≡ Menu

25 Things You Should Know About Antagonists by Chuck Wendig

Scroll down for the article, which is great! I still haven’t got this completely figured out, but hang in there…I will.

Cheers,

Faith

Chuck is the author of the published novels: Blackbirds, Mockingbird, Under the Empyrean Sky, Blue Blazes, Double Dead, Bait Dog, Dinocalypse Now, Beyond Dinocalypse and Gods & Monsters: Unclean Spirits. He also the author of the soon-to-be-published novels: The Cormorant, Blightborn (Heartland Book #2), Heartland Book #3, Dinocalypse Forever, Frack You, and The Hellsblood Bride. Also coming soon is his compilation book of writing advice from this very blog: The Kick-Ass Writer, coming from Writers Digest.

He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is an alum of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter’s Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, showed at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producers Ted Hope and Anne Carey. Together they co-wrote the digital transmedia drama Collapsus, which was nominated for an International Digital Emmy and a Games 4 Change award.

Chuck has contributed over two million words to the game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP). He was a frequent contributor to The Escapist, writing about games and pop culture.

Much of his writing advice has been collected in various writing- and storytelling-related e-books.

He currently lives in the forests of Pennsyltucky with wife, two dogs, and tiny human.

He is likely drunk and untrustworthy. This blog is NSFW and probably NSFL.

You may reach him at terribleminds [at] gmail [dot] com.

Share this:

Like this:

Like Loading…

Who Is Chuck Wendig?
logo

Chuck Wendig is a novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. This is his blog. He talks a lot about writing. And food. And the madness of toddlers. He uses lots of naughty language. NSFW. Probably NSFL. Be advised.

25 Things You Should Know About Antagonists

1. Real People With People Problems

Antagonists are just people. Er, unless they’re insane sex-bots, sentient washing machines, serial killer dinosaurs, or hyper-intelligent window treatments. But even then, we need to treat them like people. People with wants, needs, fears, motivations. People with families and friends and their own enemies. They’re full-blooded, full-bodied characters. They’re not single-minded villains twirling greasy mustaches.

2. Meaning, They’re Not Just Fuel For The Plot Engine

Character is the driver. Plot is the getaway car. Character drives plot; plot does not drive character. The antagonist isn’t just here as a rock in the stream diverting the plot-churned waters — he does not exist in service to a sequence of events but rather, he exists to change them, sway them, turn them to a sequence he wants — a sequence that stands in opposition to the protagonist. For opposition is key.

3. Like I Just Said, Opposition Is Key

Jeez, weren’t you paying attention? EYES ON ME, SOLDIER. Anyway. The antagonist opposes the protagonist. Theirs are clashing motivations. They possess needs and wants that exist in defiance of one another. The protagonist wants to free the slaves; the antagonist wants to keep them and the power they provide. The protagonist wants to rescue the hostages; the antagonist wants to keep the hostages, or worse, kill ‘em. The protagonist wants a chalupa; the antagonist has stolen ALL THE CHALUPAS. The antagonist can oppose the main character directly, seeking to undo her efforts; or the antagonist can oppose her indirectly, coming at the story at an oblique angle (but still clashing with our protagonist character). But the point is the same no matter how you slice it: the antagonist stands in the way of the protagonist’s goals.

4. I Like Kittens, You Punch Kittens, Now We Fight!

The antagonist is the foil of the protagonist in the very fabric of his character, too — theirs are contrasting personas. At the simplest level, this is heroism versus villainy, but can (and should) go deeper than that. The protagonist is a drunk; the antagonist is a proponent of clean living. The protagonist is a rational woman; the antagonist is a religious zealot. The protagonist likes Batman, PBS, and whiskey. The antagonist likes Spider-Man, telenovelas, and Zima. Character traits existing in disharmony. Thesis, antithesis.

5. Like Krishna, Except A Total Jerkoff

The antagonist is the avatar of conflict. He causes it. His character embodies it. The antagonist is there to push and pull the sequence of events into an arrangement that pleases him. He makes trouble for the protagonist. He is the one upping the stakes. He is the one changing the game and making it harder.

6. Antagonists Think They’re The Protagonists

The antagonist is the hero in his own story. In fact, your story’s protagonist is the antagonist’s antagonist. BOOM DID I BLOW YOUR MIND? People who do bad things often justify their own actions as being somehow positive — Hitler wasn’t just a troll on an international scale. He thought he was the savior of mankind and that his deeply shitty agenda was justified. This isn’t to say that the antagonist’s desires must be noble (“I had to kill all those people to save the orphanage!”), only that he will have convinced himself of his own nobility. The antagonist thinks he’s right. And doing the right thing. Even when it’s awful.

7. Evil For The Sake Of Evil Is Yawntastic, Snoretacular

Antagonists who do evil just to do evil are basically big fucking cartoons. They’re Snidely Whiplash. They’re Cobra Commander. They’re Pageant Moms, Nancy Grace, Rush Limbaugh. In other words: boring, unbelievable, and totally untenable. Give them motivations beyond “being the biggest dick I can be.” Yes, you can in certain modes and stories get away with this (see: Batman’s Joker, or nearly any killer in slasher films), but it’s hard, and it puts an even greater weight on the shoulders of the protagonist.

