To Write, Or Not To Write: "Good" Main Characters
Hey y'all! I was originally going to spend this lovely afternoon typing a book review, but I couldn't think of anything I'd read recently enough to write a review about. After scratching that idea, I decided to address a different subject- one that I think every writer struggles with. By no means am I an expert; after all, with the arts, it's impossible to be an expert since the field is so subjective, but I think I've got enough food for thought to throw out into cyberspace, so here we are. Sorry in advance for any typos or grammatical errors. Even though I do have a grammar checker working alongside me, it's not foolproof. Please disregard technical issues, the words are what's most important.
Welcome to a new saga for my little blog. I call it To Write, Or Not To Write and I'm sorry if that's cheesier than it is clever. I tried.
This first post is going to be dedicated to "Good" main characters. Before I start, I want to say that this isn't about side characters or even antagonists. The aforementioned deserve their own posts at later times. This will just be centered around main protagonists, like narrators.
I think it's first most important to address what I personally consider to be a good character, or as I'd prefer to say it: a well-rounded, realistic character. Now I get that not everyone has the same standard, because even if no opinion is right or wrong, not everyone sees eye to eye, For example, some people might think Anastasia Steele from Fifty Shades Of Grey is a good character, but I think a wet plastic bag would do just fine in her stead.
Anywaaayyyy, we need to address what I think makes a compelling protagonist. It's important to note that your main character has to be someone the audience can root for. Did you watch The Avengers wanting Iron Man to die and for the bad guys to win? Unless yours is a minority opinion, I would guess that you probably didn't, because the writers did a good job making you love and support the heroes of the film. The same applies to books. Readers like stories about characters that feel like real people. Katniss Everdeen isn't perfect, and even if not every person who read The Hunger Games can pick up a bow and win a fight to the death competition, quite a few people could identify with her bond with her sister. And Katniss certainly isn't perfect, she can be stubborn, slow to listen, and sometimes emotionally detached, but she's still a heroine you can root for, and she still made a great main character.
Your protagonist(s) is who sets the stage for your novel. And even if your character is more of an anti-hero, they still must be easy to follow. If your reader can't root for the person who is supposed to be the center of the story, there's a serious flaw in your manuscript.
In short, a "good" character is one we fall in love with. A good character feels as real as your mom or dad or older sister or even the snarky teenager writing this blog post ;).
Now that we've addressed what makes a good character, let's address some things people do wrong. Here are three common misconceptions authors have about writing a main character that drive me crazy...
Misconception 1. A Good Character Must Have Tragedy In Their Life.
Important PSA; tragedy does not make a good character. Sometimes tragedy is a driving point behind the novel, and sometimes it creates a dramatic need for a protagonist, but not every character needs to be raped, lose a parent, deal with a mental illness, etc. for them to be a good character.
For example, let's look at one of my favorite books of all time: Maybe Someday by (the goddess of contemporary romance novels) Colleen Hoover. One of the main characters and narrators, Sydney Blake, has two parents who are together and a nice apartment and a good education. Even though the book opens with her boyfriend cheating on her, there are more dramatic things that could happen to a person. Yes, we still feel for her emotionally, but she is definitely a likable character you can root for in the book- all without having been through hell and back.
Another great example is Tris Prior from Divergent. At the point when the book opens, Tris hasn't experienced anything outright horrible, but her characters traits and other aspects of her personality are what keep readers turning pages wanting to know more about her story.
Here's an example of what your character's on-page arc should not look like. Note that I based this loosely off a monologue performance I watched in Speech and Debate.
The book opens with a character being told he won't survive past childhood. Then his father abuses him for a solid portion of his life, and at one point, savagely beats him half to death. Said father is arrested, and after he gets bailed out of jail by the mother, they both die in a car accident. The kid winds up in a crappy foster family, and at the end of the story, learns he has cancer.
