2007-06-04 04:12:22 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
After all, homer's two books have got a sequence of events but Tolkien's didn't take such an approach, with good and evil each signposted.
2007-06-04 04:26:31 · update #1
Stories don't necessarily need a "baddie" to be effective. There is a saying that a story breaks down into one of three categories: man against man, man against the environment or man against himself.
So you could have a person stranded in the woods and trying to survive. There is no "baddie" really. Just a man trying to survive against nature.
What a story DOES need is conflict. The main character should have a goal he is trying to reach and have various obstacles to overcome. That tension is generally what makes a good story. I am oversimplifiying all this but I'm at work, and really should be doing other things. :)
2007-06-04 04:25:03 · answer #1 · answered by Corey S 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not really. Stories need conflict and tension. The easiest and most common way to do that is to introduce a baddie for the hero/heroine to struggle against. But the conflict can potentially be with external forces, such as trying to survive in a hostile environment, or even internal to the character, placing one obligation or priority against another.
2007-06-04 11:36:15 · answer #2 · answered by A M Frantz 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Corey S above, that all good stories (novels/plays) need tension to work. I have been on this planet for 47 years and I cannot think of a single novel or play that has NO tension, but there must be examples from poetry
2007-06-12 02:59:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes...all stories need a protagonist and an antagonist. A story work better if there are dual forces at work...we look for hero/protagonist to over come something after a struggle
2007-06-04 11:24:46 · answer #4 · answered by penydred 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think so
People need drama even in comedy, I also think that people need to identify with the caracters and it will be difficult for them to identify if there is no baddies because there is always a baddie in your life, it could be your mother or your boss it doesn't have to be a criminal.
2007-06-04 11:28:33 · answer #5 · answered by Maon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All stories need tension and conflict, and for those you need an antagonist. The antagonist can be a "bad guy" or it can be nature. Most effective of all is where the "bad guy" is part of himself or an esoteric concept like death, time, diet, or culture.
2007-06-04 11:39:47 · answer #6 · answered by Ninja grape juice 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All stories need a conflict. It makes for a better story.
2007-06-09 21:15:01 · answer #7 · answered by Eugene 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's certainly helpful.
2007-06-11 16:01:58 · answer #8 · answered by curious connie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