10 Tips For Writing Antagonists

I was nosing around and I found a list of 10 tips that writers can use for their antagonists.

(This list comes from Amanda Patterson, founder of Writers Write. The original post comes from here.)

10 Tips For Writing Antagonists

The antagonist is the character who MOST stands in the way of the protagonist achieving the story goal.

He or she is known as the villain but need not be evil.

The antagonist’s goal is in direct conflict with the goal of the protagonist.

It is better if your villain is a person, not a force of nature (earthquake, flood), a group (gang, big company) or a general life condition (poverty, corruption).

The antagonist should be equal in strength to your protagonist in order to fight a good fight.

The best antagonist is someone who already plays a part in your protagonist’s life. 

Create a character whose motivation for opposing the protagonist’s story goal is as strong and logical as the hero’s reason for opposing the antagonist’s goal.

The antagonist does not have to work from a negative motivation. If the roles were reversed the villain could become the protagonist.

A great antagonist believes that his motivations are valid and his actions justified.

Never create an antagonist who exists merely to obstruct the lead. You will end up with a shallow stereotypical character.