I want to see more Protags that are not immediately liked by everyone. Protags that are a little awkward and 'dark' so most people distrust or keep their distance.
I have a few that are like that and it is interesting to work around and focus on deeper development between characters, especially if they are a leader/ will become a leader.
Y E S Y E S Y E S!!!!!!
Agreed! The empathy would be great!
Also "instantly liked" is on the Mary Sue checklist.
Having charisma is one thing. Like I have a character that is a smooth talker and a great leader, but she's feared because of her darkness and tendency to be brutal and iron-hearted.
But to just be that person that everyone instantly gets along with and will follow at a drop of a hat is insanity.
Indeed!
I also have a sweet boy that is treated badly because of his darkness powers.
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Me too! Sort of, anyway. In my old WIP, I had a guy with shadow powers who was literally taken away from his family by his father because he was believed to be dangerous, but he's actually a cinnamon roll. Then in my newer story, there aren't powers exactly, but my protagonist is a devout follower of a death goddess. Rumor has it he's a necromancer (which he's not, but if he was, that's usually considered a very bad thing). He gets really irritated every time he has to explain it to someone.
What's worse is that it's the leader of the good guys Sorace that my boy Alec looks up to. Sorace is also the protag to the first two books.
I have smooth-talking characters, and the ones that come to mind are a con artist and a 17 year old trying to run a massive entertainment center, and both are viewed as irritating (because they won't shut up) and very much an acquired taste.
I like the 17 year old dude already.
Thanks, he's a walking disaster named Stephen.
Cool.
Thanks, he's a walking disaster named Stephen.
i relate
Characters that are hard-core procrastinators like
"Come on, the rebellion's literally tomorrow we need to make a plan"
"Well if it's tomorrow we can make a plan tomorrow. I'm trying to watch Netflix right now bye"
It's one thing to say 'if we attack right now, we will be nearly wiped out, we need to wait for allies' or 'our troops need more training before we can take on the enemy', but if your character is being like 'Meh, I don't feel like strategy right now'….just no.
Characters that are hard-core procrastinators
Don't come after my son Hamlet like that lol
I want more MCs who escape the Plain Jane trope, but also aren't obnoxious as fuck. It's possible to acknowledge "Hey, I'm kinda pretty" without going "OMG I'M THE HOTTEST PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE!"
Characters that are hard-core procrastinators like…
Didn't Harry Potter wait until like the night before the 2nd challenge to figure out the clue in the 4th book? But yeah I never thought about it, but having more characters who procrastinate a lot would actually be nice? That's such a universal problem.
Here's a (kind of silly) theory though: The reason why we don't see many procrastinators is because the people who write them are also hard core procrastinators, who "haven't gotten around to writing the story yet" but they'll "start working on it soon."
I mean, you're not wrong with that theory.
Well it wasn't quite that bad. But he worked on it like the week before, but couldn't find what he needed.
Well it wasn't quite that bad. But he worked on it like the week before, but couldn't find what he needed.
Yeah iirc he started when he got it, but then the Yule Ball and stuff happened and he put it off and forgot to pick it back up.
I was on pinterest and I saw a post about how people always have the 'kid hero' trope without acknowledging the trauma that it would have on a kid, and suggested a story about the villain being horrified at having to fight a kid, and then teaming up to take down whoever sent a kid to do their dirty work and?? I want??
YES! I am up for that.
But who would have the POV?
Good question, maybe a split perspective?
The hero could be making excuses in their head the whole time, maybe the villain is a defector from the hero's side?