I unfortunately have the case of "Writing a Story and Creating A Bunch of Characters Where Everybody Seems More Interesting/Nuanced EXCEPT My Protagonist Haha Whoops" and with a new story in mind, I have the feeling that I'm beginning to fall under this path once again.
There are other main characters of course, and they all seem to have a good start, but this particular character I'm worried about as he doesn't seem as fleshed out or… "out there" than the others. While everybody else has their own little character that stands out - the bad thing is that he's the character who's point of view throughout this whole ordeal also happens to be the point of view the audience is reading.
It doesn't even have to be j u s t this story - for every story I create, I feel as though the protagonist is just… t h e r e. Their only reason as to why they're even in the story in the first place is to react to the events that go on without contributing to the situation or showing any personality or motivation. While I could take them out, at the same time I feel as though the story wouldn't be the same without them - I know I n e e d them, but what exactly should I do? Why does it feel like this when the majority of my protagonists have no depth or unique qualities and just serving as the surrogate audience?
Any tips on how to Not Make A Boring Protagonist 101 would very much appreciated sdlfkjglskdfgh please and thank you
Hello! (*＾▽＾)／
Can I just say that I empathise with you and know e x a c t a l y where you are coming from. I have several characters that I know are just too weak, so the first thing I think of is…
What are their flaws?
This could be anything to from cares to much, to cares to little. Do they get angry quickly? Are they an emotional basket-case? Do they speak without thinking? Are they scared easily? It's small things like these that need to be considered when fleshing out a character. Dedicate your time to thinking about that sole character and what makes them particularly unique from the rest of your cast. I myself have yet to master this unfortunately :(
But also, just consider the fact that sometimes making a character that is not particularly "Special" can be a good thing. Having a character like that, can be a good canvas that allow your readers to project themselves onto and step into their shoes. It allows them to experience whats going on in your story. Take "Harry Potter" for instance. Despite being a well liked character, Harry is not by any means a unique one. If anything he's boring when compared to any of the other characters. But in a way, that's what makes him work. It's because he's so seemingly normal, that when he's faced with something extraordinary, the reader can feel his same level of awe.
Sorry if this wasn't what you were after ╥﹏╥
Hope it helped - Sunny
Hi!
Honestly, I think your advice is a really good idea! I usually tend to just think of their general personality and go off from there, but I believe starting with their flaws instead for a change would help!
Also I’ll keep your insight on “special” characters in mind - I can see your point! While I still want to give my new protag a bit of character, I can see where you’re coming from.
Again, thank you so much for the tips!
