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Posted By: Eleika Mar 14, 2005 - 01:20 am

Draco Malfoy, Ralon of Malven, Joren of Stone Mountain ... all nasty, naughty bad boys who serve as antagonists for our hero(in)es while they're in school.

But are they necessary?

I've got a training institution for the magic-users of my world, and the main character is forced to attend. But unlike Harry Potter or the Song of the Lioness books, the story is not simply about the character's experiences at school. She's got a lot more to deal with, almost to the point where it seems silly for her to have a rival. But, true to School Setting form (and because I had one in the original draft ten years ago), she has a rival.

Yet I'm finding in the re-writing of this story that so much else is going on, the rival, Lemis, is more of a nuisance. I've tried to work that into the story, that my character, Nikka, hates him but has too much else to worry about to truly care, but it still seems ... unconventional. The problem I worry about is, could "unconventional" and "breaking tradition" just be excuses?

I know main characters are supposed to suffer. And Nikka is suffering, having to deal with troublesome Lemis on top of being a pawn in a murder plot for a relative's throne, and the One destined to break a very nasty curse. But as I said, the story isn't entirely about Nikka, or the school; there will be no year-by-year account of her adventures; in fact, in the sequel, she and Lemis are very nearly friends.

So, question: Do you think a "school rival" character is necessary, if a story is mostly or partly set at a school? On the other hand, would you rather see these characters break their "traditional" roles, and be defined as more than just "the bad classmate"? Is it wrong for them to befriend the main character eventually — without necessarily becoming completely "good"?

Posted By: Magus Mar 14, 2005 - 04:16 am

I don't think that there's ANYTHING wrong with that. Let's face it, not everybody has evil classmate rivals at thier school. I don't. I bet others don't as well. It's just as realistic as having one, but refreshing as it's a rarer sight to not have one or to have them befriend the protagonist.

I don't think that it's necessary to have a school rival. Mostly it is done to highlight and further glorify the protagonist. But they do, on occasion, serve as actual plot devices. Afterall, would Ged really have loosed his shadow upon the world if not for the assaults and torments of Jasper? (A Wizard of Earthsea).

So I say do what feels right for the story. Do what needs to be done.

Posted By: Manji Mar 18, 2005 - 06:00 am

I had an evil bastard I hated. Then he got me into wrestling last year and we had a good time. Then, this one time we practiced at this other school, this wrassler kept throwing me on my neck. About the third time he did this, my evil bastard ran up and kicked him in the back of the knee and when he got up he got in his face and my evil bastard said, "He's my friend and my teammate. You EVER do that to him again and I'll kill you, got it?" Now, I don't refer to him as my evil bastard rival, but as one of my good friends.

Posted By: Eleika Mar 18, 2005 - 02:48 pm

Baha, that's awesome, Manji.