I've been thinking a lot about characters lately if only because of the fact that my characters are being... difficult or maybe I'm just kind of blocked. But I've been asking myself this question: what makes a good protagonist? A good hero or heroine? And how can I develop my characters so that I know them inside out?
I compiled a list of what makes a good protagonist. Of course there are always exceptions and rules can always be broken. Especially when it come to us rule breakin' writers who love to shake things up. But here's what I came up with:
Strengths: Everyone has their strengths and to tell the truth I sometimes have trouble figuring out the strengths of my characters because I can see strengths as weaknesses. Love can be a weakness if it fits the character. Curiosity can very easily become a weakness if that character is too curious. Curiosity did kill the cat after all. But characters always need at least one strength and they have to show that strength so that the readers know that that person isn't all bad and all weak.
The heroine of the book I'm working on now is still trying to figure out what her strength is. She has a heart of gold and wants to be a better queen than her mother is. Heart (her name) wants to reunite the three providences and fix everything. She wants to help people but is still figuring out how to do that. I'd say that's a strength.
Weaknesses: Now this is more my element. I could come up with tons of weaknesses. Fear, anger issues, being impulsive, untrusting. Weaknesses help readers to identify with the character because everyone has their weaknesses and problems so why shouldn't your protagonist?
Heart has two weakness. She is fearful. All her life her mother has been cruel to her and so Heart grew up fearing her mother. She's afraid of ending up like her mother, she's scared that she might hurt someone with her power, that she'll fail everyone. To go along side her fear is the fact that she is untrusting. She trusts no one because she grew up knowing that her mother had spies everywhere. That makes her closed off and hard to reach, plus she isn't a very good team player because she feels that everyone is going to betray her at some point.
Backstory: I've already given away some of her backstory due to the fact that her whole life, past and present and even future in this case influences her strengths and weaknesses at the time where the story starts. Some authors may say cut the backstory but I disagree. I love knowing the backstory of the hero because their past holds so many different events and shows me how they became who they are now. Why is Heart untrusting? Because her mother has driven her to that. Why is she fearful? Because her mother has threatened her in the past and hurt people.
Another good example of backstory is The Young Elites. Adelina's past is full of cruelty by her father which makes her damaged. I saw her as a young girl with many scars from her life, who wanted to have power and be the best she could be so that no one could hurt her again. Adelina doesn't trust anyone because she believes that everyone is out to get her. She fights to try and find a balance between the goodness and the darkness inside of her. All because her father shunned her and hated her.
Sidekicks: Also known as secondary characters. Every protagonist needs to have at least one person that they can trust or at least someone who trusts them. Someone who will pretty much always have their backs. There are exceptions to this. Maybe your protagonists one sidekick isn't all that trustworthy. He might just be along for the ride or because he benefits from whatever is going on. But your hero still has that person and that's what counts. Your hero needs to have someone who will support them and trust them. Someone will stand by your protagonist in the toughest of times. Even die for them if necessary.
Strengths: Everyone has their strengths and to tell the truth I sometimes have trouble figuring out the strengths of my characters because I can see strengths as weaknesses. Love can be a weakness if it fits the character. Curiosity can very easily become a weakness if that character is too curious. Curiosity did kill the cat after all. But characters always need at least one strength and they have to show that strength so that the readers know that that person isn't all bad and all weak.
The heroine of the book I'm working on now is still trying to figure out what her strength is. She has a heart of gold and wants to be a better queen than her mother is. Heart (her name) wants to reunite the three providences and fix everything. She wants to help people but is still figuring out how to do that. I'd say that's a strength.
Weaknesses: Now this is more my element. I could come up with tons of weaknesses. Fear, anger issues, being impulsive, untrusting. Weaknesses help readers to identify with the character because everyone has their weaknesses and problems so why shouldn't your protagonist?
Heart has two weakness. She is fearful. All her life her mother has been cruel to her and so Heart grew up fearing her mother. She's afraid of ending up like her mother, she's scared that she might hurt someone with her power, that she'll fail everyone. To go along side her fear is the fact that she is untrusting. She trusts no one because she grew up knowing that her mother had spies everywhere. That makes her closed off and hard to reach, plus she isn't a very good team player because she feels that everyone is going to betray her at some point.
Backstory: I've already given away some of her backstory due to the fact that her whole life, past and present and even future in this case influences her strengths and weaknesses at the time where the story starts. Some authors may say cut the backstory but I disagree. I love knowing the backstory of the hero because their past holds so many different events and shows me how they became who they are now. Why is Heart untrusting? Because her mother has driven her to that. Why is she fearful? Because her mother has threatened her in the past and hurt people.
Another good example of backstory is The Young Elites. Adelina's past is full of cruelty by her father which makes her damaged. I saw her as a young girl with many scars from her life, who wanted to have power and be the best she could be so that no one could hurt her again. Adelina doesn't trust anyone because she believes that everyone is out to get her. She fights to try and find a balance between the goodness and the darkness inside of her. All because her father shunned her and hated her.
Sidekicks: Also known as secondary characters. Every protagonist needs to have at least one person that they can trust or at least someone who trusts them. Someone who will pretty much always have their backs. There are exceptions to this. Maybe your protagonists one sidekick isn't all that trustworthy. He might just be along for the ride or because he benefits from whatever is going on. But your hero still has that person and that's what counts. Your hero needs to have someone who will support them and trust them. Someone will stand by your protagonist in the toughest of times. Even die for them if necessary.
What do you think makes a good protagonist?
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