8. The Motivations Of Awful People

Antagonists must possess believable motivations. And a motivation is the thing we tell ourselves — right? A racist doesn’t act just because he thinks people of other races should experience pain. Racism is far more deeply rooted and often glossed over with justifications — they don’t need to be good motivations or healthy ones, but we need to believe in them. Or, at least, we need to believe that the antagonist believes them. Ask yourself: what does the antagonist tell himself? How does he sleep at night?

9. Black Hats, White Hats, Can’t We All Just Get Along?

All villains are antagonists. But not all antagonists are villains. “Villain” is a perfectly suitable character type in many genre stories: the serial killer, the evil wizard, the twinkly-dick vampire, whatever. But real life doesn’t always offer up “bad guys” (though we’d sure like to see it that way, ahemcoughcough DICKCHENEY hackwheeze). Antagonists can (and often should) fall into that gray zone instead of the bullshit black-and-white dichotomy. Want an example? In First Blood, John Rambo is the protagonist and Sheriff Teasle is the antagonist — but Teasle’s not a “bad guy.” Wrong in a lot of ways, but not villainous.

10. Nemeses And Arch-Enemies

Earlier I referenced antagonists that oppose the protagonist directly — as in, the antagonist has a real firm boner when it comes to fucking with the protagonist (“I peed on your bed, kicked over your houseplants, and skunked all your beer! Ha ha ha, eat a dick, Dave! Again I am triumphant!”). An antagonist of this nature is, of course, a nemesis or arch-enemy of the protagonist.

11. Vivisect Your Favorite Antagonists In Pop Culture

You want to know what goes into a good antagonist, look no further than the stories and pop culture properties you love dearly. Why is Hannibal Lecter a great antagonist? Is he? What about Darth Vader, Voldemort, Khan, Gollum, Norman Bates, Hans Gruber, Annie Wilkes, Prince Zuko, Marlo Stanfield, the Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese, the monkey from Monkey Shines, or Rob Schneider?

12. Now Look To Your Own Life

Turn now from pop culture and instead look to your own life. Identify your own personal antagonists. Then realize that these are infinitely more complex and sympathetic than you find in a lot of fiction. Our parents are often our antagonists through our teenage years; but they don’t start that way and they often don’t end that way. And oh what a powerful and valuable lesson that is. Now, take it one step further: try to see if you’ve ever been somebody’s antagonist. Surely you have? Your parents probably saw you as one. A teacher, maybe. A forgotten friend. A bullied kid. A sibling. Bring what you discover there into your storytelling. Find the complexity within the antagonist; we don’t need sympathy for the antagonists necessarily, but we demand empathy. If we cannot understand them, then we will not believe in them. More on that soon.

13. Write From Within The Enemy Camp

Write from the antagonist’s point-of-view. Maybe this is something that goes into the story itself, or maybe it’s just an exercise betwixt you and yourownself. But you gotta get all up in them guts, son. You have to wear the antagonist’s skin and use his mind like a helmet. Unpleasant, perhaps, but necessary.

14. Holding Hands With Monsters

We need to sit with the antagonist, too — as the audience, we may not need to, erm, “get all up in them guts,” but we do need time spent with the antagonist for them to bloom as a fully-formed figure in our mind. Give us time with the antagonist away from the main character so that we can see who they are, what they want, why they do what they do. Force us to babysit the monster.

15. Over-Powered Is Under-Interesting

God-like uber-antagonists who never lose and who know everything there is to know and who are forever one step ahead of the game are just as dull as a protagonist who features the same over-powered qualities. (Worse, an antagonist of this particular caliber must often be trumped on a technicality.) It’s called “a game of cat-and-mouse,” not “a game where the mouse goes up against an orbital laser built by Jesus.” Though, now that I say that out loud, I’m pretty sure my next book will prominently feature a Jesus-built orbital laser. Dibs! DIBS. I called dibs. Get away from that idea or I’ll stab you with a barbecue fork.

16. (But We Won’t Buy “Under-Powered,” Either)

The antagonist has to be a real challenge, just the same. Weak-kneed noodle-spined dumb-fuck antagonists need not apply. Give the protagonist something to do. A believable foe goes a long way, especially one that has some advantage over our main character — we want to worry that the antagonist can’t be beaten. Not because he’s a hyper-powered god-like genius, but because he’s just that much smarter, stronger, and more capable than our hero. Lack of antagonistic power means a lack of tension. So, uhh, don’t do that.

17. Still Abide By The Rules And Laws Of The Storyworld

The protagonist must work within the storyworld — the antagonist must, too. All the characters are chained to the world you create. The antagonist may exploit the storyworld, may circumvent the rules in some fashion, but it is not in ignorance of those rules as much as a character-driven contravention of them.

