Character Building — Part 1

charbuild

I recently finished a draft of Helluva Monday *throws confetti* and am now forcing myself to take a break before diving back into revisions. As a distraction, I’ve been brainstorming/outlining a shiny new project, and musing on characters.

Note: I’m limiting this post to strong lead characters and will investigate sidekicks and villains in future posts.

So what makes a good main character? What makes us rejoice in their successes and get teary-eyed over their struggles? What do these characters say, do, believe that make us care about them so dang much?

In hopes of answering this, I analyzed a few of my favorite main characters to pinpoint why I find them compelling:

Don Tillman from The Rosie Project — Don’s naivety and self-depreciating humor is part of what makes him such a fantastic narrator and lead character. He also has such an acute self-awareness of his limitations, especially toward the end, that you can’t help but root for him to succeed in his pursuit of Rosie.

Day from the Legend Trilogy — Day has an incredibly tragic backstory having been experimented on before losing most of his family, and things just keep getting worse. His weaknesses are exploited over and over, and yet he keeps fighting for what he believes in. All the while maintaining an air of cockiness and optimism.

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice — Gotta love a gal who does her own thing despite accepted social norms. I’ve always felt a camaraderie with Ms. Bennet for our mutual love of long walks and reading, but also for our shared flaw of judging others too quickly. Additionally, her devotion to her family and the fact that she always has a sharp retort (especially for Mr. Darcy) makes her a grounded and strong female lead.

Hiccup from How To Train Your Dragon — Hiccup is already a likable character for being a misfit in his viking village when Toothless enters the scene. But it’s really through the Night Fury’s unfaltering loyalty that we gain a stronger appreciation of Hiccup’s character, especially when he risks his life and stands up to his father for his dragon pal.

There are so many truly great main characters that I could keep on analyzing, but instead I think I’ll work on crafting my own protagonist… Someone quirky, flawed, and brave enough to stand up for what they believe in.

Who are your favorite main characters? Why?

What I’m reading: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

What I’m listening to: Porcelain Raft — Strange Weekend

8 comments