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Topic : Re: How unadvisable is it to flip the protagonist into a villain? Essentially, I have a protagonist who I set up as a 'main' good guy in one of my series. However, in my final series, I intend - selfpublishingguru.com

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Sounds like a great idea!

Seriously though: the antagonist is the single most important character to any plot. The very best antagonists have motivations and feelings that readers can understand and empathize with. A former protagonist as an antagonist sounds really good. Both the reader and the author should be in for a fun ride, because it is very likely you will see your character grow in ways you didn't expect when you had them boxed in as a "good guy".

Think about people you know in real life. If you really observe people, you come to understand that nobody is a "good guy". Sure there are people who are generally good and generally do good things, but nobody is perfect, and even the best people have thoughts and motivations you may not approve of. Even more interesting is the fact that two people can be absolutely opposed to one another without either one being objectively "wrong" or "evil". They might just have goals and motivations that are diametrically opposed.

Imagine a city council wants more tax money to build a park. A local business wants to pay less tax money so they can afford to give Christmas bonuses. The business owner isn't "evil", in fact, he wants to give Christmas bonuses! The city council isn't "evil" either, they just want a park for the kids. Sometimes goals just conflict in an irreconcilable way. That's the real world. That kind of plot provides a lot more food for thought than a two dimensional "good versus evil" morning cartoon romp.


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