The Key to a Compelling Protagonist
Vložit
- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- There’s a lot riding on your story’s protagonist. After all, this is the person your readers are going to spend the next several hundred pages “hanging out” with - and if you don’t succeed in crafting an intriguing hero that readers care about and want to follow, they’re going to put the book down. Today, I’m going to share the secret to crafting a compelling protagonist, so you can return to your WIP and ensure yours is someone readers can’t help but invest in.
------------------------------
DOWNLOAD MY FREE STORY SELF-ASSESSMENT!
www.alyssamatesic.com/inquire...
SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER FEATURING WRITING/PUBLISHING EXPERTS
www.chapter-break.com/
WORK WITH ME ON YOUR STORY
www.alyssamatesic.com/profess...
------------------------------
GREAT BOOKS ABOUT WRITING/PUBLISHING:
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer / amzn.to/3VE8dtt
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody / amzn.to/3Vyk2Bn
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum / amzn.to/3Z4at03
SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones / amzn.to/3vvWItt
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips / amzn.to/3CFz4Pt
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid / amzn.to/3CjFFi5
------------------------------
MORE WRITING ADVICE:
The ONLY Way to Plot a Novel (It’s Easier Than You Think!): • The ONLY Way to Plot a...
The Secret to Writing Likeable Characters: • The Secret to Writing ...
Does Your Main Character Suck?: • Does Your Main Charact...
HOW TO CREATE A COMPELLING PROTAGONIST:
01:30 - Create a strong objective
05:04 - Recognize weak vs. strong objectives
07:42 - Thread the objective through the narrative
10:01 - Clarify when objectives shift
ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with nearly a decade of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey-whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
------------------------------
MUSIC:
Chilling by HoobeZa • [No Copyright] Chill L...
Charlie Brown by Smith The Mister smiththemister.bandcamp.com
Smith The Mister bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT
------------------------------
Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. - Jak na to + styl
It sounds funny to compare writing to sports, but in a way, this is what often makes sporting events so compelling. Tom Brady, the ancient veteran wanting to win his 7th Super Bowl with a new team, for example. The character is well defined, but better yet, he has similarly well-defined goals. We understand clearly what is at stake and who and what's standing in his way: Patrick Mahomes. This is what makes that Super Bowl not just a great sporting event, but a compelling STORY. Whether Brady succeeded or not does not matter. With the stakes and goals well defined and understood, we can all share in the drama- the ups and downs- and no matter the outcome, we feel like we've experienced something. This works with fiction too.
Great breakdown.
Girl, you KNOW my protagonist puts the PRO in "procrastinating writing me book" ...
This is your best video - your genius insights filtered into easy-to-assimilate practical advice is epic.
Thank you so much! Glad you found it helpful!
You are so very helpful when it comes to understanding how to write a better novel.
Stay blessed.
I actually have 3 projects in various stages right now 😂. My favorite right now is my main character is trying to save the woman he loves from the thrall of a vampire.
In a few of my novels, the protagonist is simply doing his/her day-to-day living and either meets or stumbles into someone else's life, which changes his/her goals and desires, especially if they become a couple. Sometimes, the goal or objective of the new character takes over and becomes the priority. I know this doesn't follow the usual storytelling arc, but I find it interesting. And, as anyone who's ever written a book knows, if you're going to spend months writing a story, you better like it, or it will never get finished. Good video, thx.
My protagonist's objective is wanting to have a closer relationship with her father. But she's partly getting in her own way because she is harboring some resentment towards him for not being around during most of her childhood. Her objective soon changes as she strives to prove his innocence after her father is framed for three murders. Then, as more evidence points to her father being a serial killer, she starts to question things even more.
It's so great that you're willing to share so much of your experience as a developmental editor in order to help others.
My two MCs have the same goals for different reasons. One seeks comfort for themselves and friends. The other is doing it for freedom and family. I feel as if it was brought about well. Polishing could certainly be done.