18. Chatty Cathy Clip Your Strings

“Ahh, Mister James Q. Clark Kent Bondwalker, Jr. — now that I have you dangling over a pit of a starveling toddlers covered in the bloody marrow-jam of the bones of their gummed-to-death opponents, let me bore you with the the entire breadth and depth of my plan! I will share for you my motivations, my weaknesses, and give for you a glimpse of my end-game. Do I expect you to talk, Mister Bondwalker? No. I expect you to die. And, failing that, I expect you to use my confession against me at a later date because that’s what the Villain Manual suggests is most likely to happen.” Get done with chatty tell-don’t-show antagonists. No more villains who over-share expository details. Ugh.

19. Freak Me Out By Forcing Me To Emotionally Connect

Once, just once, put me on the same page as the antagonist. He can be vile as fuck — a kitten-kicker, a baby-puncher, a drives-too-slow-in-the-left-lane, ejaculates-in-coin-return-slots kind of dude. But then, make me connect with him: something he does, something he believes, should be something I would do, something I believe. Or connect me to his past — help me understand why he jizzes on public phones and karate-chops puppies. Empathy is powerful stuff. Connect me to the protagonist and I identify with his struggle. Connect me with the antagonist and I identify — even if in a fleeting way — with his villainy.

20. Antagapalooza

Worth noting: just as you can have multiple main characters, you can have multiple antagonists. An ensemble of opponents works — it just requires balance to make sure they all get enough story-time.

21. Arctagonist

The antagonist can have an arc. Should have an arc, actually. An antagonist doesn’t start at Point A and end at Point A. He changes and grows (or sometimes shrinks), same as the protagonist. Don’t assume the antagonist needs to be a static, unswerving face of conflict — have his character shift with changing conditions, have his madness deepen, his hatred or pain worsen, his zealotry catch like a grease-fire.

21. Ideas And Institutions And Other Non-Charactery Antagonists

An antagonist needn’t actually be a character — an antagonist can be an idea (“racism”), an institution (“the CIA”), a natural force (“Another Paul Blart movie”). Zombies probably count as this sort of antagonist — they’re relatively faceless and on par with a hurricane or disease. Just the same, antagonism always deserves the face of some character — a character championing an idea (dragon-wizard poo-bah of the KKK!), working for the institution (callous field agent!), or complicating the natural force (Kevin James!).

23. The “Kick The Cat” Moment

In Blake Snyder’s books, he speaks of giving the hero a “Save the Cat” moment — meaning, we get to rally behind the protagonist early on as we get to see just what he’s capable of because, y’know, he rescues the cat from the tree (metaphorically). Antagonists need the reverse: one requires a “Kick the Cat” moment (see also: “Detonate the Puppy,” “Machine Gun the Dolphin,” or “Force the Baby Seal to Watch a Marathon of the Real Houswives of Fucking Anywhere Ever” moment). We need to see just why the antagonist is the antagonist — show us an act that reveals for us the depths of his trouble-making, his hatred, his perversion of the ethical laws and social mores of man.

24. Let The Antagonist Win

Let the antagonist win. Maybe not at the end, but periodically, throughout. Let him break Batman’s back, or kill a hostage, or take all the toilet paper off the roll and *crash of thunder* fail to replace it.

25. Love To Hate, Hate To Love

If you ignore everything else I wrote here (and for all I know, you will, you sonofabitch) then at least absorb this with your squirming storytelling cilia: the biggest and best test of an antagonist is that I want to a) love to hate them and/or b) hate to love them. Do either or both and it’s a major win. If you make me love them and I feel uncomfortable about that? You win. If you make me despise them and I love despising them the way a dog loves to roll around in roadkill? You win again. I hate that I love Hans Gruber. I love that I hate every Nazi in every Indiana Jones movie. For fuck’s sake, make me feel something.


Want another hot tasty dose of dubious writing advice aimed at your facemeats?

500 WAYS TO TELL A BETTER STORY: $2.99 at Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), B&N, PDF

500 WAYS TO BE A BETTER WRITER: $2.99 at Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), B&N, PDF

500 MORE WAYS TO BE A BETTER WRITER: $2.99 at Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), B&N, PDF

250 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WRITING: $0.99 at Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), B&N, PDF

CONFESSIONS OF A FREELANCE PENMONKEY: $4.99 at Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), B&N, PDF

REVENGE OF THE PENMONKEY: $2.99 at Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), B&N, PDF

Share this:

Like this:

Like Loading…

Ladling Love Upon Your Local Indie BookstoreTransmissions From Toddler-Town: “Just A Ride”

78 comments

  • Bronson O’Quinn

    July 24, 2012 at 4:42 AM // Reply

    Number 12 just blew my mind. I think I just hit some repressed memories and need to get serious help.

    And how do you feel about stories where the antagonist isn’t necessarily a character but an environment or force of nature? Do you think these can hold up, or does that not count as an antagonist at all?