Now, this is probably the reaction an author writing a story like this want from readers:
But, instead, readers probably look more like this:
This is obviously terrible storytelling and character building technique. After a certain point, the realism of a story is thrown out the window when a character's life has become a game of Murphy's Law. Tragedy in a story is more than okay, and oftentimes it can make a character even more loveable and understandable. However, when poorly executed, it can be unrealistic, or even plain ridiculous.
Good examples of tragedy in character arcs: (contains spoilers)
Augustus Waters from The Fault In Our Stars experiencing the return of his malignant cancer.
Ridge Lawson from Maybe Someday taking responsibility for his little brother at a young age, coupled with the profound hearing loss he was born with.
Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451 losing his friend Clarisse midway through the book.
As long as the dramatic/tragic event moves the plot along in a way that is productive and helps to achieve the character's goals and the story's resolution, then it's all good. But tragedy and traumatic experiences are not just a magic wand authors should wield willy-nilly. Your poor characters have probably been through enough already, so before you put one of them in a car accident, ask yourself if that's really going to do anything to help your protagonist or your story.
Whew... now that we've covered that one, let's look at the opposite.
Misconception 2. The Protagonist Has To Be Perfect.
The wet plastic bag. The Mary Sue. The wet lettuce character. The paper doll. You've probably heard it said a number of ways. The point remains the same. Realism is essential to making a character good. If you've got a character who is beautiful and smart and humble and great at everything they attempt, that character could be guilty of being a Mary Sue (and yes, male characters can be Mary Sues too). Flaws and imperfect circumstances are necessary for a character to seem like a human. Take away a character's faults and put them in a bubble, and you've got no conflict to resolve and nothing more than a mannequin for a protagonist.
The key is to find balance. Make your character good-looking, but naive. Make the character smart on the streets, but dyslexic in the classroom. Give the character parents who are great, but maybe a brother who is a pariah in the family.
Let's examine a real person for this point: yours truly (or maybe I'm a robot, who knows?).
I'm pretty book smart, but I have no common sense. Seriously, if you ask me right from left, I'll take a second to remember. I can read books on my own with no problem, but books for school take forever to get through. I write novels, but am a terrible speller (up until, like, last month, I didn't know how to correctly spell restaurant and still sound it out in my head when I type it). I'm clumsy and I cry too much. Like seriously. And not even over rational things- I started crying while watching Carpool Karaoke with Paul Mccartney a couple hours ago.
The point is; I'm far from perfect. I'm human.
Remember that a real person is comprised of a bunch of contradictions and imperfections, and so are our lives. The same should be true for your protagonist, their story, and even for the characters around them.
Here's another great character: Charlie from The Perks Of Being A Wallflower who sums what I just said up quite well.
3. A Main Character Can Do No Wrong.
The final misconception is one that irritates me quite a bit. Sometimes authors take character flaws to extremes, and when a protagonist does something horrible, it often can get swept under the rug and left unaddressed, or dismissed as okay because a main character can't do anything wrong.
THIS IS NOT TRUE!
In the final installment of The Hunger Games, a lot of people forget about the innocent woman in the Capital who Katniss shoots in the chest without blinking or even saying a word to her. This is horrible, and it's murder. This is an example of a character doing something questionable, even though it's in the name of their cause. But does this make Katniss a thoroughly unlikable character? For the most part, no.
The mistake made here is that this doesn't really get addressed later in the novel.
A character can do bad things. People do bad things. We break rules and laws and hurt people because we are flawed. As long as your character isn't out doing heinous things to others 24-7, it's okay for them to mess up every once in a while. Everyone messes up sometimes. It's totally natural.
But if your character steals something, lies, or does any number of things that are in the moral grey area, give the action consequences. Examine the decision and don't disregard it. Your character is supposed to be real to your reader, which means they're going to make mistakes and screw up. Your character can do wrong, and it's okay to acknowledge it. But remember, don't give them too many flaws, and don't make them do so many bad/dislikable/immoral things that it feels extreme. By that point, your protagonist might become someone a reader will root against, and might come across as unrealistic. It's the same deal as the misconception regarding tragedy. Don't be excessive. Let it flow naturally in a way that is still relatable and understandable for readers.
