Here’s a quick writing tip to improve your content right away.

In stories, heroes fight to overcome challenges – often by confronting a villain. 

Having a villain: 

• Is an easy-to-understand story structure. 
• Sets up war/battle/fistfight images often with connotations of physical violence. 
• Defines and chooses a side of an issue. 

Think about who, said or unsaid, you’re setting up to be the villain. 

• If you haven’t explicitly set up a villain, who might people assume is the “bad guy?”  
• Are you ok with portraying them as a “bad guy?” If the villain were to see the story, how might they react? 

Alternatives to villains: 

• Helping people become aware of a perspective they may not have considered. 
• Working together to find a variety of ways to solve a common challenge. 
• Focusing on overcoming the impact of the conflict or challenge. 

Here’s an example: 

Last week a high school student fought back against punishment from her school for organizing a protest. Now she’s battling the school district for her right to protest. 

In this story, it’s clear that our student is set up as the hero.

So who is the villain? If her school has punished her, and now she’s fighting the district, it sounds like the school administrators are our antagonists. Take a moment to assess whether that’s accurate and you’re comfortable with this framing.

Is the principal intentionally quashing this student’s rights in ways that are inconsistent with the law or school policies? Maybe! Could school administrators be correctly enforcing appropriate limits in the interest of maintaining security and furthering education at school? That’s a possibility too. Or the principal could be aware of students’ rights and schools’ responsibilities and getting the balance slightly off in this situation.

It’s worth confirming further details. The story could look quite different once you learn more:

Last week, a high school student wanted to organize a protest to advocate for change – but it was against school rules. Now she’s asking the school board to protect students’ ability to protest. 

Find more of my favorite writing tips here.