8visitorsupvotedthispostYourNameEmailAddWebsiteURL

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Postedover1yearagoAugust13,2013at11:30AM21,739views

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WritingTipsfromAmandaPattersonWritingAdvice10EssentialTipsforWritingAntagonists