: Re: How can I make believable motivations for antagonists? I am writing a book. However, I can't quite wrap my head around making my character do bad things, while still making their actions and/or

@Bryan361

Vote Up Vote Down

The process of defining antagonist motivations does not necessarily begin with the antagonist.

Before I create my protagonists and antagonists, I usually look for the issue of their contention. For the story to have fluidity and broad scope, that issue needs to be somewhat morally nebulous. There needs to exist several distinct and opposing points of view, each of which owns at least part of the moral high ground.

Once that issue is found and an arena for its contention takes form, the characters (protagonist or antagonist) can simply enter the story from the direction of any of those distinct points of view. The protagonist is thereby just the character which the writer (me) favors during the beginning of the story. The antagonist is just a character whose perfectly valid point of view opposes that of the protagonist. Both are real people in every way that I can imagine them. The more real they are before the first word gets written, the better the chance that I will be happy with the final story.

The nebulous nature of the issue of contention facilitates growth and change on all sides of the conflict.

The protagonist and antagonist can enter the story as friends with similar initial points of view, then grow apart as each ones' experience shifts them to a different belief.
They can enter as enemies and slowly find some common ground.
Starting in opposition, they can each stay devote to their original beliefs and batter each other down to a mutually negative outcome.
or (on the road most traveled) one of them can win at the others expense.

Set up this way, you can tell stories about the transition of one character's beliefs without ever introducing a separate character to play antagonist. Or you can tell of your protagonist champion standing up against a variety of enemies, all of whom hate each other only slightly less than they hate your hero. Great characters grow out of great conflict, but each must be able to stand in the absence of that conflict and their opponents. They must be complete and they must be real.

Some good examples of nebulous issues of contention include...

Ownership vs Social Responsibility : Does a wealthy character have the right to enjoy the fruits of their labor while others go without?
Wisdom vs Freedom : Does a character who thinks they know better have a right to force others to follow them?
Safety vs Hope for Happiness : Does the presence of real danger justify not pursuing unlikely treasure?

...and there are many, many more.

(0)

Login to post a comment!