Thanks, Alyssa. I've read quite a bit of KM Weiland's information on Character Arc which dives into character objectives in detail. Many of my stories are either positive or negative arc stories, and in both of these, the objective often changes. With positive change arcs, the character usually moves from a selfish goal to one that's altruistic. Negative change arcs tend to run in the opposite direction. I do struggle with making the change in objectives explicit. I tend to show the character's actions shifting before they realize they've changed their objective. So, in the novel I'm currently shopping, the character starts as a thief and con artist, thinking they needed to hustle their way to independent wealth, but along the way, she winds up in the company of a couple of do-gooders, who she instantly loathes and disrespects. As she begins to care for them, she also changes what she wants in life. The first manifestation is that the worthless do-gooders become friends.
I think the unbreakable rule is that your MC needs to be interesting to your readers. They can be good, bad, or in-between; change for the better, worse or stay the stay the same. But they've got to be interesting. It's way easier to make a goal-driven character interesting than one that's drifting through life.
Fantastic point. One I was definitely missing. Thank you!
I was always wondering if my protagonists were compelling or likeable enough for the reader to care, but didn't know how to go about it. This made me realize that I did not have a fully-fleshed out, strong objective for the two main characters of my current project. I need to work on it, so this is a great way for me to get started. Thank you so much ❤
I've been writing a story where, like you said, the protagonist's goals were obvious to me yet none of my alpha readers seemed to understand what he was about.
Basically, you have an alien race who exists as a hive mind (One mind controlling the entire species). The protagonist is a member of this race who has gained individuality, and now saw the hive mind of his species as "the enemy." So his goal was to free his entire race by giving individuality to everyone.
I felt like this was pretty straight forward, and I'd even spelled it out. But the feedback I was getting from my alpha readers were things like "Why is he so angry?" "Why does he hate everyone?" and "Why is he committing mass murder against all these innocent people?" I found the last one to be especially strange since no one was ever harmed in the entire story. No one was killed or even scratched, yet my readers were wanting to know why he was slaughtering everyone.
So I've been rewriting it, hoping my beta readers will see what's happening. But I'm having a tough time with it because, from my perspective, I blatantly came right out and told everyone exactly what was happening. I assumed I'd need to dial it all back and turn it into subtext.
/shrugs
Thanks for all of your videos, however, this one is the most meaningful for the development of the protagonist in my story.
Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for commenting!
The protagonist is strong and compelling if they are not passive, but are driven to accomplish something.
What about the absurdism genre? I would be interested in a video on absurdism and how to write/sell it well, including things like this where a protagonist may be present but the plot is in the margins (or nonexistent).
A very concise and strong articulation of the "story spine" idea--very nicely done, Ms. Matesic, thank you
" a strong objective" I did not expect you to say that lol. I paued the vid to comment. I expected you to say " Internal confkict as have watched a lot of Abbey ( I can't remember her last name) . This is refreshing ...and I had overlooked this...thank you! Will watch the rest now
Awesome video, after watching it, it makes me think, "OK, so what is the S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based) goal of my character?". This is what immediately ran through my head when you said a strong objective, and mainly rang true with the specific and measurable aspects of SMART goals. ❤
Same thought!
I think it goes further than this. What makes readers care about the protagonist objective? What makes the reader understand why it’s so important to the character? I think it’s more so about the protagonist’s Internal conflict. Their deepest fears and strongest desires clashing .
Using one of your examples, sure going to Hawaii can be an objective but what makes the reader compelled is why it’s so important to the character. Why does it matter to this character more than another one that wants to go to Hawaii too? What makes that objective so important to this character? If it’s just a vacation it wouldn’t be as intriguing as if it’s to see her dying mother but her fear makes it harder, maybe she’s afraid of the water? Maybe boats and flying over water is too much for her? Now her fear and her objective clash and makes readers pay more attention because now Hawaii matters more to this person than to any other character.
An objective is important but a reason why it’s so important to that character specifically makes all the difference imo.
I love that your automatic solution to feeling happy is, "move to Hawaii."
I was glad to hear you mention how objectives can change. I have been doing research on Dan Harmon's Story Circle, and that is one of the main points -- You establish their NEED (read: objective) early on, they go after that need, but when they achieve it, they realize that their original objective was not actually going to benefit/fulfill/save them and what they really need is xyz. That's what makes the successful character arc, because you can see them growing, maturing, and understanding themselves. All because of their objectives!