  • Jason Krell

    July 24, 2012 at 5:05 AM // Reply

    Here’s a question for you Chuck,

    So in a series I’m working on, the FINAL antagonist could possibly violate rule 15, or at least comes close to violating it. In this case he is physically (or I guess you could say sci-fi-magically) powerful, but I mitigate that by making him have mental and emotional weaknesses and constraining him within society. He may be able to level a city, for example, but if he doesn’t know the city or he doesn’t want the bad press that leveling the city would bring, he’s powerless.

    Another issue is that he’s present from the beginning of the series. For a long time he’s supposed to play the part of mentor to the protagonist, but when he flips the script it follows logically that the two of them would face off. This would result in a super-dead protagonist way too early, so I fix THAT by giving the antagonist a far bigger problem than the protagonist to deal with, meanwhile sending subordinates to do the job.

    Are these believable fixes/acceptable “rule” breaking/motivations in your opinion?

    Thanks!

  • Natalie

    July 24, 2012 at 5:11 AM // Reply

    One of my favourite authors (until the last few books, of course, they were rubbish) is Guy Gavriel Kay who writes fantasy stuff; and in “The Lions of Al-Rassan” he does a wonderful shitty annoying thing — he has main characters on opposing sides of the conflict. Each person has heroic aspects and faults, some people are more obviously “good guys” and “bad guys”, but Kay gets you to love people on both sides of the story and then throws them against each other so you don’t know who to root for. Bastard!

  • Anninyn

    July 24, 2012 at 6:50 AM // Reply

    Thanks, this one has actually really helped me. My antagonist is currently far too ‘evil for the sake of it’ and obvious, so I know in the rewrites I need to do some serious work into character.

  • Anne Lyle

    July 24, 2012 at 6:59 AM // Reply

    I’m conscious that antagonists are my weak point – I tend to go too far in the opposite direction from “evil for evil’s sake” and have a lot of empathy for them! Also, in my first book, I felt that knowing who the villain was too soon would mean a lot of spoilers, as well as a lot of infodumping – I wanted the reader to discover the enemy’s covert agenda along with the hero.

    However the subject of killer villains (pun intended) is something I’m trying to address in future projects…

  • R Thomas Allwin

    July 24, 2012 at 7:01 AM // Reply

    The Jesus-built orbital laser has already been done. Check ‘Revelations’, it’s there…
    No, really–it is!

  • Sarah Z.

    July 24, 2012 at 8:44 AM // Reply

    Strangely enough, I have no problem writing antagonists. I follow a lot of your points here, especially in making their beliefs, wants and goals. They all have depth, character, struggles, strengths and weaknesses that define them as people first and bad guys second. My problem was protagonists. I can’t write one that doesn’t sound too good to be true and two dimensional. So I started looking at it from a new angle; write them as antagonists. It’s the only way my hero seems real because hey no one is perfect.

  • Abby

    July 24, 2012 at 9:27 AM // Reply

    I’m writing a romance novel, and I know that my antagonist is a “force” but I’m not sure it’s definable, or if there’s actually only one antagonistic force keeping the lovers apart, but several. I think that’s okay, but should it be? (Feeling insecure this morning.)

  • Stephen Blackmoore

    July 24, 2012 at 10:26 AM // Reply

    An excellent example of the protagonist / antagonist relationship that covers a lot of these points is Ray banks’ novel SATURDAY’S CHILD.

    He alternates between the protagonist’s and antagonist’s points of view and they have such distinct voices that you never lose track.

    It’s clear which is which but the lines between protagonist and antagonist get very blurry. It gets into the antagonist’s head as much as the protagonist’s and even though there are moments where you an sympathize with the antagonist, it’s more that you get a really good view into what makes him such a monster.

    It’s less sympathy and more understanding.

  • Michelle

    July 24, 2012 at 10:40 AM // Reply

    I just want to say that this:

    “Though, now that I say that out loud, I’m pretty sure my next book will prominently feature a Jesus-built orbital laser. Dibs! DIBS. I called dibs. Get away from that idea or I’ll stab you with a barbecue fork.”

    pretty much made me glad I wasn’t drinking anything at the time because I started laughing out loud in the middle of work.

    Fantastic, funny list, as always. :-)

  • Paul Baxter

    July 24, 2012 at 12:27 PM // Reply

    Jesus is going to be mad when he finds out you’ve been using his orbital laser to cook hot dogs. Again. And use tongs instead, while you’re at it. Barbecue forks poke holes and let the tasty juices out.

  • Bronson O’Quinn

    July 24, 2012 at 12:48 PM // Reply

    #6: Antagonists think they’re the protagonists.

    I was thinking of examples where the antagonists actually ARE the protagonists, and the first thing to come to my mind was Frank Grimes from The Simpsons. Seriously, how terrible a person is Homer Simpson?

    Also, Walter White.

  • Adam Gallardo

    July 24, 2012 at 12:49 PM // Reply

    Number 6 is like a mantra for me when I’m creating an antagonist. No one thinks they’re the bad guy.

  • Tom Sharp

    July 24, 2012 at 12:55 PM // Reply

    I recently got the novel I am working on appraised by a freelance editor. She said she preferred the antogonist to the protagonist. I can’t work out if that’s a good thing or not.

