Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

What makes a good protagonist? This is a pretty subjective question since different readers like different types of heroes and heroines. But I see some common traits among the protagonists I admire:

They’re likeable. Now, I’ve read plenty of books with unlikeable protagonists (Catcher in the Rye, anyone?), but although I sometimes appreciated the talent of the author, I just didn’t care what happened to the protagonist. And that’s just a major problem. What if you have your whiny, unpopular protagonist and you’re building up to the major climax of the novel. He’s about to be thrown off a cliff….or is thrown off a cliff. If the guy isn’t someone I like, I’m thinking: “Eh. Too bad about him. Let’s see….what’s that next book on my reading list?”

If they’re not likeable (Ebenezer Scrooge) , they experience an epiphany and a radical change of heart.

Readers can relate to them. Or, if they can’t relate to them, they admire them, at least. Does anyone relate to James Bond? Anybody out there a crack shot, a pilot, a scuba diver, extraordinarily handsome, etc? But we can admire him. He’s one of the good guys.

They solve their own problems and, possibly, the problems of others. I don’t enjoy it when my protagonist gets rescued. Even in romances, that gets old (if they do get rescued in a romance, can the favor be returned at a later time? One-way rescuing all the time makes someone look weak.)

They’re intelligent. Or, if they’re not intelligent (Forrest Gump by Winston Groom), they have plenty of personality to make up for it. People who take the time to read are usually pretty intelligent. I think most readers have little patience for protagonists who aren’t too bright.

Related, but slightly different to the observation above: they behave intelligently. So, maybe they are smart. So why do they go down into the basement when they know the killer is down there? Why would they arrange to meet a murderer in a deserted location? Why?

Things happen to them. Maybe they have amazing luck—maybe they have amazingly bad luck. Maybe they’ve landed in a crazy family, or fall over murdered bodies all the time (Miss Marple), or have an interesting way of looking at the world. But they’re not boring and their life isn’t, either.

They have flaws. It’s so tedious to have a protagonist who is just too perfect. Unless they’re the Christ-figure in the book, they need to have some flaws. We’ll like them a lot better for it.

Do your favorite protagonists share common traits?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! I’m taking the day off to celebrate Christmas with my family (and then clear tons of wrapping paper off my den floor!) I’m reposting an older post from June 2009. Thanks so much to everyone for making my blogging year a happy one.

Like many writers, I’m a huge fan of books. If I hear a recommendation, I’m there. The library has made it so easy for me—simply sign in online, request a book, and go check it out. My favorites are purchased at bookstores and recommended to other book-loving friends.

But I seem to come up with roadblocks when I’m writing a book (which is, actually, all the time now.) I’m reluctant to read anything in my genre (cozy mysteries), even though they’re my favorite reads for escape. I have several reasons for this:

One is the fact that it’s less of a pleasure; I’ll read the book critically and pick it apart. Were the suspects introduced in an organized way? Were there too many/not enough suspects? Am I picking up on a clue or a red herring? Is the author’s description of setting distracting or does it add to the book? Blah, blah, blah.

Another reason is that I compare my work-in-progress to the completed, edited, marketed, beautified text that I’m reading. And, guess what—my book lacks in comparison. This brings on a huge case of insecurity and heebie-jeebies that may take me hours to shake off.

Another reason is that I’m afraid I may somehow, subconsciously, change my writing voice while reading someone else’s cozy.

The final reason? I have so little time when I’m writing a book.

At first, I felt stuck. Now I’ve come up with some ways to work around my love of reading and my love of writing.

Read something short: Pick up a book of short stories. There are books of short story collections in every genre out there. Check one out. This also helps with the low-on-time factor.

Try something different in the genre you enjoy: Broaden your horizons. If you enjoy cozies (and write cozies), try thrillers, PIs, and police procedurals.

Try something completely different: Now may be the time to read an inspiring biography. Or a nonfiction book on organizing your life. Or literary fiction.

Just do it: Galley Cat recently revealed that Barack Obama is reading Joseph O’ Neill’s Netherland right now. If he’s got time to read, what excuse do the rest of us have?

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. I’m taking a short blog break for Christmas and reposting some of my older posts from 2009. Thanks so much to everyone for making my blogging year a happy one.

