He was going to be late again.
Robert sighed and glanced back up at all the paperwork scattered across his desk. It was the third time this week that he had more work than time to do it in and thus, he was going to miss dinner. Grabbing yet another file, Robert made a note to stop by the local florist on his way home and pick up some flowers as an apology to his wife.
Another hour later, Robert was finally done, and after texting his wife that he was leaving work, he headed to pick up the flowers. He walked into the shop displaying beautiful plants and walked up to the cashier’s desk. He nearly choked when he saw that the cashier was no longer standing and waiting for customers, but instead lying on the ground with a bullet wound in his back.
With shaky fingers, Robert dialed 911….
The most important character in most kinds of fictional book is your protagonist. Your protagonist is also your narrator in some cases if you’re telling your book from first point-of-view, but even if you’re not, the majority of your story will focus on your protagonist.
That’s why it’s vital that your protagonist is someone the readers like and care about. The key to writing the perfect main characters is making sure they seem humanlike. And how do you do this?
Well, first, you need to make sure has something they’re good at. Maybe they’re good at puzzles or solving mysteries. Or perhaps they have a knack at something more subtle like carpentry. Our friend, Robert, in the expert above, has the talent of working well with people. Depending on the scenario, Robert is good at sympathizing or cheering with another person.
Now, on the other hand, while everyone is good at certain things, there are some things that people that people aren’t good at. For example, maybe your character has a habit of always misplacing his keys, and thus, he struggles, at remembering where he puts his stuff. Robert isn’t good at quitting and he’d prefer to work overtime than to leave his paperwork on his desk overnight.
Next, when creating a protagonist, you need to figure out what their hobbies are. These are slightly different than a character’s flaws and the things they’re good at. For instance, while Robert is excellent at carpentry, he enjoys to read whenever he has a free moment.
You should also come up with other details about your main character such as how he likes his coffee or how he dresses or combs his hair. Does your character have a dog? A cat? Does he like chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry cake? As humans, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of preferences, so it would be crazy to write about another human without giving them at least a few.
What about family or friends? They’re important to give your character, even if you’re main character’s only friend is a furry Belgian Malinois. (Check out The Arsonist in the Neighborhood to see what I mean.) Robert, however, has a wife and two kids and this is important, because if he didn’t have a wife he was worried about upsetting, he never would’ve stepped into the coffee shop and thus, never found the body.
See, another trip to coming up with good protagonists is making sure that they relate to the story. Does your main character’s morning routine involve coffee at that coffee shop across the street? Is that how he gets involved in the shooting at Coffee’s Coffee and Diner? How does he then escape?
Figure out your idea your idea first and then your characters. Decide who you want your protagonist and antagonist is, but don’t forget to add other characters!
-D.P.
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