Protagonists
How to write a protagonist. A protagonist is the main character of a story.
Resources
Characterization
The shortcut (e.g., for starters and short stories):
What makes a Protagonist?
- Is the viewpoint character the one with the most to gain or lose?
- Does the character have the most agency and does agency drive the character more than the external constraints of the character?
- Are you passionate about this character?
- If you use first-person, does this character have an interesting way of expressing things?
Other basic questions you should be able to answer:
- Do you want the readers to feel close to this characters or distant?
- What does this person need?
- What does this person want?
- How does the weight of everyday existing affect the character (what are very day struggles)?
The hard stuff:
- What do people think of the character?
- What does the character think people think about them?
- How does the character think about themself?
- What's the actual truth about the character? Is there an actual objective truth?
Tip
Ways to create depth:
- Consistent inconsitency
- Action versus thougth
- People as symbols
- The secret life of objects
Characteristics
- Physical Appearance
- Quirks of behaviour or thought
- Habits
- Beliefs
- Hopes or Dreams
- Talents and Abilities
- Insecurities
- Secrets and Lies
Caution
Mistakes to Avoid:
- Don't accidentally write about a sociopath/psychopath
- Don't forget that villains are often the heroes of their own stories
- Don't be too quick to kill or revive (deaths should have weight to them)
- Don't ignore secondary characters
- Don't over-dump a character backstory, think of how and when to deploy it
- Don't create a disconnect between environment and character
- Don't use stereotypes or prejudices on your characters
Character Arcs
- Reversals: Characters should experience setbacks
- Discoveries: Characters should find out things about themselves, other people or the the world in general
- Complications: Characters should find that the central problem they confront has no easy solution
- Resolution: The story should reach a conclusion that satisfies the reader's interest in the characters and the problems posed
Visualization of a character arc:
Examples:
