101 Writing Tips from an Exhausted Reviewer

Types of Antagonists

Should I be writing a thesis that is due in one week from today? Yes. 

Should I also be studying for an exam the week after? Yes. 

Should I be starting a huge report I have due the week after that week? Yes. 

Am I instead going to write a chapter where I talk about the antagonists that we have all seen at some point in our reading careers? 

Yes. 

Before I launch into this, please note! These are just the common archetypes and tropes that I'm sure so many of us will recognise from a vast range of literature. If one of your antagonists are like this, don't stress! There's nothing wrong with that. I'm just going to be having some fun and discuss the types of antagonists that I've stumbled across while reviewing/reading. 

I will be, at some point, writing a chapter about how to write a good antagonist! That is not this chapter, though. The only helpful thing about this chapter is this fun fact: 

Sea lions are more closely related to grizzly bears than actual lions. 

Thank you. 

Now, the types of antagonists! Feel free to include examples if you can think of any. Also, if there are some that I've missed, let me know! 

CASE FILE A: THE AUTHORITY FIGURE

Okay, was it me, or was there a fever dream of a literary era where... everyone was obsessed with YA dystopian novels? Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, and a ton more that didn't quite get as popular because they didn't include love triangles... Wow. 

Anyways! The Authority Figure. We're talking the President Snows. The Big Brothers. The Kim Jong-- wait, sorry, gotta keep it fictional. 

These guys are the dictators. The ones who run things. But the thing that makes them so antagonistic is their restrain on the protagonist. Chances are, the protagonist is forced to do things they don't want to do. Chances are, they aren't free. And that's when we hope the protagonist overtakes them! 

CASE FILE B: THE BULLY

I'm a new girl in a school in a Wattpad book. I walk into school. The hot guy has a crush on me. Because, and I'm flicking my hair as I type this, despite my baggy clothes, he's drawn to me. The popular girl who likes him is very aware of this. So she locks me in the janitor's closet. She shoves my head in toilet. It's very tragic.

And you know what? As much as 'the bully' is common in any high school book, I don't mind it. In fact, I welcome it.

Because, let's face it, bullying is very real. It's very sad that it's real -- but that's just the nature of the world, and books are here to reflect the nature of our world. Including the icky bits, like bullying. So giving readers hope of a better day, and showing people the effects of bullying in novels, or even just showing young teenagers out there that it happens and they're not alone... well, in my opinion, it's important.

However! Bullies are people, too! I know this, because the person who bullied me in grade eight for my skin colour is now a good friend of mine. While bullying is never excusable, it is important to make sure that, when you write bullies, they are still complex characters. Their sole purpose in life isn't just "give the protagonist hell". They have more to them that have shaped them into the bully. 

CASE FILE C: THE CREATURE

No, not the hair of every teenage Wattpad protagonist in the morning on the first day of school. Honestly, I've never actually woken up with crazy hair. I know a lot of people do and... seriously y'all. What do you do in your sleep?