This is a great game to play with a class of students, although you could do it with fewer as well. I did it with my creative writing class of middle-school students, and it was a lot of fun. Before you play, make sure the students understand the meanings of “protagonist” and “antagonist.” Then, all you need to play is a dry erase marker/white board, chalk/chalkboard, or a marker/large piece of paper or poster board and some masking tape to hang it on the wall.

Draw a vertical line down the center of the board/paper. On the top left hand side, write the word “Protagonist.” On the top right hand side, write “Antagonist.”

I told them that we were going to create our characters as a class. Their job: to think of one way to describe each character. The could choose a physical trait, like height, eye color, or hair color. They might tell what the character is wearing. They might choose a personality trait or hidden talent. They could tell an emotion the character is feeling.  If someone named a characteristic that contradicted an earlier one, he or she would have to think of a new one.

My students are seated at tables that form a horseshoe shape, so I started at one end and worked my way around to the other. I let them sit where they choose,  and all the boys tend to sit on one side with the girls on the other. I decided to begin with the girls’ side. We started with the protagonist. Here’s what they came up with.

The protagonist….

is a tall, pretty girl with blue eyes. She’s quick and smart. She is actually a werewolf that likes blood. That doesn’t keep her from her primary calling, though; she’s an archer that travels in a blue box.

Her antagonist (I started on the boys’ side with this one)….

is a murderous hippie vampire with a square head. He is  also a Jedi knight that can harness the power of the sun. He has a nasal infection, but that doesn’t hinder his sense of style; he has a tie-dye shirt, purple robes, and big orange glasses.

All I know is, I don’t think I would want to be there for the big climax of the story. I think it would get quite messy.

If we had more time, I would have had the kids write a story for these characters. It would also be fun to draw an illustration of each one. But class was over, and they already had a lot of homework. Maybe next time!

What characters did your students/children come up with?

Photo by jdurham