31 Days of Being a Writer

Day Three

“The writer is both a sadist and a masochist. We create people we love, and then we torture them. The more we love them, and the more cleverly we torture them along the lines of their greatest vulnerability and fear, the better the story. Sometimes we try to protect them from getting booboos that are too big. Don’t. This is your protagonist, not your kid.”– Janet Fitch

 

 

One of the major differentiating factors between a good story and an unforgettable journey in prose, is the protagonist. 

I have included a picture of JK Rowling because, yes, she is my favorite author but she also did a magnificent job with the Harry Potter series. Specifically, with Harry Potter himself. If you’ve ever read the series then you know what I am talking about. Harry had dimension. He had layers of personality and he grew throughout the series. He was believable, relatable, and likable at every age between 11-17. There were moments where you hated his decisions but when it was all said and done you couldn’t help but root for him.

I think a big reason why I loved the Harry Potter Series so much was because my age correlated with the character’s ages almost perfectly. I grew up while they grew up. I related to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I fell in love with all of the characters, even Draco Malfoy. I felt like I knew them all and that’s because of JK Rowling’s ability to make her characters REAL. Harry, the protagonist, was especially real… despite living in a fantasy world.

I’m not saying any of us are the next JK Rowling of the world… but I’m not saying we’re not. I strive to possess a fraction of her writing ability.

If you’re writing a story be sure to love your main character. Torture your main character. But above all else, make them likable. Hell, make them lovable. Make me care. When I can’t connect to a protagonist it ruins the entire book for me. Usually, I won’t even waste my time finishing it because it gets to the point where I don’t care what happens to him/her.

Make your protagonist feel, look, sound, think, act, and be REAL. That is vital to a good story. 

 

***This post is part of a 31 Day Writing Challenge hosted by The Nester.