Photo by Denise Chan on Unsplash
In the day 29 post, I wrote about how we can identify key aspects of the story world and elaborated on that in the day 31 post. In the day 30 post, I wrote about the key details of the protagonist. Using these exercises, we’re expanding the initial premise (a person in a place with a problem) so that we can write a coherent story where all the parts align and support sending the message we want to send.
In this post, I’ll consider the primary force of antagonism (the person, group, or thing acting in opposition to the protagonist) that creates change and puts a fundamental human need at stake, forcing the protagonist to grow and transform. The primary force of antagonism is what causes the problem of the premise. This antagonist force could be an individual villain, an oppressive system, or even the hostile environment itself. That’s why we talk about forces of antagonism. It’s as if there is an unseen force moving through the world and characters and causes change that the protagonist must confront through a problem they must solve.
As we think about forces of antagonism, it’s useful to begin with what we think is the source of most of the bad things that happen in the world. We can also ask the question this way: What force of antagonism threatens our human needs the most? We live in a complex world where it’s difficult to get to the root cause, but we often have beliefs that we may or may not be aware of about what causes the most pain for the most people. (Asking why five times is a useful tactic here.) When we’ve figured this out, we’ll want to find a way to incorporate this into our story’s forces of antagonism.
With all of this in mind, we identify the five to ten fundamental characteristics of the primary force of antagonism in our story. We’re looking for details that express the vision of the story’s essence and support sending the message we want to send. We want to find the details that make the antagonistic force the right one for this story.
Keep in mind that the forces of antagonism identified below do not represent the only antagonism the protagonist faces in the story, but they are the primary force creating the problem and driving conflict.
Examples
The Hobbit - Thorin
He and the dwarves are homeless. Losing his homeland grounds Thorin’s vengeful motivation.
He is the leader who decides the priorities and strategies for the group. His leadership drives the perilous quest.
He feels entitled to the treasure they seek, and this entitlement/greed blinds him, endangering the other dwarves and Bilbo, as well as the wood elves and men living near the Lonely Mountain.
He is stubborn and prideful. His scornful pride isolates the dwarves from potential allies, who are all in danger.
His obsession over the Arkenstone damages friendships.
Pride and Prejudice - Societal Norms
People belong to rigid economic/social classes, and it is easy to fall but difficult to rise in society.
People are expected to socialize with and, therefore, marry within their own social class instead of for love.
Failure to follow society's norms, from the silly behavior of Mrs. Bennet at public occasions to Lydia's running off with Wickham, indicates immorality by which people are judged.
People can be judged by the actions of their family members and close associates.
Women lack power, and to survive and thrive in this time most must marry.
The Body in the Library - Josie Turner
She is of the working class, and her ability to earn a wage is dependent on staying healthy and pleasing the owner/manager of the Majestic Hotel.
She has grown dissatisfied and impatient with her working class status and lifestyle, spurring her risky scheming for a quick elevation in status.
As an experienced performer, she is adept at concealing her true thoughts/motives behind a façade and giving people what they want in order to avoid suspicion.
As an experienced card player, she thinks strategically about the long game, reading adversaries, bluffing at key moments, and ultimately winning through skill rather than luck.
She identifies and takes advantage of opportunities (e.g., putting Ruby forth as her temporary replacement to keep the job in the family, but also forming a relationship with Gaskell who could inherit money from Conway).
This post is part of a 75-day writing challenge and experiment. From September 9 through November 22, I'll be posting daily thoughts on writing, storytelling, and creativity based on recent readings or reflections. While my intention was to keep them very short—250 to 400 words—I've found that this range doesn't give me enough space to cover these topics adequately. I aim to keep them brief enough to be read quickly, but they will often be longer than 400 words.
At the end of the challenge, I will organize and revise the material with intention. For now, the object is to explore and share.