Villains
Every Protagonist has an antagonist: Every hero has a villain. It is easiest to see in an adventure story, where the Protagonist is the Hero and the Antagonist is the villain. In a love story the Protagonist and Antagonist are the two love interests and they can sometimes swap positions, sometimes more than once. Alternatively, the Antagonist can even be the Protagonist’s own conscience or moral ghosts.
Russell T Davies, who resurrected the Dr Who series, says that ‘Your hero is only as good as your villain.’
Antagonists don’t have to be evil or nasty, they just have to want the same thing(s) as the Protagonist, but choose to obtain them in a different way. The best Antagonists are also morally entwined with the Protagonist.
Remember your character interviews? Now is the time to revisit them so you can write or revise your Antagonist interview. Whatever your Protagonist loves your Antagonist hates; whatever your Protagonist hates your Antagonist loves; whatever your Protagonist values your Antagonist ...you get the idea. Even if they value the same things, they go about achieving them in opposite ways.
Only by confronting their weaknesses and moral values can your Protagonist change and grow – your Antagonist, whatever form it takes, is the tool you use to achieve this change for your Protagonist.
Don’t forget your supporting characters, they can also have secondary Antagonist or even be the secondary Antagonists.
Let me know how you get on and any good question or ideas you might like to share.
Nick.
Makes sense to me, my villans started small, makeing the Hero/Hero's grow to a point where they are now having serious problems, some have even died! Without a good villan, hero's are nothing but ordianary people! Sometimes the villan can even be the challenges they face. Isn't writing great!
Steve
@EmmaValaday, In Romeo & Juliet the Antagonists (villains) are the warring families who want the best for their town, but believe only they can deliver what is required. This obviously has big consequences for the star-cross lovers - loyalty, obedience, kinship, family ties etc.
Like the best Antagonists, neither of the families are either good nor evil, they both just believe they are right and the others are wrong, and in doing so tear their children's lives and their town appart. Sound familiar?
Try watching Gnomeo and Juliet, it's a great take on Romeo and Juliet. Nick
How do you...figure out your villains? I mean, i've got a super basic plot and character, but so far the villain just seems to be....life. @Stormstory
@Stormstory, Life is a good antagonist. A villain is just an antagonist personified. It could be a concept like life or even an attitude of your main character themselves.
What does your character desire more than anything else? What is stopping your character getting their desire? What is putting things in their way? One or more somethings need to be confronted for your character to reach their desire. This is your antagonist.
