Is your Central Character Story-Worthy?
Stories that grab us always involve a Central Character (protagonist, hero, heroine, main character) that we care about on some level. Someone who piques our interest or curiosity, someone who sparks emotion, someone we can relate to, someone who we are willing to follow through the next couple hundred or more pages.
No small order! In this blog post, I discuss how to set up a Central Character in Act I who is story-worthy, someone who pulls the reader along for the ride, no questions asked.
Let’s hop to it!
INTRODUCTION OF THE CENTRAL CHARACTER
Your Central Character will kick off the opening scene in their Current World. By “Current World” I’m referring to their state of being, which can include the place where they live, a school they attend, their job, their marriage or other relationship, and how they’re feeling internally. Perhaps they’re struggling with depression or low self-worth, or perhaps they’re forcing themselves to be excited about their upcoming wedding, or perhaps they’re bored and lonely.
Whatever Current World they are dealing with, they must be dissatisfied on some level. Spend some time to explore the Current World from your Central Character’s perspective, so that we can get an idea of its flaws or how its letting your protagonist down.
We need to have a clear understanding of what the Central Character’s life looks like before things start taking off.
HOOKING THE READER
The hook can really be anything that keeps the reader wanting to know more, wanting to turn the next page. When you bring in the hook, think about how you can pose a question that must be answered as it relates to your protagonist and their Current World. If they are so dissatisfied, why are they “stuck” in this state of life? You can bring in other characters to help show what is at stake if your hero stays put.
Your ideal reader will want to be able to empathize or relate to your Central Character. One of the early questions you need to ask yourself as you begin to develop your story is “Who is my ideal reader?” Knowing who that is will help you develop a Central Character that will grab the attention of your audience. If there’s a disconnect between your ideal reader and your Central Character, then your reader isn’t going to care all that much about what happens next.
Not all characters are considered interesting or appealing by all readers. The people who take their reading seriously want to connect or relate to the Central Character on an emotional level. That bond will carry your reader along for the ride, no matter what happens.
That’s why figuring out who your ideal reader is and then aligning them with your Central Character to make sure that there’s an appeal factor is a great way to make sure you’ve chosen a story-worthy character.
MOTIVATION IS KEY
Be sure to know what your Central Character’s motivation is for everything they choose to do. People in real life don’t do major things without a solid reason, and the same is true for your character. Asking yourself “Why?” upon each choice or decision your characters make will help ensure that there is true motivation driving them.
Strong motivation is linked to plausibility. If the things your characters choose to do (or not do) are not backed by strong motivation, then the story won’t feel plausible. “Because I felt like it” is NOT considered strong motivation.
Sometimes it helps to think about what is at stake for your character in order to flesh out motivation. If your character is aware of what is at stake, then motivation is easy to figure out. The reasons your character does the things they do (or not do) help define the kind of people they are. Strong, personal, air-tight, complex reasons work wonders in shaping a story-worthy character.
LAUNCHING YOUR CENTRAL CHARACTER
At around the 10-12% mark of your book, your Central Character needs to be faced with a life-changing situation, also known as the Inciting Incident. This event must be strong enough to launch your hero out of their Current World and into the New World (remember, world is “state of being” so this could be a location or it could be a new way of thinking).
The Inciting Incident is a one-way door (once your Central Character accepts the CTA). They cannot return to the Current World. So plan your Inciting Incident around your hero’s limits:
What would they be unwilling to sacrifice or lose?
What would they want to avoid?
What do they hope will happen?
Pick a scenario where your hero has no choice but to continue forth into New World.
Tip to remember: There are a few instances where your character might refuse the CTA, depending on the kind of story you’re writing. That’s fine, but just remember, you’ll need a secondary event, close on the heels of the first Inciting Incident, one that definitively launches them onto the journey, otherwise, there’s no story!
CENTRAL CHARACTER ANALYZES CALL TO ACTION
Now, an important thing to remember is that for every action there is reaction. There is reflection, thought, hesitation, questioning.
Even if your protagonist is excited about the opportunity, they should have questions about how this will change their life, whether they’re truly up to the task, if they’re worthy of the quest, if it’s safe, if they’re making a mistake. Even if they have a delayed reaction (shock after witnessing a murder, then rage), you have to show them expressing emotion or calculating their next move. This is where crucial character development takes place.
Without these reflection-type questions, then we readers will have a difficult time relating to them or understanding what they feel is at stake, or their motivation behind their actions.
REFLECTION + EMOTION HELPS US SEE THE DEEPEST OF CHARACTER AWARENESS, DEVELOPMENT, AND TRANSFORMATION.
That said, your Central Character will understand they need to accept the Call to Action, despite—or, maybe because of—their uncertainty.
At this particular point in your book, your hero needs to assess the fact they have just left their comfort zone and are essentially in the war zone. They may or may not be happy about it, and you need to give the readers a chance to hear their take on things.
BREAKING INTO THE NEW WORLD
Usually, the moment your Central Character accepts the Call to Action, they have pretty much walked through that one-way door into the New World. However, there may be some lag time.
There may be some scenes where the character has to travel to the New World. This little bridge between the Current and New World is optimal for giving us more reflection, emotion, debate. Be mindful of repetition and pace, however.
Take advantage of the change in setting, being sure to set up the New World in ways that are far different from the Current World, and show us how your character responds. If your locations don’t change, but rather the New World for your character is more a new way of thinking, be sure to describe the differences so that your readers can feel and understand the jarring shift.
One way to help you define this shift is to be sure you’re writing an external action beat, and not just another beat of reflection. When the action beat follows a reaction sequence, it’s much easier for your readers to follow along, as though they, too, have stepped into the New World.
SETTING UP YOUR CENTRAL CHARACTER
Time to do some Discovery work on your character:
How is your Central Character dissatisfied with their Current World?
What is their ultimate story goal?
What Flawed Beliefs get in the way of your Central Character achieving their story goal?
Why do they want to achieve their story goal?
Is the Call to Action (Inciting Incident) strong enough to force or entice your main character to accept it?
If there is any possible way to refuse the CTA, what would that be?
If refusal is possible, what is your secondary event that pushes your main character through that one-way door?
Can the story that follows from the Inciting Incident ONLY happen as a result of the Inciting Incident?
In what ways is your New World opposite that of the Current World?
Is your character excited or filled with dread to enter the New World? Is that supported by their story goal and Flawed Belief?
What have they left behind in the Current World that makes them happy, sad, anxious, or angry?
Knowing they could return to the Current World, how would they NO LONGER fit in the way they did before? If they didn't feel like they belonged in Current World, how are they better for it at end of the book?
How does the New World fulfill (or not fulfill) your main character's expectations?
How does their choice to accept the CTA relate directly to their opportunity to achieve their story goal? Are you sure their entry into New World is the only way they can get their heart's desire?