Green Meanie

Hey guys! How was your weekend? We're still surrounded by leftover Superbowl snacks, which is definitely what I'll be having for lunch. And the Panthers should've had that game. And no, I don't really know what I'm talking about, because I'm a hockey person. Should've been seven games...

I digress.


Last week we talked about a couple of basic protagonists, so logically, this week is all about the antagonist. Now, I'm one of those weird people who really likes writing antagonists. I even have a few stories that are through the antagonist's point of view. And I'll tell you, that's not easy to write. Story lines get blurred, people.

I digress again.

The Jerk

This is your most basic kind of antagonist. He's the bad guy, the guy your protagonist is trying to beat, but he's not necessarily the vilest creature on the planet. Sometimes he's just stuck in a bad situation, sometimes he's not getting enough sleep, but he's always a jerk. Even when he's nice, deep down he's a jerk.

And yes, for the purposes of this blog post, he's a he. Because English, that's why. 



So how do we write this character, in a way people are going to want to read it?

1. Make him real

Obvious, I know, but hear me out.

If you make your antagonist into something more like a real person, people will find him much more engaging and interesting. So, even if it doesn't make it into the story, write some stuff that's just about him. Give him a life, maybe a love interest, give him some real features that someone could actually have. And then put him into the story as your antagonist, and see how much more real he feels.

A lot of people go through this whole process with their protagonists and forget about the antagonists, but I'm here to tell you, both characters need to be as strong as they possibly can be.

2. Give him a heart

Even if he doesn't use it.

See, the heart is what makes a character who they are. A lot of the time, the things that make good antagonists into good antagonists are things that people will relate to. Now that's a convoluted sentence if I ever did read one. Okay, let's reword:

People like to relate to characters. Whether it's the good guy or the bad guy, we subconsciously want to be able to relate to them and understand the motives behind what they're doing. So if you give your antagonist a bit of a sap story, give them some reason or purpose that your reader will be able to relate to, it'll make it that much harder for your reader to hate them and that much more interesting for them as they delve deeper into your story.


Those are the two things I make sure to do, with every antagonist I write. I make them real, I make them people that could've been a protagonist.

At least, that's what I do with antagonists in the jerk category.

[love]

{Rani Divine}