The Ultimate Guide to Writing

The antagonist

The antagonist,just like the protagonist is a crucial character,too. Now I understand not every story has them,so if your story doesn't include one,feel free to skip this chapter.

For those of you that don't know what an antagonist is it is the villain,the bad guy(or girl) of the story.Their wants,desires,goals and ambitions drive the story just as much as the protagonist would.Sometimes,the protagonist KEEPS something away from the antagonist,or TAKES something away from the antagonist. Literature is full of fantastic antagonists who make it hard for the story's central characters to reach their goals.  

Tips to come up with a good antagonist: 

• Give an antagonist unsavory goals like Sauron or Lord Voldemort

• Make your antagonist's backstory suitable 

• Make your antagonist's misdeeds require decisive action

• Show how your antagonist outwits opponents

• Reveal the power an antagonist has over other characters

• Don't make overcoming your antagonist too easy

• Read antagonist examples for description inspiration

So about the antagonist's backstory,it needs to be suitable.Sometimes, they're driven by revenge,or they're just greedy.Or they want to inflict pain on people because they've been hurt. 

For example,if they're driven by revenge the antagonist could be hunting down the protagonist because of something the protagonist's family did to the antagonist's family years ago.If they're just greedy,then a tragic backstory isn't quite necessary.But if they want to inflict pain on people,maybe it's because they were mocked because they're different to other people. 

But there are different types of antagonists And so we have these: 

Anti-heroes 

And: 

Anti-villians 

The relationship between an engaging protagonist and a compelling antagonist against the backdrop of an intriguing plot is what ensures a reader will continue to turn the page. But should your protagonist be an anti-hero – an underdog who goes against the grain of the typical 'hero'? And what about the antagonist in the story – the character who will stop your protagonist from getting what they want? Is your antagonist somebody morally ambiguous, like an anti-villain? Or are they purely a villain, through and through? 

The best definition of a villain is simple: a villain is a character opposite of a hero. A villain's role in a story is vital, and every villain must be compelling enough to be believable while holding a reader's interest. A villain is an antagonist who will place obstacles in the protagonist's way and drive forward the story. Creating a great villain is just as important as creating a great hero – and the best villains help define and drive the character arc of the story's hero. Writing a good villain means examining different villain ideas and villain traits to see which type of character fits into your story. 

To distinguish between an anti-hero and a villain, there are certain elements to look at. The first is motive. Villains are typically motivated by something dark and even evil. Their ultimate motivations are not sympathetic as they will usually involve the protagonist's demise (even though a villain's backstory might encourage empathy from a reader). However, an anti-hero's motivations are sympathetic. A reader might not agree with why they're doing what they're doing, but they will understand and sympathise with their reasons why – for example, revenge and vengeance.

TYPES OF ANTI-VILLIANS: 

The Sympathetic Anti-Villain

Example of the sympathetic anti-villain: Benjamin Barker, Sweeney Todd.

The sympathetic anti-villain is a character that the readers feel sorry for, and if some of their actions weren't so villainous, the readers might even root for them. The character's backstory is key here, as it must garner sympathy from the reader and tug on the heartstrings. It must reveal that the anti-villain is acting the way they do due to past circumstances outside of their control and because they don't see any other options open to them. 

The Well-Meaning Anti-Villain

Example of the well-meaning anti-villain: Inspector Javert, Les Miserables.

The reader can see that this character's heart is in the right place, but they take things a step too far in pursuit of their goal. They are driven by what they deem is the "greater good" and will stop at nothing to reach their goals, making them ruthless and morally questionable. Ultimately, the character is making the situation worse, but they might not even be aware of it because they're too focused on what they think is right and wrong – thinking purely in black and white, with no room for a grey area. 

The Situational Anti-Villain

Example of the situational anti-villain: Carrie White, in Stephen King's Carrie.

This character might find themselves in a set of circumstances that set them against the protagonist. Or against themselves if they are the protagonist. For example, they might have started as a good person, but they've come up against something that has pushed them to the brink of their limits, and now they're out for revenge. Or they might be simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The reader will understand that their acts and motivations could be justified, but they won't get away with it.