Creating Compelling Protagonist

When writing fiction, we often focus on the plot, and our characters become vehicles for moving the narrative forward. However, if we want readers to become invested in the story, we need to create protagonists who will draw them in.

So what are some concrete strategies for helping readers identify with our main characters and develop some sort of attachment? How can we be sure readers care about what happens to these fictional friends, and that they stick around to find out?

Let’s explore some basic questions that can help you analyze your characters and ramp up reader engagement.

Is my protagonist believable?

First off, to be believable, your protagonist must be flawed. Even Superman has his Kryptonite. Aside from making your character believable, this flaw can be used strategically. A character with a fear of water can set up great tension if they are later faced with having to save a child in danger of drowning.

Equally important, your protagonist should have wants and needs that make logical sense in their environments and situations. These wants and needs, whether the character realizes it or not, are what feed the main conflict and propel the story forward.

Characters must also have quirks and preferences that can interact with their environments. For example the California private eye trying to gain trust in a southern town might be given the side-eye when he asks for unsweet tea. Or the kid who develops a facial tic when he’s lying may inadvertently provide the clue that busts the case wide open.

A word of caution here is warranted, though. Make sure that in creating your character’s quirks and flaws, you are not representing shallow and often hurtful stereotypes. That would be the opposite of believable.

Will my reader identify with my protagonist?

Readers do not have to fall in love with our protagonists right off the bat, but they should at least be able to identify with them. If your character is a young kid trying to fit in or a recently widowed adult trying to overcome grief, you might have an easy time building that connection.

But even if your protagonist is a criminal mastermind, you want to show at least one good and genuine trait by revealing something that he cares about. Is he maintaining a garden? Does he feed wild birds? Does he care for an injured animal? Your reader needs to find some reason to root for this character’s transformation. Otherwise, why would they continue reading?

Additionally, your protagonist should exhibit some universal characteristics that readers can identify with. A protagonist who is a medieval serf may not have a lot in common with contemporary readers. However, that serf’s feeling of powerlessness or dreams for a better life tap into universal characteristics. And that’s where your reader can make a connection.

Do I balance action and dialogue with interiority?

We all know the basic “show, don’t tell” principle, so we work hard to reveal our characters through action and dialogue. However, we must also remember to build our protagonist’s interiority.

Interiority, in literary terms, refers to the character’s thoughts, feelings, and inner struggles. How we reveal this interiority varies depending upon our point of view and the nature of the work.

A first-person narrative can easily reveal the interior dialogue of a protagonist that might be in contrast to the face she broadcasts to the public. However, the further removed the narrator is from the protagonist, the more objective the writing must become.

An objective narrator will need to find clever ways to reveal a character’s interiority. It might be shown through reactions, like the pup who hides beneath the desk during a thunderstorm. It may also be shown through cleverly planted writings, like a diary entry, letter, or original poem that surfaces in the narrative.

People are complex beings. We are often guarded in what we say and do in public. Characters must be complex beings as well, and as authors, we need to find clever ways to reveal their interiority.

Does my protagonist’s emotional arc mimic the story’s narrative arc?

We know that our protagonist must grow and change over the course of the narrative. However, it’s important to make sure that the protagonist’s growth is aligned with the plot.

One easy way to do this is to make a list of your major plot points and then identify your character’s growth points in accordance with the plot points. For example, upon experiencing the inciting incident, your protagonist must show agency and do something. That action is spurred by an inner desire.

As the narrative progresses, the effects of your story’s obstacles and turning points should be intertwined with the character’s growth. At times, they experience a weakening of resolve, but ultimately, something must happen to spur significant change. At the climax of your story, when the plot undergoes a major shift, your character should undergo a major shift as well.

If you like to plot your story more visually, you can use this same process to overlay your protagonist’s emotional arc on your story’s narrative arc. They should fall beautifully in sync with one another.

Once the story is written, we go through many layers of revision to craft a compelling piece of literature. It’s important to make sure that in the process of revision, we are asking the questions and making the adjustments that will help us create compelling characters.