The key to all of this is balance. As an author, you balance tragedy and realism. You balance talent and perfection with humanity. You balance mistakes and good decisions.
A good protagonist is one with a lot of layers, balanced character traits, likability, and a set of goals and ambitions that make them one to root for.
I hope this was insightful. At the end of the day, you can disregard my opinions and stick to your guns. After all, expertise in a field like writing is impossible to achieve. As I said before, there is no objective standard. Art is inherently subjective, so be yourself and write your way.
My advice to any of my fellow writers can be summed up simply; trust your instincts, let the words flow, and let your characters speak for themselves.
Best of luck with writing, reading, and all other endeavors.
With Love,
Maddie
https://maddiekwrites.blogspot.com/
kopeckimaddie@gmail.com
Welcome to a new saga for my little blog. I call it To Write, Or Not To Write and I'm sorry if that's cheesier than it is clever. I tried.
This first post is going to be dedicated to "Good" main characters. Before I start, I want to say that this isn't about side characters or even antagonists. The aforementioned deserve their own posts at later times. This will just be centered around main protagonists, like narrators.
I think it's first most important to address what I personally consider to be a good character, or as I'd prefer to say it: a well-rounded, realistic character. Now I get that not everyone has the same standard, because even if no opinion is right or wrong, not everyone sees eye to eye, For example, some people might think Anastasia Steele from Fifty Shades Of Grey is a good character, but I think a wet plastic bag would do just fine in her stead.
Your protagonist(s) is who sets the stage for your novel. And even if your character is more of an anti-hero, they still must be easy to follow. If your reader can't root for the person who is supposed to be the center of the story, there's a serious flaw in your manuscript.
In short, a "good" character is one we fall in love with. A good character feels as real as your mom or dad or older sister or even the snarky teenager writing this blog post ;).
Now that we've addressed what makes a good character, let's address some things people do wrong. Here are three common misconceptions authors have about writing a main character that drive me crazy...
Misconception 1. A Good Character Must Have Tragedy In Their Life.
Important PSA; tragedy does not make a good character. Sometimes tragedy is a driving point behind the novel, and sometimes it creates a dramatic need for a protagonist, but not every character needs to be raped, lose a parent, deal with a mental illness, etc. for them to be a good character.
For example, let's look at one of my favorite books of all time: Maybe Someday by (the goddess of contemporary romance novels) Colleen Hoover. One of the main characters and narrators, Sydney Blake, has two parents who are together and a nice apartment and a good education. Even though the book opens with her boyfriend cheating on her, there are more dramatic things that could happen to a person. Yes, we still feel for her emotionally, but she is definitely a likable character you can root for in the book- all without having been through hell and back.
Another great example is Tris Prior from Divergent. At the point when the book opens, Tris hasn't experienced anything outright horrible, but her characters traits and other aspects of her personality are what keep readers turning pages wanting to know more about her story.
Here's an example of what your character's on-page arc should not look like. Note that I based this loosely off a monologue performance I watched in Speech and Debate.
The book opens with a character being told he won't survive past childhood. Then his father abuses him for a solid portion of his life, and at one point, savagely beats him half to death. Said father is arrested, and after he gets bailed out of jail by the mother, they both die in a car accident. The kid winds up in a crappy foster family, and at the end of the story, learns he has cancer.
Now, this is probably the reaction an author writing a story like this want from readers:
But, instead, readers probably look more like this:
This is obviously terrible storytelling and character building technique. After a certain point, the realism of a story is thrown out the window when a character's life has become a game of Murphy's Law. Tragedy in a story is more than okay, and oftentimes it can make a character even more loveable and understandable. However, when poorly executed, it can be unrealistic, or even plain ridiculous.
Good examples of tragedy in character arcs: (contains spoilers)
Augustus Waters from The Fault In Our Stars experiencing the return of his malignant cancer.
Ridge Lawson from Maybe Someday taking responsibility for his little brother at a young age, coupled with the profound hearing loss he was born with.
Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451 losing his friend Clarisse midway through the book.
As long as the dramatic/tragic event moves the plot along in a way that is productive and helps to achieve the character's goals and the story's resolution, then it's all good. But tragedy and traumatic experiences are not just a magic wand authors should wield willy-nilly. Your poor characters have probably been through enough already, so before you put one of them in a car accident, ask yourself if that's really going to do anything to help your protagonist or your story.
Whew... now that we've covered that one, let's look at the opposite.
Misconception 2. The Protagonist Has To Be Perfect.
The wet plastic bag. The Mary Sue. The wet lettuce character. The paper doll. You've probably heard it said a number of ways. The point remains the same. Realism is essential to making a character good. If you've got a character who is beautiful and smart and humble and great at everything they attempt, that character could be guilty of being a Mary Sue (and yes, male characters can be Mary Sues too). Flaws and imperfect circumstances are necessary for a character to seem like a human. Take away a character's faults and put them in a bubble, and you've got no conflict to resolve and nothing more than a mannequin for a protagonist.
The key is to find balance. Make your character good-looking, but naive. Make the character smart on the streets, but dyslexic in the classroom. Give the character parents who are great, but maybe a brother who is a pariah in the family.
Let's examine a real person for this point: yours truly (or maybe I'm a robot, who knows?).
I'm pretty book smart, but I have no common sense. Seriously, if you ask me right from left, I'll take a second to remember. I can read books on my own with no problem, but books for school take forever to get through. I write novels, but am a terrible speller (up until, like, last month, I didn't know how to correctly spell restaurant and still sound it out in my head when I type it). I'm clumsy and I cry too much. Like seriously. And not even over rational things- I started crying while watching Carpool Karaoke with Paul Mccartney a couple hours ago.
The point is; I'm far from perfect. I'm human.
Remember that a real person is comprised of a bunch of contradictions and imperfections, and so are our lives. The same should be true for your protagonist, their story, and even for the characters around them.
Here's another great character: Charlie from The Perks Of Being A Wallflower who sums what I just said up quite well.
3. A Main Character Can Do No Wrong.
The final misconception is one that irritates me quite a bit. Sometimes authors take character flaws to extremes, and when a protagonist does something horrible, it often can get swept under the rug and left unaddressed, or dismissed as okay because a main character can't do anything wrong.
THIS IS NOT TRUE!
The mistake made here is that this doesn't really get addressed later in the novel.
A character can do bad things. People do bad things. We break rules and laws and hurt people because we are flawed. As long as your character isn't out doing heinous things to others 24-7, it's okay for them to mess up every once in a while. Everyone messes up sometimes. It's totally natural.
But if your character steals something, lies, or does any number of things that are in the moral grey area, give the action consequences. Examine the decision and don't disregard it. Your character is supposed to be real to your reader, which means they're going to make mistakes and screw up. Your character can do wrong, and it's okay to acknowledge it. But remember, don't give them too many flaws, and don't make them do so many bad/dislikable/immoral things that it feels extreme. By that point, your protagonist might become someone a reader will root against, and might come across as unrealistic. It's the same deal as the misconception regarding tragedy. Don't be excessive. Let it flow naturally in a way that is still relatable and understandable for readers.
The key to all of this is balance. As an author, you balance tragedy and realism. You balance talent and perfection with humanity. You balance mistakes and good decisions.
A good protagonist is one with a lot of layers, balanced character traits, likability, and a set of goals and ambitions that make them one to root for.
I hope this was insightful. At the end of the day, you can disregard my opinions and stick to your guns. After all, expertise in a field like writing is impossible to achieve. As I said before, there is no objective standard. Art is inherently subjective, so be yourself and write your way.
My advice to any of my fellow writers can be summed up simply; trust your instincts, let the words flow, and let your characters speak for themselves.
Best of luck with writing, reading, and all other endeavors.
With Love,
Maddie
https://maddiekwrites.blogspot.com/
kopeckimaddie@gmail.com
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