  • terribleminds

    July 24, 2012 at 1:35 PM // Reply

    Behold this post from John August:

    “Every Villain Is A Hero.”

    http://johnaugust.com/2009/every-villain-is-a-hero

    — c.

  • Paul Baxter

    July 24, 2012 at 2:10 PM // Reply

    @Tom Sharp – is it possible that your antagonist is just more interesting than the protagonist? If so, what can you do to make the protagonist more interesting? A little more complex, more conflicted? Does the protagonist reveal any faults or weaknesses?

    As to whether it’s a good thing that your reviewing editor preferred the antagonist to the protagonist, I’d say it’s a good thing if you can figure out what you’re doing in your writing that made that character work better on some level.

  • KamakaziNES

    July 24, 2012 at 3:07 PM // Reply

    Thank-you for adding Prince Zuko in your list of examples in #11! His story arc is one of the best examples of well-paced character development I have ever seen.

    Fleshing out antagonist characters is probably my favorite thing to do when writing any story.

  • Martin Cahill

    July 24, 2012 at 4:38 PM // Reply

    Hey Chuck,

    Thanks for this post my man, this was really helpful. I’m working on an epic fantasy thing, and my protagonist is technically the antagonist, as far as the rest of the storyworld is concerned. This was really helpful in pointing out some things to keep in mind as I begin to write him and the world he occupies. Guess the question becomes, how do I write a sympathetic character, who, while our pov protagonist, is actually known as the antagonist? Something to keep in mind, I suppose.

    Thanks again, godspeed!

  • Shiri Sondheimer

    July 24, 2012 at 5:01 PM // Reply

    Question:
    What if your antagonist exists purely to be a douchebag and cause pain, but in doing so, turns one or more of the protagonists into his (and her) own antagonist? Legit? Or do I have to start all over again? Again :-)

  • Epheros

    July 24, 2012 at 5:02 PM // Reply

    Poor Dave… He has to eat so many dicks. :-(

  • Caroline

    July 24, 2012 at 6:05 PM // Reply

    There is a local restaurant that has hundreds of thousands of dollar bills stapled to the walls and ceiling. The ones on the ceiling are stapled on a short end, so the rest of the bill hangs down, softly undulating in the breeze. The lighting is low. They serve booze. I inevitably get drunk and paranoid that the restaurant is in fact digesting me with it’s sinister green cilia.

  • Mike Manz

    July 24, 2012 at 6:09 PM // Reply

    “Machine Gun the Dolphin” sounds sooooooo dirty.

  • decayingorbits

    July 24, 2012 at 6:20 PM // Reply

    More good shit, Chuck — thanks. After reading this, I got a bit worried about my current effort, and then concluded that the antagonist is time…or a lost potential future.

    Or I could be fucked up and not really get the whole antagonist thing. But I think I’m good for now.

    If I have to destroy the story to save it, I will.

  • Casz Brewster

    July 24, 2012 at 10:37 PM // Reply

    Anyone else have visions of Silence of the Lambs after reading #13?

    Thanks again for the digital reminder, Chuck.

    BTFO!
    ~c

  • Casz Brewster

    July 24, 2012 at 10:40 PM // Reply

    Oh and if Stephen Blackmore could get any more cool points in my tally — he referenced Ray Banks. /swoon.

  • AJ Bradley

    July 24, 2012 at 11:04 PM // Reply

    #14: “Give us time with the antagonist away from the main character…” How do I do this if my WIP is in 1stPOV?

  • Iain Stevens-Guille

    July 25, 2012 at 1:21 PM // Reply

    @ #1. “Unless they’re the Joker.”

  • Iain Stevens-Guille

    July 25, 2012 at 1:33 PM // Reply

    @#7, Not that a good story couldn’t be told about the Cobra Commander, or Rush Limbaugh, or the Cobra Commander fighting Rush Limbaugh on the back of a giant Iguanodon… next flash fiction?

  • Gary Pettigrew

    July 25, 2012 at 2:32 PM // Reply

    #15 Underpoweredis more interesting…. Look at the two top Comic Book villains; The Joker and Lex Luthor. No powers. Average Joe Lex Luthor has been outwitting the all-powerful Superman for decades.

  • oldestgenxer

    July 25, 2012 at 11:17 PM // Reply

    @Tom Sharp-
    That’s kind of my fear. In my current work, the Antagonist is just fucking awesome. The protagonist is rather…milquetoast. I”m still on first draft, so I can fix that. But don”t let it get you down.
    Maybe–oh, hell, this is a great idea–maybe the Protagonist needs to step up his game. Get his hands dirty. Get angry. Cross the line. Sink to the Antagonist’s level–even a little.
    I think it’ll work for mine. I hope it works for yours. I’m glad we had this talk.

  • M. Chapman

    July 26, 2012 at 11:32 AM // Reply

    Heh, I have to admit I do learn a lot from this blog.

    The truth is I’m in fact an immature 17 year old kid dreaming big at the moments, but reading your blog, Chuck, has helped me develop so much more than I’ve ever imagined. I thank you for that.