Thanks for another great video. I only like books where there is major character growth. Where the protagonist's initial wants are skewed by the flaw and wound. At the mid-point, they start to understand their flaw and make better choices but it's not until the climax, where by making the global choice, they heal the wound. After this, their initial wants are usually less important to them or changed. For me, limp books, where the want remains the same until the end, and there is little growth, are to be avoided.
I'm a fly by the seat of my pants Pantser. I found it wholly fulfilling when I watched your video and realized I'd set a primary objective and objective shift without overtly thinking of it.
Through all of the creative chaos it came through 😂
Thank you for your insight regarding the protagonist's strong objective...what is his or her specific goals...what it is that they really want to achieve...I appreciate the tidbits of advice which I am sure that it would strengthen my story. I look forward to sending you my complete novel. Thx Alyissa
I feel encouraged by your advice. My protagonist has a clearly defined goal, that of getting work as a flying instructor. He succeeds but poor flying club organisation and a vindictive boss sours the experience and gets him fired. His goals change, namely to finding any work in order to pay the rent. But his girlfriend has other ideas; she works behind the scenes to acquire and resurrect the (by then bankrupt) flying club and to make the protagonist the new boss. Another obstacle intervenes; his girlfriend is abducted and the protagonist's goals shift to rescuing her from captivity at any cost. He succeeds but not without both of them narrowly escaping an attempt on their lives. He learns of his girlfriend's offer of the dream job - but there are strings attached; in order to recover two missing aircraft and to realise the dream, they must first fly a plane each back to base, in formation, a journey over the sea in foul weather and with one aircraft's engine losing power. This is the protagonist's plane and it doesn't end cheerfully. Thank you so much for your guidance, Alyssa.
i'm writing a script for a pilot episode and this video was very useful
i know script writing and novel writing have their differences but the protagonist tips are, like i've mentioned, still useful to me
basically the pilot has a group of characters find themselves in a strange surroundings and they want to get home, i thing that i'm trying to work out is getting the viewers to care about the characters' goal
i think working on the characters' backstories (especially the key moments) will a be big help, so thank you for the video
So glad you found it helpful! Crafting a compelling protagonist is so crucial regardless of the storytelling medium, and I do think many of the same tips apply for both script and novel writing. Wishing you all the best with your script!
This is so true for the MC. In my new trilogy which has multiple POVs in separate chapters, not only does my MC have an objective which is different in all three books, so do the other POV characters of which each increases the stakes in each of the books. More so for the antagonists of which there are three different ones with three different objectives. Just as important as their main goal is to build obstacles in their way that test the resolve of the character, which applies to both the protagonist and the antagonists.
Underrated CZcamsr !
Thanks Alyssa. You rock!!!
Great feedback. Good insight. Very helpful.
I sooo needed this. I've been struggling with what my MC wants. I had a vague idea but I didn't love the idea. This viedo helped! Thank you.
I'm so glad you found it helpful! Good luck with further developing your MC!
Thank you for your advice! I have a habit of not fully fleshing out what my main character wants, so this was a much-needed tip! 💗
If what the protagonist wants is to _feel_ happy, that's a solid start in building a character with massive problems to overcome. Satisfaction never comes from just trying to manipulate your own feelings. You're halfway to writing someone like Prince Naveen, a shallow hedonist who has to open himself up to caring about someone or something so that he can find out who he is and what he needs. The inciting incident and the attempt to deal with it are incidental. They can be changed in re-writes, without affecting who this character is, what he wants, and how that differs from what he needs.
If what the protagonist wants is to move to Hawaii, on the other hand, that just leaves a big blank. It's a non-answer. Going on a nice vacation is nice, but it's not what anyone wants, even if it becomes their place of residence. What do they really want? Are they trying to connect to the heritage of their Hawaiian grandparent? (Why? What does the grandparent mean to them?) Are they trying to gain the social status that they think would come from having an address that everyone they know can only visit for a week? (That obviously won't work, so why do they think it would?) Are they trying to push those acquaintances away, by being in a position where they only meet up for a visit? (Why do they think that would be satisfying, and Are they trying to recapture a sense of escape from all their cares, that they can feel on vacation but not in their normal daily life? Answer those questions, and maybe you'll have something.
