Writing a main character involves creating a person who feels real, with depth, complexity, and a compelling story arc. Whether your protagonist is male, female, or non-binary, certain principles apply to make them engaging and relatable. Here’s a guide on how to craft a strong main character:
1. Give Them a Clear Goal
- Purpose: Your main character should have a clear goal or desire that drives the story. This goal can be external (like saving the world or finding a missing person) or internal (like achieving self-acceptance or overcoming a personal flaw).
- Stakes: The stakes should be high enough to keep readers invested. What happens if they succeed or fail? Make sure the consequences are meaningful.
2. Create a Backstory
- Influences: Think about their past experiences and how they’ve shaped the character. This includes their upbringing, relationships, traumas, and achievements.
- Flaws and Strengths: A well-rounded character has both. Their flaws make them relatable, and their strengths help them overcome challenges. These traits should be tied to their backstory.
3. Make Them Relatable
- Emotional Depth: Readers connect with characters who experience a range of emotions—fear, joy, anger, love. Show these emotions through their actions and internal thoughts.
- Internal Conflicts: Inner struggles make a character more complex. Maybe they doubt themselves, struggle with a moral decision, or have conflicting desires. This internal conflict adds depth and keeps the character interesting.
4. Develop a Strong Personality
- Unique Traits: What makes your character stand out? Whether it’s a quirky habit, a particular worldview, or an unusual talent, give them traits that make them memorable.
- Consistency: While characters should grow and evolve, their core personality should remain consistent unless they’re undergoing significant development (e.g., a shy person doesn’t suddenly become outspoken without reason).
5. Create Meaningful Relationships
- Interactions: How your main character interacts with others reveals a lot about who they are. These relationships—whether friends, family, or enemies—should influence their development and the plot.
- Supporting Characters: The people around your protagonist should challenge, support, or contrast them in ways that push the story forward.
6. Give Them a Character Arc
- Growth: Your main character should change over the course of the story. This could be a positive transformation (e.g., becoming more confident) or a tragic downfall (e.g., becoming consumed by revenge).
- Challenges: The obstacles they face should directly contribute to their development. Every success and failure should push them closer to (or further from) their goal, forcing them to evolve.
7. Use Voice and Dialogue Effectively
- Distinctive Voice: Your character’s way of speaking, thinking, and narrating (if they’re the POV character) should be unique. Whether they’re sarcastic, formal, introspective, or blunt, their voice should reflect their personality.
- Dialogue: What your character says and how they say it should reveal their traits and emotions. Dialogue can also show how they change over time, becoming more confident, bitter, compassionate, etc.
8. Show, Don’t Tell
- Actions Reveal Character: Instead of just telling the reader what your character is like, show it through their actions. For example, if they’re brave, demonstrate this through a courageous act rather than simply stating it.
- Subtext: Often, what a character doesn’t say can reveal more than what they do say. Use subtext in dialogue and actions to show deeper layers of their personality and conflict.
9. Make Them Active, Not Passive
- Agency: Your main character should drive the plot, not just react to it. Even when they’re faced with overwhelming circumstances, they should make decisions that influence the direction of the story.
- Problem-Solving: Show them thinking, strategizing, and taking action, even when things go wrong. This makes them feel capable and compelling.
10. Balance Their Role in the Plot
- Relevance: Every scene should either advance the plot or develop the character. Avoid filler scenes that don’t contribute to their journey.
- Complexity: While your main character should be central, they shouldn’t be the only interesting person in the story. Surround them with well-developed side characters and subplots that enhance their arc.
Category: Author tips