tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post6109818337731226293..comments2024-03-17T06:03:00.362-04:00Comments on Fiction University: 10 Signs of a Great Protagonist Janice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-74289089696508315172023-07-08T06:52:49.285-04:002023-07-08T06:52:49.285-04:00Strong and credible motives let characters do almo...Strong and credible motives let characters do almost anything they need to. Their motives are why they're acting and why there's a story, really. "Why are they doing this?" is something I ask all the time while I'm working on a novel. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-81448052055248698162023-06-27T13:53:00.880-04:002023-06-27T13:53:00.880-04:00Reluctance is definitely realistic, as in life we ...Reluctance is definitely realistic, as in life we may find ourselves needing to step up because no one else will. However, the incentives for the character still need to be present.<br />I really liked the point of reward/payoff, Janice. What is keeping the character invested in their actions? Why don't they just quit? So often in life we start something that we don't finish. What is preventing a realistic character (who may be a reluctant hero) from doing the same?Genenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-78966451473878686802021-02-18T13:09:14.771-05:002021-02-18T13:09:14.771-05:00Great character. LOL that's a great example of...Great character. LOL that's a great example of a virtue that can also be a flaw.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-3630682867186202932021-02-15T16:50:53.109-05:002021-02-15T16:50:53.109-05:00My favorite character is Jean Valjean from Les Mis...My favorite character is Jean Valjean from Les Miserables. I love that guy!<br /><br />A fascinating character in the book is a nun, whose name I forget, who is ferociously truthful. It's what defines her. This trait of hers is the crux of a point of serious--and I do mean serious--suspense in the book. I take honesty super seriously myself, and I never rooted for someone to lie like I did for that nun! Tricianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-77785256608951979302021-02-07T23:49:18.588-05:002021-02-07T23:49:18.588-05:00of course ma'am, i will do that for sure
than...of course ma'am, i will do that for sure <br />thank you Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484890158447093012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-42742938214863352702021-01-28T09:28:35.071-05:002021-01-28T09:28:35.071-05:00As long as you give me and the site credit, yes.As long as you give me and the site credit, yes.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-10428303324603589442021-01-28T05:50:44.077-05:002021-01-28T05:50:44.077-05:00hello maam,
can i cite your article in one of the ...hello maam,<br />can i cite your article in one of the papers i am writing?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484890158447093012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-74373410278090456512021-01-10T07:52:58.860-05:002021-01-10T07:52:58.860-05:00It depends on what you do with her. If you write h...It depends on what you do with her. If you write her the same as every other shy, tough girl, then she'll feel cliched. If you make her a real person with a real problem and avoid the common clichés of the "shy, tough girl" trope, then yes, she could be a great character.<br /><br />Make sure her traits come from experiences in her life that would have created that person. Avoid clichés there as well. Make her personality the result of the life she's lived, and those traits will feel natural. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-49314566885053060182020-12-31T11:24:39.971-05:002020-12-31T11:24:39.971-05:00so I'm writing a dystopian, ad my MA is named ...<br />so I'm writing a dystopian, ad my MA is named Marissa. Her flaws are shes doesnt want to open up and wants to seem tough, but shes super shy and actually very sensitive and compassionate. She also is very intuitive and can tell when people are faking and lying and shes a great manipulator and liar because of how smart she is. Do you think that would make a good character or would it be too cliche? I think a lot of characters are like that.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11670851551864999079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-6641058024401733322020-12-31T11:07:54.404-05:002020-12-31T11:07:54.404-05:00Thank you, that really helps.Thank you, that really helps.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-42417607743910355222020-12-31T06:46:19.328-05:002020-12-31T06:46:19.328-05:00It can be tough to do, especially if you're mo...It can be tough to do, especially if you're more of a plot-driven writer versus a character-driven one. You might try thinking about traits that would help your character solve the problems in the novel. For example, if they have to be clever or smart, maybe they do crosswords or Sudoku, or they have a job that requires them to think on their feet. <br /><br />For flaws, think about the novel's problem and what things would make that harder. For example, if it needs several people working as a team to solve, maybe the character's flaw is that they think they can do everything themselves and never ask for help. They're too independent or stubborn, or maybe they think no one cares enough to help them so they never ask.<br /><br />Contradictions are okay, as long as they aren't thing that would never work together, such as someone who's terrified of heights wouldn't also be a sky diving enthusiast. People have contradicting traits all the time. The shy person who's really funny, for example. Their sense of humor draws attention, which is the last thing they want, but they can't help being funny since that's who they are.