Scene 5: Opponent Story Beat

Creating a Powerful Adversary – PART 1

In this article Scene 5 - Part 1:

• The Role of the Opponent in Driving the Story

• Step 1: Connect the Opponent to the Protagonist’s Weakness

• Step 2: Make the Opponent a Fully Realized Character

After defining a protagonist’s need and desire (Story Beats 2 and 4), the next crucial element in story structure is the Opponent or Antagonist Story Beat.

RECAP 6 Scenes in 6 Weeks articles:

Scene 1 - THE GHOST STORY BEAT

Scene 2 - THE STORY WORLD BEAT

Scene 3 - THE WEAKNESS NEED STORY BEAT

Scene 4 - THE DESIRE LINE STORY BEAT

The Opponent Story Beat centers around a character or force that stands in opposition to the protagonist, challenging them and making their journey more complex and layered so that the protagonist’s journey is rewarding for the audience.

Writing Tip: The greater the change in the character, the more interesting the story.

This writing tip not only applies to the protagonist, but it also applies to the opponent, too. Clearly, it’s not in the way the main character arcs, but in how you build the antagonistic forces of the opponent to blindside your hero or heroine.

A strong opponent is not just an obstacle, but a carefully crafted force that:

• targets the protagonist’s weakness need,

• exposes their vulnerabilities,

• and holds similar ambitions.

The attack on the heroine’s plan makes the conflict more intense and personal.

Readers, thank you for studying your craft!

This step-by-step article to dive into how to develop a multifaceted opponent, the narrative power of shared desires, and the essential structural steps to build a compelling adversary.

The Role of the Opponent in Driving the Story

In stories where the protagonist is driven by a desire to achieve or overcome something—whether it’s an external goal (like winning a contest in the performance genre) or an internal struggle (such as overcoming addiction in a dramatic thriller)—the opponent must present an insurmountable set of challenges.

These challenges are often tied to the protagonist’s need or weakness, making the opponent both a literal and symbolic barrier. An example of a powerful opponent is someone who wants the same goal as the protagonist, or at the very least, has ambitions that clash with the hero’s goals in a deeply personal way.

For example, in WHAT WOMEN WANT (2000), Nick Marshall’s desire is to manipulate and control his female co-workers’ perspectives to succeed in his career. But his ultimate opponent isn’t just Darcy McGuire, the new manager; it’s his own outdated and self-indulgent beliefs of what it means to be a real man who know their place in society. Darcy’s vision for the company clashes with Nick’s values, creating both professional rivalry and inner turmoil.

The shared setting of the workplace forces them into constant conflict, with each character challenging and eventually transforming the other’s views. This synthesis, catharsis, and sacrifice of both the protagonist and antagonist changing their inner views is necessary in a romance story.

Step 1: Connect Opponent to the Protagonist’s Weakness

An ideal opponent amplifies the protagonist’s inner struggles and exposes their weakness need. By targeting the protagonist’s greatest weakness or insecurity, the opponent becomes not only necessary to the story but vital to the hero’s failure and growth. When an opponent strikes at the core of the protagonist’s identity and beliefs, it forces them to confront aspects of themselves they would rather avoid and keep hidden.

Think Romeo and Juliet, where the teen lovers are blindsided and deceived by their own destructive inner forces that show as beliefs of love as destiny, which are fueled by the dueling forces of their family’s opposition. This is an example of the antagonist (each lover) attacking their own inner weakness need from the outside.

Conversely, consider Othello by Shakespeare where Iago, the antagonist, exploits Othello’s insecurities about his race and his self-worth, undermining him through psychological manipulation rather than direct confrontation. This is an example of an opponent attacking the protagonist from within. Iago’s deception feeds Othello’s internal fears, and it ultimately leads to his tragic downfall.

In the next article, tune into Scene 5 - Part 2:

• Step 3: Build Conflict through Shared and Opposing Values

• Step 4: Create a Converging Setting for Direct Conflict

• Plan and Counter-Plan: A Game of Strategy

Step 2: Make the Opponent a Fully Realized Character

To make the conflict more resonant, the opponent must be as complex and driven as the protagonist. Rather than serving as a flat obstacle, a great opponent feels like a true character in their own right. The ideal opponent often shares qualities with the protagonist—perhaps even similar values, ambitions, or past traumas—creating a mirror effect that allows audiences to see both characters’ flaws and virtues.

You’ve read about SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) a million times as a master story to study. That’s because it is a clear example of how to hook an audience by crafting an opponent who is a fully realized character. This developmental work is done crafting your Ghost Story Beat. It is also embedded in the backstory and desire line as you define the following:

• Skill that shows the audience and others what they are good at.

• Misbehavior that is a trait consistently generating conflict.

• Fatal Flaw or Weakness Need that makes them fail until they are able to overcome it or not.

In the film, we see two opponents of differing natures: Buffalo Bill, the external threat, and Hannibal Lecter, the intellectual equal and manipulator. Lecter is not only Clarice Starling’s opponent but also a dark mentor, helping her uncover the truths she seeks by first forcing her to face her inner ghosts, weakness need, and desire line. His complexity and his twisted mentorship challenge her in ways that a simple opponent never could.

In the last article, discover Scene 5 - Part 3:

• The Ghost Story Beat: The Internal Opponent

• Apparent Defeat and Double Reversal

• Conclusion

---

Why subscribe?

Story Waves is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Udemy: Click to Preview the Online Video Course.

---

Subscribe to Story Waves!

Story Waves is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Access screenwriting and storytelling lessons.

Get the discounted $79 ANNUAL subscription or $8/month to receive:

• Growing Archive of all Story Wave posts, writing workshops, teaching videos, downloadable class notes, and templates

• Join Story Waves Writing Challenges

• Story Waves Community of writing support and paid posts

Get the discounted $159 FULL ACCESS subscription to receive:

• Access to STORY GROUP and work with me every first Sunday of the month, 2-3:30 pm EST, where I demo page rewrites live from volunteers and teach from my Story Waves lessons.

• Receive a $100 discount on all Story Consultations.

p.s. Replays will be available for workshops. Watch them at your convenience.

✨ Invest in yourself and your Story! Commit to one year with my guidance and get the discounted annual subscription. You, your writing, and your career are worth it.

Thank you for supporting Story Waves! Consider becoming a paid subscriber and get the benefits of Story Group and Story Consultation discounts. See FULL ACCESS.

Subscribed

I look forward to reading your stories and connecting in 2024!

Best wishes,

Kelly E. Keough