    And yes I know in the past I’ve sent you hopelessly immature and unacceptable content before, but I am just immature at heart, sorry. Although yes I’ve grown a lot since I last commented here I will, for my own good resist commenting here unless it’s 100% useful, so I bid you Adoo for now and I will hope I can learn much more from this blog in the future.

    I wish you further success in your writing career and I hope to see more gems from you in the future.

  • M. Chapman

    July 26, 2012 at 1:21 PM // Reply

    But something more on-topic. When making major characters I try to treat them all like they could be a main charcter in another book, not just some undevelped flat charceters you see for two seconds. Although a story requires a lot of them, too, the main “core” characters (typically including the hero, his family, and of course, the villain) that a novel spends most of its time focusing on I feel like should receive almost equal development, second to only th main charcter, as, well you can’t have help but develop him or her more than everyone else. I’m experimenting with this new littleidea of mine where I have a book focus on multiple main characters, both on opposite sides of a war, both looking simply to further their own gains, and neither really that much better than the other. Because in real life there really are very few bad guys that do bad simply because they feel like it. They all have their own agenda and merely want the best for themselves. And honestly with America, the supposedly “good” guys in the world doing horrific things in our long history, you can’t help but think who, if anyone, really is the “good” guys in the world.

  • Stevie B

    July 26, 2012 at 5:02 PM // Reply

    Hahah great article

  • machru

    July 26, 2012 at 6:30 PM // Reply

    Concerning #!@… Except for the drill sergeants in basic (necessary), and some drunk rednecks after I moved from NY to NC as a teenager, I don’t think I have ever had any antagonists. There was that one guy in Panama City (Central America not Florida) who, while I was walking from the casino to the bordello, wanted to deposit a knife in my gut and withdraw my wallet (they have different kinds of atm down there), but I don’t think he had anything against me personally (btw, I kept my wallet and still have his knife).

    Of course, I have always wanted, and hoped for, something more than an antagonist… a nemesis or an arch enemy but that has never materialized. I mean there was that time in west Philly back in the early ’80s when I was running numbers for an Irish group of gentlemen. Things kind of went badly and they somehow got it in their heads that I had something to do with it (completely unfounded, I assure you) so I went and spent four or seven months in the SE of England and Brittany in France.

    Other than that, I can’t say I have had much experience with antagonists unless you move to the metaphorical realm in which case Death does keep trying to kill me but after falling off a mountain (sort of, there was one last tree before the precipice), being buried underwater, having a parachute collapse above me, and being shot at by a different red neck while water skying he has given up and is waiting for me to die a slow death of boredom.

    This has inspired me. I think I’ll go out and get into an argument this evening. Hegel’s foolishness is always a great place to start. All I read is fiction and I have worked my whole life to create a good story. My youth and agility are gone and all I have now are wit and experience. Live life until you can’t do it anymore!

  • Musings in Red

    July 30, 2012 at 4:15 PM // Reply

    Well, you were right! Number 6 most definitely DID BLOW MY MIND!! :))

    This is one of the best posts I’ve seen in a long time. Incredible! Thanks for the amazing info! It’s remarkable how much you managed to fit in only 25 points! Some people would have spread this same info into an entire book! ;)

  • Renee A. Schuls-Jacobson

    August 5, 2012 at 4:24 PM // Reply

    Fantastic post. I have seen versions before. I’m trying to figure out what my WIP needs and I think it is what Kristen Lamb suggested I do and I see you’ve got it here. I need to write from the POV from my antagonist a bit. She is tough — critical and judgmental towards her daughter and sometimes toward her grandchildren. I have to make her meaner. And that will force the protagonist to get stronger faster. Or something to happen faster. I have to kill some backstory for sure.

    Thnk you. This is painful stuff, but it needs to be done.

  • Michael Grant

    August 26, 2012 at 7:09 PM // Reply

    I’m really bummed out because I thought of the Jesus orbital laser, like, a week ago, all on my own, but now that I see you’ve penned my thought AND claimed dibs (twice) I am compelled to inform you that you, sir, have become my authortorial antagonist. I am duly conflicted, however, because I LOVE what you write—so now you’ve accomplished #25, too. You are a cruel genius, Mr. Wendig. I respect you and I fear your power. So let’s find a quiet resolution: you stop nipping at my dreams and I’ll continue writing until somebody notices. Yes, it’s a win-win for me, because, er, I’m the protagonist in this paragraph. MG

  • Stephanie

    February 6, 2013 at 11:23 PM // Reply

    This was awesome. Thanks!

  • Deni

    March 13, 2013 at 2:26 PM // Reply

    Antagonists are my real bane! This blog entry helped me think some thing through. Thanks a lot! I think it really helped! :D I got to jotting some stuff down and it got my juices flowing. Maybe I worked some stuff out. Maybe, until I get scared again. Isn’t that sort of funny. I’m scared of my antagonist, and I haven’t even written him yet. lol

  • Allen

    March 27, 2013 at 2:32 AM // Reply

    This was incredibly funny and enlightening. I’m currently trying to make the antagonist the person the main character is trying to protect.