<br /><br />Here are some links to past posts that might help:<br /><br />http://blog.janicehardy.com/2020/10/6-steps-to-creating-great-character.html<br /><br />http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/01/do-your-characters-have-right-flaws.html<br /><br />http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/10/five-traits-to-help-you-create-your.html<br /><br />http://blog.janicehardy.com/2020/11/an-exercise-in-layering-depth-25.html<br /><br />Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-85290391818275390872020-12-30T23:22:27.317-05:002020-12-30T23:22:27.317-05:00Im having a lot of trouble writing my character. I...Im having a lot of trouble writing my character. I dont know what flaws to write and what good characteristics to write. Its very hard because some flaws and characteristics on conflictive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-37386656285093940022020-11-10T13:33:46.641-05:002020-11-10T13:33:46.641-05:00Nice! That's a great example of turning a stre...Nice! That's a great example of turning a strength into a flaw as well. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-21634750983233883112020-11-08T09:01:26.834-05:002020-11-08T09:01:26.834-05:00LINDSEY RUSSELL
A friend said my protagonist was &...LINDSEY RUSSELL<br />A friend said my protagonist was 'a know it all who keeps taking over' and I thought 'Yeah, well he does work for an elite branch of army intelligence'. Obviously I couldn't dumb him down or physically weaken him so I've made him aware that what works for him in the army needs reining in when he's posing as a civilian, helped by him falling for the right woman to slap him down when he slides into 'army mode'. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05595647256954321107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-9297188074108682742020-05-13T07:23:42.029-04:002020-05-13T07:23:42.029-04:00There's ton of information on the site--just c...There's ton of information on the site--just click on the "protagonist" tag at the bottom of the post. If you have specific questions, you can email me.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-83953717372302695112020-05-12T17:32:08.595-04:002020-05-12T17:32:08.595-04:00hello,i'm dealing with this topic in my disser...hello,i'm dealing with this topic in my dissertation and i wonder if i could get some help Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11065268813515082197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-11737799867482031942018-04-05T19:57:10.292-04:002018-04-05T19:57:10.292-04:00the wicked witch objectively sucksthe wicked witch objectively sucksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-72540428491271050512018-02-16T13:13:17.527-05:002018-02-16T13:13:17.527-05:00You must indeed :) One of my friends was laughing ...You must indeed :) One of my friends was laughing at me just this week because I was cackling in glee over putting my characters through the emotional wringer. <br /><br />I'm glad you found the missing piece to make your character work.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-75103453387057942462018-02-13T18:06:40.464-05:002018-02-13T18:06:40.464-05:00yes, there was something wrong with my protagonist...yes, there was something wrong with my protagonist, I was not quite connecting with him--he was too cocky and perfect. Then I gave him vulnerabilities and everything clicked. He became interesting, and someone I could care about, and yes, fall a bit in love with. And I fear for him--but I throw him into awful situations anyone, as one must. Amerakahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00112648407229146964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-62696742364924113752017-09-29T09:29:55.292-04:002017-09-29T09:29:55.292-04:00Reluctant heroes are great, thanks for adding them...Reluctant heroes are great, thanks for adding them. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-67367481543904327152017-09-28T04:14:55.616-04:002017-09-28T04:14:55.616-04:00Excellent advice, thank you Janice.
I would also ...Excellent advice, thank you Janice.<br /><br />I would also add that I like to read a reluctant hero, I feel it adds realism. <br /><br />The reluctance may be for several reasons, but whatever those reasons are, it will almost certainly emphasize their humanity, which of course relates to the reader. <br /><br />This hopefully creates an emotional bond and a deeper compelling reading experience, hopefully.<br /><br />Mark HowlandAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-29359498708278205992017-06-13T08:30:23.211-04:002017-06-13T08:30:23.211-04:00Most welcome, I'm so glad you find it helpful ...Most welcome, I'm so glad you find it helpful :)Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-45573967635272579902017-06-11T22:38:01.952-04:002017-06-11T22:38:01.952-04:00I'd have to say Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudi...I'd have to say Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. The title says it all. Sherlock too. This has become my go-to site. Thanks for sharing your tips :)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14565683058021299230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-59005754654877956702017-06-06T08:59:57.114-04:002017-06-06T08:59:57.114-04:00Thanks! Glad it helped. Thanks! Glad it helped. Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-88866976816102426692017-05-26T11:38:31.212-04:002017-05-26T11:38:31.212-04:00Thanks for this information. I am taking each one...Thanks for this information. I am taking each one of your points, as an exercise to give my protagonist more life. Excellent article and very useful comments.Jan Manninohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12707049717682422512noreply@blogger.com