And…today is Thursday! If you’re hungry, please just pop over to the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen for a piece of frittata. I’m Riley there.

I think back to why I became a writer to begin with. It all started with a germ of an idea…multiplied by a hundred. Two hundred! Notebooks full of ideas: good ideas, rotten ideas. They popped into my head at the most random and inconvenient of times. And I loved every minute of it.

Now I realize we all have ideas. It’s the implementing of these ideas that creates the problem. Yes, it’s a lovely idea. Can you write about it for 250 pages or more? Will it hold someone’s interest for that long? What exactly is the plot conflict for this idea? Is it fresh? Does it have a hook?

Looking at “The Dream of the Poet or, The Kiss of the Muse” by Paul Cezanne (above, obviously) makes me slightly ill. Did Cezanne feel this way? Gosh, he must have—look at his body of work. An angel, coming from the heavens to kiss your furrowed brow and deliver the goods.

Lucky guy.

Not that I’m bitter or anything. But my relationship with my muse is..strained at best. In fact, we’ve not been on speaking terms for years now.

So what do we do with such uncooperative muses? Didn’t they realize we had an appointment with them? That we’re here, laptops in place, large mugs of coffee on our end tables, and an eager ear for their words of inspiration?

We plow ahead. One word at a time. Yes, it’s a blank page. Maybe what we’re covering it with isn’t much better than a blank page. But it’s a point to edit from. You can’t make something better if there’s nothing there.

Things I do while my muse is AWOL:

Work on a different section of the book than the one I’m currently stuck on.

Brainstorm: See how many ideas I can come up with—for the next two pages. Just the next two pages. Baby steps…

Research something pertaining to my book.

Edit a few pages. Sometimes reading back over something I’ve already written can get ideas flowing again.

Change the scenery: Run some errands. Find inspiration in the little things (jot little descriptions of the people I run across as I’m out, settings I see, the feel of the weather that day as I walk around.)

Hope my muse is the forgiving type and doesn’t carry a grudge for too much longer…

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. I’m taking a short blog break for Christmas and reposting some of my older posts from 2009. Thanks so much to everyone for making my blogging year a happy one.

I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable leaving my comfort zones in the last couple of years (especially concerning public speaking, signings, appearances, etc.) And then I just got satisfied with where I was. No more growth for me!

I’ve noticed several other bloggers who’ve been interested in personal growth via shaking up their routines a little.

I always enjoy visiting Karen Walker’s Following the Whispers blog. She provides a great oasis of reflection..something I ordinarily don’t schedule much time for.

In the link above, Karen posts on several ways that she’s stepped outside her comfort zone…for the month of December. Wow. That’s very inspiring to me.

Marvin Wilson, The Old Silly, made one of his pontifications on stepping outside our comfort zones. He calls it:

“A fundamental element in the path of self discovery and personal growth..”

On Eye Feathers, Tara McClendon’s blog, Tara mentions that many of the best things in her life resulted from big changes. She, like me, is still conservative toward change and acknowledges it sometimes results in loss.

Have you stepped outside your comfort zone lately personally or with your writing? Queried? Tried writing a different genre? Joined a critique group or other writing organization? Tried public speaking? How did you prepare yourself for taking the leap?

Someone wrote a wonderful post on gift wish lists and what our characters might want for Christmas. I hunted through blogs on my Google reader, but couldn’t find the link. (Getting even foggier than usual as Christmas approaches and the busy factor goes up!) If it was your post, please leave a link in the comments.

I thought it was an interesting post. We always think about what our characters want in the big picture. What do they want and how can we keep them from it? We’re all about creating conflict!

But what about the day to day little things? What does our character value? If they could compile a wish list for Christmas or a birthday, what kinds of things would be on there? What does their wish-list say about them?

My character, Myrtle? She values her independence most of all. Her most prized possession is her driver’s license. Her wish list? It wouldn’t have a thing on it. She’s self-sufficient, thank you, and doesn’t need a thing.

My character Lulu would love a set of knives. She loves spending time in the kitchen…and may also need some knives to deal effectively with all the killers that are suddenly lurking around her.

What would your characters put on their wish list?