GOAL: Explore the Concept’s Protagonist and Antagonist and their conflict.
DELIVERABLES: Multiple versions of a Protagonist & Antagonist and their conflict. 150 words each.
I/ Protagonist
To structure the process of character exploration and development, explore the below questions for both:
- What does our character WANT (“want” pushes the plot)?
- What does our character NEED (“need” pushes the theme)?
- What is our character afraid of? What are his/her Weaknesses?
- What does our character care about? What are his/her Values?
- What does our character think about the Moral Conflict?
- What will our character believe at the story’s beginning that will be challenged?
- What will our character be doing during the Story? What is the Main Action?
- What obstacle does the Protagonist have to overcome to achieve his need?
- What choice do they make to overcome the obstacles?
- What is the OUTCOME/RESOLUTION of the character’s WANT & NEED? When want and need converge, will the character achieve his/her goal or not?
- Why does this story have to happen to this character at this exact time?
II/ Antagonist
Answer the same questions above for the antagonist.
The protagonist and Antagonist are linked to each other. The story is interesting because of those two characters. The antagonist must be built with the protagonist in mind and vice versa.
Here are a few things to think about when creating the antagonist:
- The antagonist wants the same thing as the Protagonist but will use different methods, morally wrong ones.
- What the antagonist will do (Main action) is the opposite action of the protagonist.
- The antagonist is the best at attacking the Protagonist’s weaknesses.
- The antagonist’s Values are the opposite of the Protagonist’s Values.
- What the antagonist thinks about the Moral Conflict is the opposite or in conflict with the protagonist’s thoughts.
“Create an antagonist that is exceptionally good at attacking your hero’s greatest weakness”
– John Truby