Antagonist, For All They Are Worth!

 Do They Only Hide In Shadows?

Definition of antagonist – one who is opposed to or strives with another; opponent; adversary. 2. The adversary of the hero or of the protagonist of a drama or other literary work.
Roget’s International Thesaurus— synonyms – antagonism- hostility, opposition, warlikeness, enmity, contrariety, disagreement, counteraction.

Counteraction – opposition counterposition or contraposition, confutation, contradiction; antagonism, repugnance, antipathy, conflict, friction, interference, clashing, collision; reaction, repercussion, backlash among recoil, kick, backfire, boomerang effect; resistance, nonconformity, crankiness, crotchetiness, orneriness, renitency (rigid in structure or attitude); going against the current or against the tide, swimming upstream; contrariety.

Susan May Warren – States in Deep and Wide, “I believe a villain is anyone or anything that seeks to destroy another person’s confidence, goals—even their hope. A villain chews at a person’s competence, raining upon them doubt, stirring up their fears, and leaves them hopeless.” Read following paragraph from page 142.
 
What types of antagonists are there?

1. Sweet Aunt Peggy or Uncle Joe. This antagonist loves your protagonist or at least doesn’t hate him/her. They want to HELP but end up INTERFEERING with the goal of your protagonist. Also unintentional interference. This can be used comically very well. I’m thinking about the daughter in Game Plan. Susan May Warren suggests Marley, from Marley and Me.
2. Strong and dominant even evil. For example, Darth Vader (born Anakin Skywalker) was redeemable at the end of his life. Usually this kind of antagonist isn’t redeemable. If they are it had better be realistic.
   
3. Palpatine is the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga. I don’t believe he was ever redeemed.
4. Nature – Ex. Twister or any of the earthquake or Tsunami.
5. Emotion- fear, grief, or physical disability. Seabiscuit – The horse and jockey.
6. Life— Donald Maass suggests that The Saving Graces story has relentless, small, unavoidable domestic tragedies that happen to us all which make life’s little tragedies and interruptions become the antagonist.(Just a thought…before writing this type of antagonist interference see if other books, which use this, have continuity with what they challenge in the protagonist.)
7. Can I have more than one? Yes, anything that interferes with your protagonist or main character such as a storm, fear, someone competing with or is positioned to oppose your character’s goal.
8. What makes an excellent corrupt man or woman?
9. Donald Maass said that characters which are dark, depressed, unpleasant—sometimes even repellent can present drawbacks. Most of us do not tolerate people who make us feel frustrated, sad, hopeless or depressed—not in life or books… Page 105.
10. What if your characters are just a tad different? If they are not so common place or ordinary they will draw readers. Characters who are unusual, unexpected, dramatic, decisive,  are memorable. I bet you are thinking right now about a few that you have enjoyed in movies or novels.
    
11. Really? Can someone be that way?  If I can not relate with my own experience or observation I simply will NOT care. It isn’t about what the character threatens to do, but what action or results take place in his/her/it’s wake. Show this in the beginning of the story so you have something to play with in the mind of your reader! What kind of event in a scene located in the beginning of the story will convince the reader that this villain can and will do a dastardly deed?
    
12. Is your antagonist equal to interfering with and disrupting your hero's journey Must be stronger, or as strong as the protagonist. Mirror the protagonist. Must irritate the difficulty or problem or insecurity of the protagonist.
    

What do your protagonist and antagonist have in common?

• May have the same desired goal.
  
• You can see protagonists having the same fault as the antagonist.

How well developed is your antagonist?

• Personality make up?(Brigs and Meyers? Or other personality plan.)
• Past hurt – hurts which influenced their thinking and attitude
• Antagonists think they are right….In what way does your antagonist think that? (Ex. Hitler liked children, was a vegetarian, and there were other things he did that were considered good.

 
Techniques to consider when using your antagonist to sweeten or adorn your plot and challenge your protagonist. Let’s talk about some….
Does the antagonist seem to be a friend to the hero, and the reader knows this but the hero is oblivious?  Does the antagonist have skills and abilities that put the hero at a disadvantage? Is the antagonist just plain intimidating and prideful yet important to the success of the hero?

 
 
Invisible antagonist ? Is that even possible?
Writing the BREAKOUT NOVEL Workbook by Donald Maass suggests that sometimes the antagonists is merely life itself. Also, mysteries may not reveal the antagonist until the very end of the book. On page 68 he states and I quote, ‘Stephen L. Carter’s The Emperor of Ocean Park is not a murder mystery, as such, since the agent of opposition in the story is dead.’
 
Bottom line when evaluating your antagonist, is your antagonist:

• Memorable how?
• Interesting how so?
• Villain/frightening and scary? Ohhhhhhh
• Surprising – this is a great quality….
• …have inherent conflict (Assassin who raises funds for orphans.)
• A worthy opponent (as strong as or stronger than the protagonist?)