Fiction authors have their work cut out. They must find a way to capture a reader’s attention within the first few paragraphs of a story. If that’s not challenging enough, they must then hold a reader’s interest captive for the next 300-400 pages. One effective way to do this is to create a protagonist that wins over a reader’s heart right from the start.
Many people automatically associate the word “protagonist” with “the good guy” but that’s not necessarily true. To clarify, this is the main character, the one who drives the narrative or plot forward in a story. The antagonist, on the other hand, creates conflict or works against the protagonist.
Keep these things in mind to create a protagonist
These four elements should come into play when you create a protagonist in a work of fiction:
- This main character must have both an outer and inner journey that is apparent to your readers.
- You must determine whether the protagonist will be a likeable character.
- Use imagery and description of personality and appearance to help readers get to know your protagonist.
- Determine whether to tell your story from the protagonist’s point of view (POV) or from the POV of another character or narrator.
Remember that a protagonist doesn’t necessarily mean “the good guy.” An antihero is a main character who doesn’t fit “the typical mold” or expectations of a good guy or hero. By the same token, an antagonist, while someone who works against (or in conflict with) the main character, does not always have to be “a bad guy.”
What is a deuteragonist?
As you create a protagonist for your next story, you might wonder if it’s possible to include more than one main character. Even if you were to try to create characters who are equally yoked as the primary drivers of the plot, you’d undoubtedly wind up having one person’s journey overshadow the others. The term “deuteragonist” refers to characters in a story who, although important to the narrative, are secondary to the main character.
Don’t forget that for every “main” or “secondarily main” character you create, you must also bring forth their inner and outer journeys, personality, descriptions, etc., which is why it’s much easier to stick with one protagonist and one antagonist. You’ve heard it said that there can be “too many cooks in the kitchen.” So, too, can there be too many main characters vying to be the protagonist in a novel. Keeping it simple leaves less room for clutter and confusion.
