The brains behind the “Best of the Best” scriptwriting website ‘Go Into The Story,’ Scott Myers is a modern story guru. Over the course of two hours, he focuses on the protagonist and nemesis (nemesis being a much stronger word than antagonist!). Here are the main takeaways from this goldmine of a session:
Inside-out better than Outside-in
“Make your protagonist more sympathetic.” “Give them a flaw.” “What’s their wound?”
These are things screenwriters often hear from execs. And while there’s nothing wrong with it, adding sympathy and flaws can feel misapplied and forced if done purely from an outside perspective. Instead, Scott recommends digging into your protagonist’s psyche, and finding the story conflict from within. Resist surface level character development; dig deeper.
External vs Internal World
Stories operate on two levels, Scott says. He distinguishes between the protagonist’s external world, where their consciousness is based, and the internal world, where we find the subconscious. Action in the external world reveals intention in the internal.
The protagonist’s want is their conscious goal (external) and serves as the endpoint for their physical journey. Their need is their unconscious goal (internal), and the endpoint for their psychological journey. The disunity between these two is what creates the conflict in the story.
Character Archetypes
Scott outlines five key character archetypes:
- Protagonist: The character who goes on the journey, undergoes the biggest transformation, and often represents the audience.
- Nemesis: A force of opposition to the protagonist, representing their shadow.
- Attractor: Embodies something the protagonist seeks, representing the heart.
- Mentor: A character who aids the protagonist’s intellectual development, representing the mind.
- Trickster: Someone who tests the protagonist; providing complications and roadblocks, representing the Id.
Some of the best stories of all time contain all five of these archetypes. Star Wars, The Apartment and Silence of the Lambs; all three films contain all five archetypes.
A Worthy Nemesis
A nemesis must present opposition for the protagonist. Scott lists three traits this opposition needs to have. It needs to be powerful to ensure the protagonist will struggle and undergo change as a result. It must be specific to the protagonist’s conscious and unconscious goals. And it ought to be entertaining; it never hurts to have a nemesis that engages and delights the audience as well.
If the protagonist must be pulled to the light, then the nemesis should physically embody their shadow. As Jung says, the shadow mind can be externally portrayed if the protagonist does not face it within themselves.
Overlord v Underdog
The inherent advantage of an underdog protagonist is that the nemesis, as an ‘overlord’, has loads more power and resources than they ever will. Think Darth Vader with the might of the Empire and the power of the dark side against a farm boy, a pirate and a freedom fighter.
This nemesis’s resources are so great, it seems the protagonist can never overcome them. And this creates genuine, honest tension.
Intelligence v Wisdom
In many stories, the mentor offers words of wisdom. But where the mentor has wisdom, the nemesis should have a monopoly on intelligence. Joker from The Dark Knight and Noah Cross from Chinatown are several steps ahead of their opponents, and seem to have everything sewn up from the start. This has the added benefit of making them more unpredictable.
Creating Conflict
Conflict is entertaining.
That truth is at the heart of storytelling. Often a great nemesis will compete for the same conscious goal as the protagonist, with a different purpose in mind. The more conflict they can create for them, the more compelling the protagonist’s journey from disunity to unity will be.
There is no better way to create a compelling protagonist than giving them a worthy, interesting nemesis.
James Alexander Allen has been a screenwriter for about six years. He has also written a stage play (performed at Brighton’s Rialto and the Bread and Roses in Clapham) and directed four short films. He loves all things Star Wars, and dark comedies with a healthy grain of truth in them.
