Flipping the coin - Antagonists perspective.

[Aosto]

I have had a spark of inspiration, but I seek feedback. Could a story be entertaining if written from the perspective of the antagonist? Could you, as a reader, engage yourself in the story? If done right, could you come to like an antagonist?

Morals were for the weak, those who fear power. It was them who cast him aside. Stripped him of his power and left him an empty vessel existing only in myth.

 

[Steerpike]

Yes, I think it is quite possible.

You might look at Jacqueline Carey's Banewreaker, where she does something in the spirit of what you're talking about here, in the context of a traditional fantasy epic like Lord of the Rings.

 

[Aosto]

I will check that out. Thank you.

 

[Ireth]

This is probably an issue of semantics, but wouldn't flipping the perspective just turn the antagonist into the protagonist? A protagonist isn't necessarily a hero; the antagonist is simply someone who works against (anti-) his or her desires and actions. I think a villain as a viewpoint character could work, as long as we're given a reason to root for him or sympathize with him.

 

[Aosto]

This is probably an issue of semantics, but wouldn't flipping the perspective just turn the antagonist into the protagonist? A protagonist isn't necessarily a hero; the antagonist is simply someone who works against (anti-) his or her desires and actions.

Right. semantics
I do understand the point though, the villain would in the end be the protagonist of the story. Just trying to present it in an understandable fashion.

I think a villain as a viewpoint character could work, as long as we're given a reason to root for him or sympathize with him.

This is the part I struggle with. What would make you root for or sympathize with a villain?

 

[Steerpike]

Aosto:

Circumstances can make you sympathize, I suppose. In the book I mentioned above, you have a character that is essentially the dark lord, and he has trolls and the like on his side. Only, the creatures who make up his army are actually honorable enough and were wronged by the forces of 'good' in times past, when they were just lumped in with evil. And the Big Bad has really been forced into an untenable situation and doesn't really want war either, etc. It is an interesting book.

Also, Eve Forward wrote a book called Villains By Necessity, which takes place after a Lord of the Rings-style epic battle between good and evil, and the forces of good have won. Only, the good forces are so overbearing in forcing everyone to conform to their idea of goodness in society that the main characters device that someone needs to step into the role of a villain and oppose them.

 

[Guru Coyote]

Maybe this was not your original question... but how about using the antagonist as a "narrator character"? That way the roles of protagonist and antagonist would remain unchanged, the only "change" is the POV of the narrator. Obviously this would be an unreliable narrator, with his/her very own agenda.

 

[Aosto]

I will post my new plot idea over on the brainstorm forum. I'll link to it here.
I think I have a greater passion to write this story then my current. They are both set in the same world, and along the same time line. Finn will still be the 'hero' of the story, but I feel an urge to write from my villains perspective.

 

[Aosto]

Here is my newest plot idea.
http://mythicscribes.com/forums/bra...-tornmecks-ascension-plot-idea.html#post69551

Maybe this was not your original question... but how about using the antagonist as a "narrator character"? That way the roles of protagonist and antagonist would remain unchanged, the only "change" is the POV of the narrator. Obviously this would be an unreliable narrator, with his/her very own agenda.

I haven't thought of this. I will hash out a few pages and see how I like it.

 

[yachtcaptcolby]

I certainly think telling a story–or even just portions of a story–from an antagonist's perspective could be very interesting. One of my favorite scenes in all of literature is the chapter in Dune wherein (spoiler) the traitor is spending time with the woman he's about to betray. He agonizes over his decision and almost reveals his plan to her several times before deciding to go through with it. It was a great look into that character's psyche, and it made the eventual betrayal that much more poignant even though I knew it was coming. I maintain that the best mark of good storytelling is when your readers know exactly what's going to happen and are enthralled by it anyway, but that's for another discussion and I'm going to stop before I start rambling.

If you go this route, just make sure your antagonist has some depth. The rules of good storytelling don't change simply because you're focusing on a villain rather than a hero.

 

[Griffin]

If you want to find ways to help the readers sympathize and/or root for the villain, take any classical villain from a form of media and analyze their reasons behind their actions. A very common motive is sibling rivalry (best example is Lion King.) As someone who "suffered" from middle child syndrome, I can understand why a character might kill their sibling(s) for a birthright, love interest, etc. I wouldn't do it, but I can understand where they come from.

Or take any criminal from real life. Look into serial killers/rapists. We see them as monsters and some of them really are. There are some, however, victims in their own right. A lot of them were abused physically and sexually. Others were abandoned at a young age. This does not excuse their crimes, but it gives an understanding as to why they're deranged. For example, a ten year old girl murdered three local toddlers around her neighborhood. Sounds like a sociopath in the making. However, her mother was a prostitute. And some clients wanted the child. The mother had let these men have their way with her child. So yeah, the girl ended up being pretty messed up.

In short, give your villain a good reason to be the way he/she is. They can't be evil for evil's sake (unless you're going for a humorous route.) You can even have it where your villain thinks they're doing the right thing, but will do anything to accomplish it. The ends justify the means.

Hope this helps in any way.

 

[Aosto]

In the plot point I posted, my villain was once a chief God until he was outcast and accused of being a tyrant. His motive was to make man worship the gods, at the cost of taking away free will. This grew his power, and the other gods power in turn. After he was outcast and man was given free will back, they stopped worshiping. This didn't feed the gods the power they needed and they all ended up sharing the same fate is the villain. The moral Gods remained comfortable existing among man, but Tornmeck (villain) seeks to regain power.

 

[srcroft]

Absolutely. In fact I think whether you do it or not, you should be "able" to do it. A lot of writers fall short with the roundness of their antagonist. When I write I tend to write from the protag and antag perspective, write a historical / setting outline, and even secondary views. When I go to write the draft, i have a deep understanding of everyones motives.