Questions to ask yourself – Part 3: The Antagonist

Although your villain or antagonist can be non-human or not even physical (such as society, a corporation, addiction, or the environment), many stories put a face to the evil. Either way, consider how your antagonist will challenge your hero. The hero's motivation drives the plot momentum, and the antagonist's opposition creates the obstacles that the hero must struggle against.

Use the questions below to examine the relationship between your hero and villain.

What is your antagonist's motivation?

What obstacles does the antagonist lay in the hero's path?

How does the antagonist target the hero’s weakness?

What is the opponent’s strong (but flawed) moral argument?

What are the problems with the above argument?

In what ways are the hero and opponent similar?

What is the path for redemption for the villain, even if it never happens?

What things does the villain do that the reader wants to do, but can’t?

How does the villain react to what the hero is doing?

What are some good qualities the villain possesses?

How is the villain relatable?