8 Apr 2025 5:09 am
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today, I am continuing to explore the theme of good vs. evil. Let’s get to it!
If you’re a writer interested in the theme of good vs. evil, you might wonder how to keep this trope compelling. After all, as I talked about in my post “Good Vs Evil” these kinds of stories have been around a long time, so if you’re trying to write a good vs evil story, how do you avoid falling into cliché territory?
With that in mind, here ere are:
1 Blur the Lines
Some of the most captivating stories are the ones that make us explore the concept of right and wrong, but who doesn’t enjoy exploring the moral grey area? Not all characters in these kinds of stories have to be all one way or the other. Take Game of Thrones, for example. Is Tyrion Lannister good or bad? What about Jaime? Even Cersei (who undoubtedly leans toward the evil end of the spectrum) has moments of vulnerability that make us empathize with her. These blurred lines force us to engage with characters on a deeper level — reassessing their actions and our reactions to them continuously.
2 Add Internal Conflicts
Consider making the real war of your story a battle that unfolds within your characters. What is your hero struggling with personally? Are there times they have to betray their moral code to achieve a greater good? Using internal conflict alongside external challenges adds depth to the story. A great example of internal conflict within the theme of good vs evil is the character of Dr Jekyl from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Dr Jekyll wants to rid himself of his “evil” urges, which leads to the creation of his alter ego, Hyde.
3 Give Motivations That Make Sense
A villain intent on destroying the world “just because they can” is a hard sell nowadays. Give your antagonist a backstory. Their actions don’t need to be justified but should be understandable. Scar from The Lion King is a perfect example of a character who (thinks he) has justifiable motivations: he feels he is supposed to be heir to the throne, but it is passed to his nephew, Simba, leading Scar to come up with a plan to kill both Simba and Mufasa.
4 Don’t Make Heroes Too Perfect
Perfect heroes are boring and come off as one-dimensional. Think about the protagonists that stay with you long after the credits roll or the book ends. Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and even Katniss are all great characters but are not flawless paragons of virtue. They struggle and falter, often making downright terrible decisions, which helps us to relate to them. Watching characters wrestle with their flaws, fears, or even darker impulses makes their triumphs feel earned. It reminds us that courage isn’t a lack of fear — it’s feeling fear and choosing to take action regardless.
A handy tip when writing protagonists or characters on a “heroic Journey” is to flip their best trait into a potential flaw. Loyalty is a great trait to possess — until it blinds someone to harm being done to them by the person or people they’resupposed to trust most. Likewise, bravery is inspiring — until it edges into recklessness.
5 Play With Ambiguity
Some of my favourite stories leave me questioning who really “won” — did the “right” side prevail, or did the protagonist make sacrifices that changed the essence of who they are? Stories that go against “traditional” endings tend to stick with readers long after the end.
Margaret Attwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is a lovely example of a story with an ambiguous ending. After closing the book, the reader doesn’t know what the main character, Ofred’s fate will be.
Well, that’s enough out of me for now. I hope you’ve found this post helpful!
Thank you, as ever, for reading my post!
Until next time,
George
© 2025 GLT
Posted by georgelthomas
Categories: Setting, Writing Tips
Tags: Characters, evil, good, storytelling, theme, tips, Writing Tips
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