Some good points there as a reminder. Thanks.
Awesome video, keep up the great work...
Always on point, and always highly useful content! Thanks Alyssa
Thank you
Thank you! This has really helped me so much.
Thanks so much Alyssa for this piece. Really helpful
So glad you found it helpful!
My MC wants to survive and return to Earth. I think it's concrete and strong enough lol
Wants vs Needs
My MC wants to be respected, confirm he's not crazy, and earn enough money for his family to be well off.
What about a book like THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain? I don’t think the protagonist necessarily has a clear objective (spoilers ahead) - the tension of the story steams from the main character noticing strange traits in her daughter. I suppose her objective is to be a good mom and not become her own mom who was abusive. But the main character doesn’t really have a goal, she’s just trying to navigate this messed up situation and protect her other child. It’s not like she’s on a quest, it’s more like a peak into the mind of this woman during the hardest part of her life.
Can you speak to that type of narrative at all?
"Navigate this messed up situation and protect her child" *is* her clear objective. Not all protagonists are extremely proactive; they may make toast in the morning and they've accomplished something (someone who's undergoing cancer treatment or who's mourning a loved one, for example). They might take bigger and bigger steps as time goes on.
I haven't read The Push, but I found out it's written mainly in second person, which--if done well--puts the reader so up close to the protagonist that it's difficult to parse these things out, sometimes.
However, there are various ways to tell a story that bury the goal a bit.
Franz Kafka's The Trial, for example. Everything happens to the protag, though he does actually have a goal of finding out what the h-ll is happening to him (he's being brought to court but doesn't know why), so much is out of his control. When I read it I felt dead inside, goalless, and, in fact, as if having goals were meaningless. (Note: Do not read this book in wintertime.)
Do you think the hard objective can be revealed later in the book and still be effective? Like, in yoyr example of belonging and then finding their birth parents: if the protagansist spends 3/4 of the book not being sure what makes them belong then discovers that the solution to the voidenss they have is to find their parents is that something that can wait to be discovered until late in a novel or should it be introduced as a hard objective early?
To clarify, you say that the objective should be threaded thrpugh the whole book. If the soft objective is threaded throughout then the hard objective is a speciric scene later in the book, does that still work?
My protagonist's goal is to figure out why the world is such a mess - because she wants to fix it - she accomplishes her goal by studying thousands of independent sources of historic evidence.
I’m in a conundrum. I want to describe the physical characteristics of the main characters. My issue is I want the reader to be able to create an image of their fantasy person, or be able to see themselves as the character. If I describe the characters’s physical appearance too much I fear detachment of the reader. I want the reader to become the character. For example, if I infer that she is slim and fit a reader that is not may detach. Or if I reference his full head of hair a balding man may step out of the scene. I’m lost here. Any advice?
Algo 👍
Algo +1
Algo +2
How i publish my 10,000 - 15,000 words short book.
Alyssa, this was great. You should start a school. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting!
I really like our videos but I would like to publish a coffee table non fiction book.
Could u pls also do a video on this? thanks so. much
Hey Alyssa - is it possible for your protagonist to have TWO overlapping objectives at once? I.e. They see more than one goal in the story that they wish to achieve.
I would say it is, but be careful if the two goals are in opposition to one another. I don't know if you know who Brandon Sanderson is, but he said his major issue with the first draft of one of his books was that one of the main characters was a prophet who received visions from God, but yet he doubted himself and whether he was going insane. This led to the audience growing frustrated with his character, as he was constantly second guessing himself, making him seem more fuzzy a character with a less clear cut goal. His change was adding a character, one of the man's sons, who doubted his father and constantly said you need to get help, father, because you might be going crazy. This left the main character with one unshakable goal he was constantly working towards, which made him extremely more well received of a character, and when it paid of at the end it made it that much better, and it also made his son a better character, because of course an audience would love a son who just wants the best for his father. So, yes, it can work, but I'd say if the two goals are in exact opposition with one another, then maybe treat it like a subplot or shift the one goal to another character, as Brandon did. But at the end of the day, it is your story. Do what you think is best for your art. My advice is simply an additional perspective.
