The Place For My Writers Notes

original posting 18 February 2009

Eschew Pathetic, Annoying Heroes

Writers Digest, June 2006, page 47 and 48, has an article by Dawn Wilson with the title, "from zero to Hero." It focuses on making sure that your main character really is great, not just grating, someone that readers want to spend time with. Annoying, pathetic, boring -- you don't want the reader to describe your hero that way. So what does Dawn recommend?

1. Identify with the protagonist -- and eliminate extremes.

100% good and 100% vicious are both pretty unlikely, unless you're doing melodrama or farce. So give your heroes some vices, and your antagonists some good qualities. "Assign your hero characteristics you can relate to or admire." These characteristics may not drive major plot twists, but they can add some subtlety and nuance.

2. Don't associate negative experiences with your character

When you think about a character, you're likely to make associations based on your personal experience. Be careful to avoid tying your protagonist to your own negative experiences, because it may make it hard for you to write about him.

3. Argue with your hero

"Picture yourself talking with your main character about why he's so annoying and driving you nuts. It helps me if I imagine myself in a place my main character frequents." Picturing your character in your imagination, in their own setting, lets you work with them on establishing who they are and why they're doing things.

4. Get feedback

Writing group, critic, stranger -- have someone read it and give you an honest appraisal. You're not looking for a debate, or for a yes-man, but for real opinions.

Look at this as fine tuning -- not a complete rewrite of the character. Make them likable, but don't make them do things that are uncharacteristic. It doesn't take much to make the protagonist a little more well-rounded and palatable to readers -- but you need to make those small changes.

And the sidebar checklist for the writer:

Your hero may be in trouble if:

1. You find yourself getting all the witty dialogue and one-liners to another character
2. You concentrate on the hero's less flattering characteristics
3. When you get to her scene, you stop writing and promise to continue tomorrow
4. The story flows well until the protagonist enters the scene
5. You secretly want to hit him repeatedly with a baseball bat

Stop, and take some time to restore your relationship with your hero.

Your assignment? Take a work in progress and look hard at the hero. Is this someone you want to spend time with? Is it someone your readers will want to spend time with? What's their secret vice or virtue? Why is their main characteristic so annoying? How can turn it into something the reader will identify with?

You may also want to take a look at a novel or story that you enjoy, and how that hero is presented. What flaws do they have? How do those make them someone that we want to spend time with? How do their virtues play out so that we want to read about them?

And, of course, write.