Hello fellow writers, This is Evelynfrost23

Welcome to your first workshop on writing good and well-rounded protagonists, but before we start, I think it’s important to know what a protagonist is.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “one of the main character in a story or a play” but I might be ambitious when I say it goes deeper than just being one of the main characters and my views will be presented in the coming sections.

So, grab your notepads, get those spy goggles and buckle up because we are going into the world on how to make sure that your protagonist is really the protagonist of the story.

Choosing a protagonist

Firstly, the most important thing of all is to know that no main character is ever perfect. And if you think that yours is, you should reconsider the focus of the story. Sometimes, it isn’t the plot that readers might read the story for – while things such as plot line, troupe, writing styles and others are really crucial – having convincing protagonists that make readers root for them is perhaps what makes a story exceptional.

There are many things to focus on while working on and making your perfect protagonist and we shall be taking a look at a few of the well-versed and important ones below:

Goals and Motivations: 

I will not be explaining this one in too much detail as it has already been discussed in great length in the previous chapter of “Creating Compelling Characters”.

In focusing on writing a solid protagonist, I would like to emphasise that a deeper understanding of why your character does whatever it does, is very important as an author. Questions like “why does my character want what they want?” will aid in deeper thinking making one understand their motivation and hence, it makes it easier to write their actions and make it more believable.

Flawed but Real: 

This is perhaps what most authors fail to do. They often tend to mistake making a character likeable making them flawless and someone with a superficial need to achieve superficial goals that most of us can not relate to – perhaps, get into a beauty pageant or obtain something that is far-fetched. There is never anything wrong with making a character dream big – just as it is in real life – but that, however, does not give the aim to simply remove that one quality in your character that would be required to attain the said goal. That makes writing shallow in nature. Think deeper than the surface.

What eats your character from the inside? Is there a physical flaw they might think they have? Give them flaws that they struggle with on a daily and show how they manage these and tackle them over time. This doesn’t have to simply be surface-based and could be conflicts in self – maybe they have some fears or even past mistakes of youth that they regret!

Well-fleshed Backstory: 

A well-fleshed backstory of every character in the story is crucial and vital. Regardless of how unnecessary it might seem, I usually begin my stories with an exceptionally thought-out backstory for not just the protagonist but every character in my story – this gives a lot of insight into how the character deals with their present issues, why they do what they do, how they handle conflict and a lot more. “You are not what you have done” and that is true, however, “The past shapes who you are” too. While at first those two seem incomprehensibly opposing to each other it really isn’t – one says that you are much more than your past mistakes, but the past, more times than not, through real observation, that what you are most likely to do.

Most of the time, trauma is also added to characters without much forethought and that isn’t the way to go either. Each character – like every person in real life – is to be made unique and their experiences would be different from each other depending on a lot of factors. It is these unique troupes and dynamics of their own individual pasts’ that can affect them even in their social influences or relationships years later. Perhaps, you could have a childish protagonist who hasn’t faced struggle financially ever before because of a perfectly stable bank account and is starting to realise that life is much more difficult than what it looked like when she doted on her parents. Or maybe, your character is a traumatised person who has never received enough affection because of their upbringing in a family with many siblings and doesn’t understand why their loved one is showing them love without having to earn it. Each character is to be handled delicately with care and that is perhaps what makes some works of literature stand out from the others.

Growth and Development: 

A character that all root for is someone that needs changing. Well-fleshed-out characters often undergo a lot of character growth and a wide array of internalisation and self-realisation on their character growth arc. Like humans in real life, they also need space and time (along with a dash of perfect scenarios that put them out of their comfort zone) to get that shove they require to grow and evolve.

There is one troupe that I’ve seen that is very rare (I’m not sure if the word troupe would be correct here!) where the focus of the story shifts. A character who is initially seen as the protagonist turns into the antagonist or vice versa (an antagonist who turns into the protagonist) –

really good examples of this are Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) and Severus Snape. Where Anakin turns into the antagonist from being the protagonist (and later is redeemed) is a very good example of this troupe in a similar yet opposite fashion to Severus Snape from the Harry Potter Universe.

This perfectly illustrates a dramatic character growth arc. Other much subtler examples of character growth can be seen in Kenji Kishimoto (the Shatter Me Series), Lucy (Listen for the Lie) and Grace Winters (The Life Impossible).

Supporting Characters and their Relations: 

The way a character interacts with the other characters in their book speaks volumes about their own personality – also providing an alternate third person's insight about how they would deal with conflicts that migyjd react and handle a situation. Entering new territories with characters that they are not familiar with also adds a completely different and deeper level to the story.

Supporting characters should challenge, complement, or conflict with the protagonist, driving their growth and evolution. For instance, a mentor might push the protagonist towards self-discovery, while a rival could highlight their insecurities. These dynamics not only enrich the protagonist's journey but also create a more immersive and emotionally resonant story. Crafting meaningful relationships between the protagonist and supporting characters is essential for a well-rounded narrative.

A very good example of this can be found in Bronte’s work “Jane Eyre” and the nature of relationship Jane shares with Helen Burns. At Lowood School, Helen teaches Jane the value of patience, endurance, and forgiveness. Helen’s calm acceptance of suffering and her unwavering faith influence Jane’s moral and spiritual development, encouraging her to seek a balance between passion and restraint.

Multi-dimensional Layers:

A well-crafted protagonist is multi-dimensional, possessing layers that make them feel like a real, complex individual. These layers include their motivations, fears, desires, and moral dilemmas. A protagonist’s outer persona may differ from their internal struggles, creating a dynamic interplay between their public actions and private thoughts. This depth is revealed gradually, often through their interactions with other characters, their responses to challenges, and the evolution of their beliefs over time.

 In Celeste Ng's "Our Missing Hearts," the protagonist, Bird Gardner, is a complex character shaped by multiple layers of identity, trauma, and cultural heritage. Bird is a 12-year-old boy living in a dystopian America where Asian Americans are persecuted. On the surface, Bird appears as a quiet, obedient child trying to navigate a hostile environment. However, beneath this exterior, he grapples with profound questions about his identity, his absent mother, and the oppressive society he lives in.

As the story unfolds, Bird's layers are gradually revealed. His internal conflict between the desire to blend in and the need to understand his heritage adds depth to his character. His journey is not just about finding his mother, but also about reclaiming his own identity in a world that seeks to erase it. These multi-dimensional layers make Bird a compelling protagonist whose personal struggles reflect broader societal issues .

And that’s it from my side for tonight, folks! I do think that I have provided us all with a lot to digest for quite a while.

I will be back in the fortnight with tips on how to work on Antagonists and hopefully, after that, we can delve into the work of Conflict Building and showing Vulnerability and Strengths!

Articles:

https://www.writersdigest.com/there-are-no-rules/how-to-create-a-successful-protagonist 

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