My protagonist doesn’t have overlapping goals/objectives, but has multiple initial and overall goals, where one feeds into the other. The immediate or short team goals are like stepping stones to an ultimate long term goal.
I'm in the process of writing a Sci-fi Novel about Cyborg Space Pirates. It has a political intrigue setting, crime mystery suspense plot, and ends in a prophesized war between a type 4 civilization vs a type 1 civilization (on the Kardeshev Scale). I have about 400 out of 550 pages done, and hope to hire an editor, sooner than later. How would I pitch this job to a prospective editor? (as a contractor not as an employee)
* I'm not currently affiliated with any writing guilds/official writing organizations...So yes I am an amateur author
Thank you for this video, Alyssa!
My main character is such a b*tch 😂 but she's so honest about it and has her goals so clear that agents have been telling me she's an easy character to root for, even if she's morally grey.
Hi five ✋️
Are you not getting enough sleep? You look tired. Don't overdo it with all nighters.
Also, the advice is perfect. Very clear and concise. Thank you!
The protagonist is one who grows the most because they have the most problems to solve or they get sucked into other people's problems and have the most potential solutions or useful skills, but perhaps not the most effective solutions. The heroes are the characters that have solutions that the protagonist implements or the protagonist has some skill or trait the heroes don't. Or the heroes have skills but need solutions which the protagonist has worked out. The Hero Protagonist is objectively unrealistic. King's "Carrie" proves a protagonist can become an antagonist, and the actual "heroes" had solutions that the other antagonists oppose.
This explains why the story in superman man of steel the movie failed in 2013. He is a passive aggressive character
He doesnt make things happen. Things happen to him. He doesnt choose to become Superman until General Zod forces him. That is not exactly a pro active hero.
Or it could be that the protagonist gives up his her objective, making a sacrifice for someone else or a group of people.
My protagonist's initial goal is simple - he wants to muster up the courage to talk to the woman he's crushing on. The obstacle is equally simple, as he utterly lacks the confidence to do so, and even self sabotage when the opportunity to reach his goal is practically thrown into his lap. Then his world is both literally and figuratively ripped away from him, and he finds himself in a place that's totally foreign to him. This makes his objective shift to "I want to survive and go home," before it gradually morphs into "I want to get rid of this damned curse," and "I want to help the friends I found," before finally ending with "I have to do my part to defeat the big evil and save these people."
Please tell me that an "unexpected" result of him finding his courage against this big evil translates to him finding his courage with the girl. Not telling you how to write your story, but that just seems like the natural progression.
@@wdentonmatheis5598 That is one of the outcome I'm considering, yes. Haven't written that far yet, though.
@@Gnomleif Understandable. My protagonist's story builds toward an emotional scene where he confronts his brother who has stolen the throne from him and is now mistreating their people with dark magic. I haven't decided if he kills him or spares his life. Either way he is sitting on him about to thrust a sword through his chest and the scene ends with him holding his brother and weeping. I have probably changed my mind on how this scene goes 6 or 7 times. But that's the only part that changes.
Goddamn, I write my action scenes 3x faster than the rest of my book. I almost want to hire a ghost writer just to fill in the boring family dialogue.
A good protagonist with these keys can cover up A LOT of writing sins lol
Making a character compelling is giving him or her flaws and giving them some sort of problem which pushes them. If theyre invincible and defeat everything easily, that's boring. Also make them witty and give them quirks.
Couldn't agree more - giving a character flaws and quirks makes them so much more relatable and likable!
Life is messy but fiction needs to be organized… is that why we read fiction?
Fun fact: you can organize a story so that it feels disorganized. Magnolia, for example.
First, pin me 🥺
Hs ha ha
I don't think this video has aged well since you recorded it Alyssa. Hawaii is not a happy place at the moment.
(Note: I'm not being critical, I'm just poking fun at the coincidence)
Meow
watching all these videos makes me wonder if my favorite book [that i've been reading over and over every single day for 7 months straight now] is actually a good book or if it's the strong hyperfixation making me think its the best thing ever. [if anyone is curious about it... i can and WILL infodump.]