  • jen

    April 5, 2013 at 4:23 AM // Reply

    There i was searching for a way to make my antagonist better…that is, as soon as i could think up one…and by George, thanks to you I’m overflowing with ideas. You’ve saved my camp NaNoWriMo word count and my sanity. I am not worthy!

  • Darreck W. Kirby

    May 30, 2013 at 10:18 AM // Reply

    Excellent blog. Thoroughly entertaining and informative. Well done, sir. Well done. Subscribed.

  • Gin

    June 8, 2013 at 1:25 PM // Reply

    You. I like you.

    This was a terribly entertaining and informative read. Now I’m off to twirl my moustachio, adjust my monocle and get my writing glands juicy.

  • Kevin

    June 20, 2013 at 11:05 AM // Reply

    You had me at ‘insane sex-bots’

  • Lauryn Doll

    August 6, 2013 at 7:20 PM // Reply

    this Entire piece was awesome… and gave so much richness to my thoughts as I develop my novel.

  • mary schofield

    August 31, 2013 at 11:33 AM // Reply

    Is it possible for a protagonist and antagonist to join forces against a worse antagonist?

  • Mm 64

    February 27, 2014 at 7:02 PM // Reply

    Walter White is a good example of protagonist turned antagonist.

  • Cassie

    June 15, 2014 at 11:55 PM // Reply

    Okay, I went and googlified an idea for an antagonist, found this, and after reading I realized just how much of a MISTAKE that would have been. I never thought about an antagonist or villain being personalized to a main character, but thank heavens I’ve seen the metaphorical light! Now I’ve got an idea for an antagonist that is going to make me want to cry while writing it. With any luck it will have the same effect for my readers!

  • Sid

    July 8, 2014 at 4:30 PM // Reply

    I love antagonists that you agree with, like Alice Morgan in Luther (TV series) cos she kills her parents and she’s really quite sick but I FUCKING LOVE HER!! She’s witty and clever, and ends up being friends with the protagonist, Luther. But even then it’s understood that she’s not a ‘good person’. I think this is bloody brilliant, it’s a giant ‘fuck you’ to white hats vs black hats and I adore that.

Speak Your Mind, Word-Nerds Cancel reply

© 2012 TERRIBLEMINDS: Chuck Wendig, Freelance Penmonkey. All rights reserved.

Back to top

%d bloggers like this:

