If you’ve been following this blog for a while now, you’ve no doubt read posts that mentioned “character development” as an integral component of quality writing in the fiction industry. Readers must believe your characters and must be able to relate to them. One of the most challenging characters to develop, especially as a new author, is the antagonist. In plain-speak, the antagonist is “the bad guy or girl” in a story, the enemy to the protagonist or “hero.” If you hope to write a best-selling novel that includes an antagonist, you’ll want to make sure the character possesses several attributes.
Think back to some of your favorite novels. You might discover that there have been times when your favorite character in a story was the antagonist. Some authors have a knack for creating “villains we love to hate.” If you were to analyze some of the most popular antagonists in fiction literature, both classic and contemporary, you’d likely find that they had several things in common.
A checklist for the antagonist in a best-selling novel
The best, or, at least, the most memorable antagonists in the fiction genre often possess one or more of the attributes shown in the following list:
- They’re not “all bad,” meaning, there’s a vulnerability or softness to them that makes them endeared to a reader. We want to hate these villains but can’t, because they’re likeable in some way or we feel sorry for them.
- A great antagonist always has a clear motive for his or her behavior, even if said motive is immoral or questionable. An author must make the villain’s “why” clear to readers.
- The best villains are usually highly intelligent, witty and cunning.
- They are memorable, whether by appearance, voice, personality or behavior.
- The best antagonists create conflict and tension that captures a reader’s attention.
If most or all of these attributes are present in the antagonist in your story, you might be on your way to writing a best-selling novel. At any rate, you’ll at least be writing a story that entertains your readers and a character that sticks with them, long after they’ve finished the book.
Character conversion—can an antagonist become the protagonist?
Have you ever read a best-selling novel where the villain becomes the hero by the end of the story? One of the most famous examples of this type of plot twist is Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens. Throughout the story, the author develops the character to be despisable by most everyone he meets. After a shocking turn of events that both frightens and humbles Scrooge, he turns over a new leaf and becomes a friend to all. Will the villain in your next story be a hero after all?
