I recently came across Amazon’s “100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime.”

As a fantasy writer myself, I decided to spend the next few years reading every book on this list and record the lessons I learned from each volume on how to be a great writer.

PLOT: According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. – goodreads.com

LESSONS LEARNED: I have long argued that the most important aspect of a story is its characters. I’m not just talking about their personalities, backgrounds and philosophies. Their relationships with one another is equally vital. How do they interact? Do they like each other or have they been unwillingly thrown together? Would they have hung out if the events of the story never taken place? What conflict exists between them?

Just about every story ever written has been driven by conflict. Not just the conflict between the protagonists and antagonists, but also the conflict between the story’s various “heroes.” While your protagonists should eventually come together to achieve a common goal, if all they do is nod and agree on everything, you’ll find yourself with a fairly boring novel.

Take the Harry Potter series for example. You have Hermione – a grades-obsessed workaholic – at one end of a spectrum while Ron – a sports-obsessed slacker – is at the other while Harry falls in the middle (although he probably lies somewhat closer to Ron’s end). The variety of the characters’ personalities is much of what makes their stories so much fun. Their dialogue has an extra spark to it and their minor conflicts bring out their personal strengths and weaknesses, giving the world a dimension it would otherwise be lacking.

If characters at opposite ends of a spectrum lead to more interesting stories then Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett must be the most interesting book in the world. The two central characters are an angel (Aziraphale) and a demon (Crowley) who have been best friends for centuries. Both characters believe in their cause and both characters resent what the other stands for, but (as the book explains it) they have both been on earth for so long they have struck up a begrudging friendship.

What Gaiman and Pratchett do is create one of the most complex of relationships. The two characters have next to nothing in common (at least on the surface) but they clearly care for one another and are drawn together even before the events of the story. Once the story does begin their bond is only strengthened by one of the few things they have in common, their desire to stop the apocalypse (they’ve been on earth for so long they have become fond of it).

Their opposing viewpoints and contrasting approaches to stopping Armageddon create some of the most hilarious moments in the book, but even if Good Omens wasn’t a comedy, having characters with such distinctive personalities would still be vital. It allows the readers to see the author’s world in its fullest scope and brings out aspects of the character’s personalities that might otherwise remain buried. Had both characters been angels or demons who got along completely, the reader wouldn’t have such a variety of personalities to keep them engaged. Also, it’s more interesting to read about characters who like each other even when they have every reason to be enemies (or at least not get along). Pop culture behemoths like Star Wars, The X-men, Toy Story, and The Guardians of the Galaxy all have a cast of characters with opposing outlooks on life.  

I’m not suggesting that your characters need to all be from such polarizing sides as angels and demons, but if their viewpoints and personalities oppose one another at least in some respects their interactions will be more significant and their personalities will become more unique. And if you can successfully convince us that such different characters would be willing to team up for a single cause, then we will believe that this really must be a cause worth fighting for.