{ 0 comments… add one }

Leave a Comment

Covers of books I’ve edited, in no particular order…

For Witch or for Poorer, Fantasy romance, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Topaz Brooch, Time travel romance, manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Silver Dollar, Women’s fiction romance, manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
The Shadows, Young adult fantasy edited by Faith Freewoman
Shackled to the World, Reverse harem romance manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Sentinel Lost, Urban fantasy romance manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Mixed Match, Multicultural romance manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Silver Stud, Over-40s romance manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Five Minute Book Editing for Authors, Sales & selling techniques nonfiction edited by Faith Freewoman
Doctor's Secret', Women’s fiction edited by Faith Freewoman
Building Strength, Military romantic suspense, manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Devastated, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Like No Other Boy, family life fiction manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Building Family, military romantic suspense, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Breaking Free, military romantic suspense fiction manuscript editing by Faith Freewoman
Deception, Women’s action and adventure fiction, manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Allied Operations, military romantic suspense fiction, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Code Pink, Police procedural thriller manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Fang Vacation, Teen & young adult vampire fiction manuscript manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Billionaire's Secret', billionaire romance fiction edited by Faith Freewoman
LoveMaker, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Queen of the Assassins, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Roman Nights, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
For Better or for Wolf, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Breaking Chains, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Heartbreaker, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Lacewood, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
New Beginnings in Eden, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Stars Over Eden, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Mind Sweeper, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Tethered, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Easier Said than Done, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Beyond the Call of Duty, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Cats, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Pearl Brooch, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
What a Wolf Desires, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Electric Curse, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Callista Goes Country, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Man Down, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
One Wish, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Love Is a Wildfire, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Sell a Sleigh-Load of Books, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
A Nanny for Christmas, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Demons Will Be Demons, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Death by Drama, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Demons Are a Girls Best Friend, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Teacher Growth Trajectory, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Missing, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Demons Are Forever, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The New Business Card, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Mercy, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Once Upon a Christmas, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Touches of Eden, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Have Wand, Will Travel, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Adventures of a Witchy Wallflower, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Once Bitten, Twice Shy, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Heart of the Assassins, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Rusty Nail, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Breaking Hearts, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
And I Love You, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Leashed, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Gone to Hell, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Prey, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Confessions of a Witchy Wallflower, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Revise and Re-Release Your Book, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
What Matters Most, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Kissing Luca, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Moon Riders, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Louder than Words, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Collisions of Time, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Wall of Victory, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Diamonds to Die For, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
St. Helena Santa, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Unmistaken, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Christmas Angel, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
A Pinot for Your Thoughts, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Academy of Assassins, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Angel of Eden Falls, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Ruins of Destiny, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
My One and Only, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Bittersweet, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
To Love an Earl Twice, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Bare Deception, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Flames of Hope, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
From this Fae Forward, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Gone to Hell, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Chasing Hindy, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
To Have and to Howl, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Unmistaken, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
In Sickness and in Elf, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
How to Sell Books by the Truckload at Amazon, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Atonement, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
From this Fae Forward, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Kissing Luca, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
To Enthrall the Demon Lord, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Into the Sunrise, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Scandal's Child, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Silver Ops, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
A Taste of Eden, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Napa Crush, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
To Stir a Fae's Passion, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Complicity, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Unforgettable, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
To Win a Demon's Love, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Breaking Point, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Once Bitten, Twice Shy, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Two to Tango, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Rehumanized Drew, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Forget Me, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Tri, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Lyz Exposed, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Lyz Orphaned, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Death by Malice, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Protect Me, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Royal Scandal, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Trust Me, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Mine at Merlot, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Abandoned, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Educating Anthony, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Loving Vivienne, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Cats, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Druid Temptation, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Blinded, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Royal Affair, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Man Down, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Spurned, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Royal Scandal, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Ruins of Destiny, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Three Brooches, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Timeless, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Two Much, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Whisper, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Breaking Out, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Dance with Me, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Holding Still, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Chaos Tamed, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
A Touch of TNT, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Resisting Samantha, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
You Were Mine at Merlot, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
To Love an Earl Twice, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Petit Madeleine, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Romancing Las Vegas, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Element 63, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Siren's Call, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Burned, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
My Sweetest Sasha, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Family Love, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
All She Wanted, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Druid Surrender, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Everly Gray boxed set, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Hidden Obsession, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Backtrack, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Dha, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Death by Design, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Ceann, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Brush with Death, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Breach, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Blood, Breath and Desire, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
In Sickness and in Elf, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Allied Operations, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
To Capture a Highlander's Heart, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
A Wedding at Meadows Shore, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Beyond the Call of Duty, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
The Broken Brooch, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Eightball Two Three, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Gotcha, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Emerald Brooch, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
The Pursuit, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Beyond the Call of Duty, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Sentinel Lost, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Brightness Calling, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
From the Ashes, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Ladies of Lortons Landing, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Stonecutter, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Behold the Man, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Breaking Boundaries, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Champion of Entean, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Warrior, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Deep within the Shadows, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Marriage Under Fire, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Mark Me, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Piggy Bank Blues, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
A Perfect Wedding, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Captain's Orders, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
A Perfect Dilemma, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Captured, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Chariot, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Electric Heat, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Finally Again, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Fool, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Illegal Motions, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Fledgling, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
A Touch of Intrigue, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Sapphire Brooch, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Shifter Wars, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Whisper in My Ear, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
The Barbarian, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Mind Sweeper, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Seal's Goal, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Coveted, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Sky Dancers, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Afterlife, manuscript editor Faith Freewoman
Building Ties, manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Purest of the Breed
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Wolf at the Door
manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman, Breaking Ties
Edited by Faith Freewoman
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Apotheosis
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Seal the Deal
Edited by Faith Freewoman, A Touch of Revenge
Faith Freewoman Editor, Bloodline War
Faith Freewoman, Editor, A Perfect Mistake
Faith Freewoman, Editor, Seal My Destiny
Faith Freewoman, Editor, To Touch Poison
Faith Freewoman, Editor, Collared
Edited by Faith Freewoman, In His Eyes
manuscript editor Faith Freewoman, Seal My Heart
Faith Freewoman, editor, The Warrior
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Breaking Away
Faith Freewoman, Editor, A Touch of Ice
Faith Freewoman, Editor, A Perfect Mess
Faith Freewoman, Fetched, Editor
manuscript editor Faith Freewoman, Big Cats Don't Purr
Faith Freewoman, Editor, A Touch of Betrayal
manuscript editor Faith Freewoman, The Shield
Faith Freewoman Editor, A Touch of Ice
manuscript editor Faith Freewoman, Hounded
manuscript editor Faith Freewoman, Caught in the Act
Faith Freewoman, Editor, Breaking Through
manuscript editor Faith Freewoman, An Automated Death
manuscript editor Faith Freewoman, The Calling
manuscript edited by Faith Freeewoman, Brave
Faith Freewoman, Editor, Seal Under Cover
Faith Freewoman Editor A Matter of the Heart
Faith Freewoman Editor, Mortal Bite
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Captive Hear
Faith Freewoman Editor, Groomed for Murder
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Place Between Worlds
manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman, Leashed
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Highlander's Heart
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Cry Sanctuary
Faith Freewoman Editor, Taming Raven
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Walkers
Faith Freewoman Editor, Hounded
Edited by Faith Freewoman, Highland Moonlignt
Faith Freewoman Editor, Fallen Seal Legacy
manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman, The Hierophant
manuscript edited by Faith Freewoman, This Fool's Journey