It seems like I’ve unintentionally set up this past week as Protagonist Week. :) Can you tell I’ve been working on a new protagonist for the new series?
I’m also reading, at the same time, Stephen King’s excellent book, On Writing. I was startled to read, though, that he never felt any real sense of liking for Carrie White, the protagonist in his first novel, Carrie. He says:
Carrie White seemed thick and passive, a ready-made victim.
I’ve written protagonists that can be difficult (my Myrtle Clover character comes to mind.) But I’ve always liked them. They’re always people that I would want to spend time with. I think it would be tough to write a book when you’re not wild about the protagonist. In fact, it was apparently tough for King, too—he ended up throwing an early draft of the manuscript into the trash, until his wife fished it out.
For me to be able to work with a protagonist over the course of a series, there are definitely some traits I’d like them to have:
Humor: When someone lacks a sense of humor, they’re frequently taking themselves too seriously.
Looks and Means: Average or pleasant looking and living fairly comfortably.
Flaws: I’m a fan of flaws and I’ve mentioned writing my own into my poor protagonist.
Proactive Nature: They attack problems instead of watching to see if someone else will leap into action.
Intelligence or Cunning: If they’re not geniuses, it’s okay—but I do like a clever mind or simple common sense. Or a canny way of looking at problems.
Decisiveness: I don’t like a lot of wishy-washy scenes where protagonists wonder what they should do next.
Dynamic Personalities: The characters grow over the course of the book or series.
One thing that’s important to me is knowing what motivates them. I want to have some sort of idea of what makes the protagonist tick. Otherwise, I won’t really get them and know how they’ll react in different situations.
If you’re in the protagonist building phase right now, yourself, here are some links that I’ve found useful in the past:
Alexandra Sokoloff: Creating character – the protagonist Adventures in Children’s Publishing: Character Worksheet
Eclectics: Fiction Writer’s Character Chart
The Writer’s Knowledge Base (and click on ‘character’)
There Are No Rules: Your Protagonist Must Have a Goal
Guide to Literary Agents: Agent Donald Maass On: Your Tools for Character Building
What are traits that you find easy to work with in your protagonist? (I think many writers would be looking for different traits…and desirable traits might differ from genre to genre.)
I’m with you on what I like & look for in a protagonist, especially the part about being proactive. There is nothing more annoying – especially in crime fiction – than a protagonist who just waits for things to happen!
Elizabeth – I’m like you; I don’t think I could write a protagonist if I didn’t like that person, or at least find something appealing about her or him. I agree with you (and Jill), too, that to me, a protagonist has to be proactive. It’s also important for me that the protagonist be intelligent or at least intuitive. I want to be able to believe that the protagonist could make sense out of the events that happen in the story.
Oh, and I’m right there with you on not being wishy-washy. That annoys me. Reflective? Sure – that’s fine. Indecisive? No, thanks
I tend to use the Deb Dixon GMC model when I’m creating my characters. But in my Blackthorne, Inc. series, they’re already ‘previewed’ because they’ve appeared in a previous book. When it’s their turn, I flesh them out, asking why they ended up working for a covert ops team.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
Well, my current main character has a problem from her past and in the course of the book, sets out to rectify it or at least find answers.
Proactive Nature: They attack problems instead of watching to see if someone else will leap into action.
– this is one of those things I have learned by making a few mistakes.
As I can´t imagine an existence without humour, humour in characters comes pretty naturally to me, and I think it is easier to come up with them if they share a few things with me.
I was loving King’s ‘On Writing’ throughout the autobiographical part, but he compeltely lost me when it got to the actual writing part – he seemed to be telling the reader how to write like Stephen King, which isn’t what I want to do (fab as his books are). Also, I’m British and we like the passive! I preferred Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird – I found it really helpful as far as motivation and helpful tips and techniques go, without Lamott ever trying to make all her readers write just like her.
I’m with you on the intelligence. I have a difficult time rooting for stupidity. I liked my main character, but I did have to tone down his abrassiveness for others to like him.
I like your list. I guess I really hadn’t put as much thought into a prescribed list of traits for a Pro, but always have just created someone I could relate to on multiple levels. BTW, I read On Writing some time ago (I actually keep it in my library as a reference book too) and I also was surprised to read that The King didn’t much ‘care’ for Carrie. Interesting…
Great tips. They need to have flaws, but not be wishy-washy. They also can’t be annoying.
Great article, Elizabeth. Love the reminder about knowing what motivates your protag. And thanks so much for including the Character Worksheet!
Martina
Jill–Whenever I read a book where the protagonist is taking a backseat to another character, I just think that the author should have made the other character the protagonist, instead!
Helen–I like that–very easy for the reader to feel sympathetic and want to find answers alongside the character.
Margot–There’s even too much *reflection* that I can take, too. That’s why I’m such a fan of sidekicks. Reflection in dialogue works for me!
Juliette–I prefer Lamott’s book, too. And I know just what you mean about “On Writing”–King definitely is prescribing a certain approach. Four hours a day, combined, of reading and writing. Ugh. Maybe if I didn’t have to promote! Which King, of course, really doesn’t (at least, not like *I* have to promote!
Alex–It’s a fine line, isn’t it?
The Old Silly–You know, it sounded like he came up with a great IDEA and then he came up with a victim who became empowered and he sold himself on the story but not the character. I enjoyed the book, myself…although I can’t remember what I thought about Carrie as a protagonist.
Terry–Oh right–goal/motivation/conflict…a great way to character build, too.
Mary–Annoying is definitely not good!
Adventures in Children’s Publishing–Of course, Martina. :) Fabulous worksheet!
Dorte–The proactive nature thing is sort of counter-intuitive for writers, I think. After all, most of us just like to watch things happen (I know that’s the way I am, anyway!)
If the characters share our sense of humor, it sure does make life interesting!
Most of my characters are curious … and this doesn’t always work out well!
You are so right about motivation. When a character does something it has to come from him or her and the story, not just because the author decided this has to happen.
Since I write more hard-boiled mysteries, my protagonists have to have a tough edge so they can stand up to some really nasty bad guys. But, like some of the great tough guys, like Jack Reacher, my protagonists have to have a soft, spoot, too. I think those contrasts make for better characters.
Great post and thanks for the list–I’ll get clicking. I find I often base my protagonist on somebody I don’t really like. I’ll start writing about them so I can get under their skin and find out what motivates them. (My novels usually emerge from short stories or character sketches.)I always end up liking them in the end.
I’ve written three books with a heroine who doesn’t seem bright, but she’s always outwitting people in her own way–sort of like Elle in Legally Blonde. She’s fearless because she doesn’t see anything to be afraid of. Of course, I’m writing humor, which has a slightly different set of rules.
I will read your book and bookmark your blog. Thanks
KenpoBear@Twitter
An evocative post about characters. I firmly believe your characters can do anything; you just have to find the proper motivation for them. That’s probably part of why it’s hard for me to write a character until I know about their childhood.
I don’t know about writing, but I would never read about a protagonist unless I knew what motivates him/ her. I don’t care as much whether the person is someone I can like or not, as long as I can understand what drives him/ her.