A Winning Protagonist
Tips for Creating and Writing About a Good Main Character
Feb 12, 2009 Michelle Pannecoucke
Stories often develop around a character or a fictional life rather than a planned plot line. In many cases, the success of a story that develops around a character depends on the character itself. For the main character to carry a successful story, he should be well-developed, purposeful and of interest to the readers.
The Character Should be Round, Not Flat:
A round character has an important role in the story. The character has believable personality traits that should show through the character’s interaction with other characters. Readers will likely remember round characters better than flat characters. The protagonist and all the major characters of the story should be round.
A flat character is like a movie extra. He is more important for building the credibility of round characters than he is for being one himself. The focus will only be on the flat character when that character interacts with the protagonist or other round characters.
Developing a Protagonist
To be Sure About the Roundness of the Protagonist, Ask These Questions:
- Does the character have a heritage?
- Does the character have a family?
- What are the character’s most prominent personality traits?
It may help to make a list to answer especially the last question. Writing down the answers to these questions will help to develop the protagonist to suit the story and for the writer to know the protagonist. If the character needs development even after answering these questions, try creating a thought web or a chart. Write down all the desired elements of the character's person. This can be done for as many characters as needed. Keep the thought webs or charts handy when writing.
The Character Needs a Purpose:
Most of the weight of the story is on the protagonist. Often the protagonist is the character with whom the readers will want to relate and sympathize. A likeable main character is a good choice that will keep the readers interested in the story. But consider the character development throughout the story. Characters are allowed to change through the story and the protagonist is usually the one that changes the most.
If the protagonist begins as an unlikeable character with something to keep the readers curious, and changes throughout the story, it may also do very well for the story. An excellent way to show change or development with a protagonist is to create an antagonist that challenges him. For more on antagonists, A Winning Antagonist.
A story that develops around a protagonist will be successful when the protagonist is successful. A good protagonist will be a well developed, round character, experience change through the story and gain the sympathy of readers.
A Good Protagonist
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