  Drama
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| Anytime you sit down to write a story, you generally find yourself with a protagonist (or a groupof them) and an antagonist. While the protagonist generally gets all the glory, antagonists are just as much fun to explore. I'll be spending a few issues elaborating on the many aspects of antagonists and antagonism as a concept. If you haven't already guessed by the font, we'll be dabbling in the gray area of antagonism. After all, we can identify with the concept of committing less than scrupulous deeds even with the best of intentions in mind. That idea also makes the truly evil antagonists even more compelling. |
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Over the past couple years, I've noticed more people discussing popular antagonists not strictly as those who are evil and perform unthinkable deeds against others in society. Instead, there's been more discussion as to why antagonists committ various actions. Many of these discussions lead to possibly redeeming characteristics of the antagonist. True, some people still toss arund the word villan in these discussions. That doesn't matter when you consider the idea that seeing both sides of an antagonist is what matters.
So the next question might be why are antagonists constructed with such a duality? Really, it's a matter of perception by society, and human action is judged by these unspoken rules. In other words, humans can be good and bad, sometimes simultaneously. Most of us probably don't see this because we decide to choose one attitude over the other. Many of us choose to be respectful toward others and take care of the environment(s) in which we live. When we follow the mores of our respective environments, we sometimes ignore our inner potential to go against the grain. On the other hand, going against the grain may be the modus operandi for various individuals. Some might call this evility; others may merely call it rebellion. The thing to remember here is the idea of the antagonist hinges on whether he or she is seen as a mere rebel or a much more malevolent force. Most of this perception should be from the vantage point of the protagonist. However, the larger social environment does play an important role in setting the rules the antagonist chooses to bend/break.
The current school of thought in creative writing dictates that character development is paramount. While developing meaningful characters is a worthwhile goal, also consider developing the setting(s) in great detail. When I say setting, I'm not limiting it to the physical details. Time is also a key component of setting and can provide a guide for the social rules of the setting. Another thing to consider in developing the setting is the other people who reside there (either as residents, workers, tourists or other capacities). They may not be characters in your story, but they can be affected by the actions of the antagonist. One example of this is The Lion King, in which the pride is pushed to starvation after Scar takes over. Though it is not a human society, there are still plenty of unspoken rules that dictate how the rest of the pride reacts when the antagonist eliminates Mufasa. They continue to behave as usual for a while, but they are soon pushed to the limits when there is little left to hunt. Knowing rules that determine such reactions will help you get to know your antagonist better. It also shows ways he or she can possibly overcome the protagonist. Developing the setting also works to establish the antagonist's role in that group, whether (s)he is an outsider or even much accepted by the people.
When you understand how the society in your story works, you can more easily decide if your antagonist is simply a rebel or truly up to no good. Either way, your antagonist will more than likely think (s)he is doing something just or needed. I actually went through this with one of my own stories ("Tapped!"). The antagonist, Marcus Tarrington, was trying to understand why the protagonist (Davina) was prejudiced against gays and lesbians. In the (unethical) process of learning how she worked, he also tried to get her to change her mind. His actions did more harm than good, but he showed how an antagonist can justify morally reprehensible actions as just, even good. This idea is actually behind some of the most memorable antagonists. Seeking some sort of resolution (be it revenge or justice) is a primal human response to wrongdoing, and antagonists speak to those desires that cannot completely fade into oblivion. Likewise, seeking justice through rebellion has been so ingrained into our history that it's almost become romantic. We like to see justice being done, and if an antagonist is convincing/charming enough, we'll believe that the end justifies the (harsh) means.
Another thing to consider is the motivation of the protagonist. Yes, even a protagonist can be morally grey. In "Tapped!", Marcus' motivation is (trying) to encourage tolerance and learn why people have such strong prejudices. For Davina, she's struggling to live her life in peace and resist a change that makes her uncomfrtable at best. In Davina's case, the change is to abolish her homophobia, which is frowned upon by many (but not all) members of society. To me, this is one of the richest ways to develop an antagonist as walking the line between good and bad. Why? It's because perception works against both characters to some degree. The story's society dictates that both the protagonist and antagonist have rubbed the people around them the wrong way. While some people might be put off by not being able to solidly place loyalty on a character, other readers enjoy trying to determine who's really doing the most good, something that can develop and change throughout the story. It's also a way to build suspense and build twists in the story. If the reader doesn't always know with complete certainty who is actually doing the most good, it makes it more challenging for the reader to try to predict the ending. Besides, being able to predict such endings is kind of boring. 
I bet this all sounds good, but perhaps you might know know where to start in crafting such an ambiguous antagonist. Here are a few tips to help you get started (or maybe help you out of a mid-story jam).
 It's always best to start out with fleshing out your antagonist. Don't worry about knowing everything about him or her when prewriting. Sometimes you won't figure out something about your antagonist until you've already completed a draft or two. Once you've written your first and/or second draft, revisit this sketch and compare the story to your notes. You might unconsciously change your antagonist's motives as you write the story, so it dosn't hurt to see what you originally had in mind for him or her.
Sometime after the first draft, take a look at some of the minor and/or unnamed characters in the story. You won't see too many of their mannerisms much of the time, but what you do see can clue you into how their society works. Figure what they do for a living and how high (or low) the status is for that job. Do they always follow the rules? How do they present themselves when in public? You probably won't need to ask a litany of questions about how these people behave. Three or four should give you enough guidance for developing social rules that will shape the motivations of the antagonist and the protagonist.
Whip up a T chart to compare and contrast the protagonist and antagonist. From there, list a behavior or idea and see which traits they promote. For example, you could write "Regard for the law" and then put law fearing for one and small criminal record for the other. This allows for a direct comparison of the characters in a compact space. You could even use this method to substitue the antagonist character sketch in a pinch.
Do a little scratch writing. Put the antagonist in a different environment where he or she might be perceived differently by society. If you can, try not to change the environment too much. A shift from a small town to a big city, while a very common contrast, forces the character too change so much he or she might not be recognizable. Moving him or her from a small Southern town to a small town in the Great Plains, on the other hand, controls more variables and makes more nuanced changes in the antagonist to show themselves. This also helps you to determine if your antagonist is purely evil (which I will cover in the next newsletter).
Ask various people what they would do if they were in the antagonist's shoes. This is not meant to determine exactly what the antagonist would or should do. Instead, this step allows you to see how your antagonist's decisions measure up against what others would do under the same circumstances. Are other people willing to do similar things, or is the antagonist clearly on his/her own? It's entirely possible to find out through this method that your antagonist might be a bit of a softie (or harsh enough to rival the Arctic climate). Aside from helping you figure out where on the moral scale your antagonist resides, this exercise can also help you refine the tone of your piece (in case there's a significant difference in how your antagonist behaves and how the people you ask behave).
Well developed antagonists help drive even the most convoluted plotlines. Thus, they require at least the same amount of thought as the protagonist. This is especially true if the antagonist is to be seen as sympathetic or relatable to the reader (which you will find among the most popular works today). Don't be afraid to blur the good/bad line when it comes to your characters. This helps to build suspense and give your readers something to think about as the tale progresses. It also challenges you as a writer to see things from multiple perspectives. I encourage you to give it a shot and see where it takes your writing.
Until next time,
(sig by me) |
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I received a couple more comments. Thank you for your feedback! I really do enjoy hearing from you. 
From billwilcox: Mello-drama: What the hippies used to say about a dude who needed to chill-out.
Um, Bill, are you mining my brain for bad jokes while I sleep? Seriously, that is clever. I'd love to see a melodrama (or parody of one) involving hippies that say that to an over-stressed main character. It might dance the line of comedy, but I'm sure people would enjoy such a twist.
From StephBee  : Stik! Great newsletter. A very comprehensive overview of Drama. You did a great expanding and explaining the genre. Love your thoughts as always!
Hey there, Steph! Glad you enjoyed it! Trust me when I say I could have said more, as drama is an expansive drama. Still, it might be best to save some of that for future issues. It's always good to hear from other editors as well. Maybe that's my cue to send some more comments out.
Coming up next: stereotyping antagonists. Simply put, what makes an antagonist fall flat for readers? I welcome your thoughts on that subject and any theories as to why we still see cookie cutter antagonists (especially in American cinema). The task here is to remedy boring, cliche or otherwise unappealing characters who present challenges to our protagonists.
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+]. |
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Drama: February 18, 2009 Issue [#2894]
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