Last week, I wrote about the Role of the Protagonist or your main character. This week, I’d like to talk about the role of the Antagonist.
Whether it’s a person or animal, or an element in nature – the Antagonist is the PROBLEM in your story.
In all stories, there is a problem that the MC must overcome. And that can be summed up by calling it the Antagonist. The issue will plague your MC, and it keeps the Protagonist from achieving their greatest desire.
I say that it can take the shape of a person, animal, or element in nature because the problem takes many forms. For instance, in the classic book ‘Moby Dick,’ the Antagonist is the whale.
In the ‘Perfect Storm,’ the Antagonist is the unpredictability of the high seas.
And you may choose to make your MC somewhat evil. In that case, the Antagonist will be the power of GOOD that your Protagonist is fighting against. In my trilogy, the Jill Adair Series, she fights the ‘system,’ and her enemies are the police and the law. Her problem is to escape justice.
So, when you are preparing your story – remember that you need to have a problem. A story without a problem doesn’t go anywhere or allow your MC to grow or change – as they should in any Character Arc.
