In a post on Writer Unboxed, Vaughn Roycroft examines how writers can add depth and up the dramatic tension in their stories by creating multiple layers of antagonism for their leads. In many stories, characters face opposition long before they encounter a human foe, Roycroft says. Where? In the story world itself. Often a protagonist – Ned Stark, Frodo Baggins – must leave the comfort of their home well before the prime conflict reveals itself.
In addition to the actual antagonist and their minions, your protagonist also may have to deal with minor characters who may not be villainous, but who have opposing goals. Your hero also may have inner conflicts they must overcome.
One story that stands out for its use of multiple layers of antagonism is The Hunger Games. On the prime level, the tributes must fight each other to the death, but each must contend with the antagonism of the arena, the wild animals, venomous insects, and natural forces that can also kill them. Of course, the true villain is the government that brings children together in a murder derby, embodied by President Snow. The lead characters also have their share of inner conflicts, and all the tributes face the subtle antagonism of their viewers. Winning over people who are indifferent to their suffering is crucial to the tributes’ survival, as Katniss learned when a fan sent her gifts during the tournament.
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash
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