When crafting a story, it’s only natural to focus on the protagonist and what makes them such an important character. But the antagonist is just as important to the story as the protagonist. Without the antagonist, there would be no conflict. Without conflict, there is no struggle. And without struggle, how can the protagonist have a character arc? In this session, we’re going to dive into the role of the antagonist of the story and how their actions are just as important to the story structure (with beats that are dedicated to the antagonist). But we’re not going to focus on just the antagonists that are embodied by another character. Oh no… We’re also going to dive into the antagonists that come in the form of nature, societal norms, and our own inner demons.

About Judy Mohr:

Judy L Mohr (pronounced “more”) wears many hats. Writer. Editor. Writing coach. Amateur photographer. Mother. Wife. Science geek. Her knowledge ranges from highly efficient ways to hide the fictional bodies through to designing websites and marketing books.
Judy is the author of the dystopian technothriller “Dancing in the Purple Rain”, and was named one of the New Voices of Aotearoa for 2025, where the judges called her a “dynamic new voice in speculative fiction.” She was also awarded an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future Contest in 2020, and was a semi-quarter finalist in the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition in 2022.

In early 2026, she released “Antagonistic Beats of a Story: Understanding the Role of the Antagonist in Story Structure”, which pulls on her experience as a developmental editor and writing coach, examining the structure a story through the antagonistic lens.
When she isn’t writing, editing, or doing something within the local writing community, she can often be found with a camera in her hand enjoying the world around her. Follow her crazy adventures on her blog (judylmohr.com) or on Instagram (@JudyLMohr).

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