Well, there’s no such thing and there shouldn’t be. A protagonist should always be imperfect. Here’s why I think that’s true.
Perfection is fine in a saint. But most people aren’t saints and don’t want to read about them. They want heroes and heroines they can relate to, identify with, worry about, root for. That doesn’t mean your protagonist must be irredeemably inadequate. In fact, I think a good protagonist needs a special skill. My most recent hero is a sharpshooter.
I believe most readers don’t engage with truly weak or evil main characters. They want something to admire as well as something to worry about. There are exceptions. I saw only the first season of Dexter, but I thought the character walked a fine line. I know some writers have managed to get away with serial killer protagonists. That ain’t easy. Like Goldilocks porridge, a novelist’s “perfect protagonist” must have been cooked up using just the right recipe of strengths and weaknesses.
Plotting a novel can be a torturous process, but it can also be a lot of fun. I usually start by thinking about my protagonist, and find the exercise endlessly entertaining. I am currently writing historical mysteries. If I start a new novel I’m hoping it may turn into a series. That means I’m going to be living with the protagonist I create for quite a long time. I need to like my fictional significant other. I need to find him or her so fascinating that I will enjoy spending years with him or her. I need to believe that my readers will feel the same.
Of course, similar to other relationships, you only get to know your protagonist really well by writing about him or her. But it’s wise to know this person as well as you can before starting an intimate association.
- Male or female? How old? If you saw this person walking down the street would you recognize them? How do they dress? How do they comb their hair?
- Think about the name. Names are important. It’s worth investing some effort getting one that’s right.
- What kind of childhood did this person have? How do those formative years influence them as an adult?
- Level of education? This will affect the way they talk, think, and relate to others.
- Life style. Money a problem or not? What are their living arrangements?
- Military background? Professional background? Personal relationships? Physical limitations?
I have found that plots are generated by conflict and character. Often I hear a story or read something in the paper that sounds like the makings of a novel. But no matter how interesting, how filled with conflict, it always requires the right cast of characters. It’s only when you start wondering what kind of people would find themselves in this situation and how they might react to it and each other that your story really start to take shape. But mainly, you need the right protagonist.
