Hey everyone,
One of the most important things in very story we write is our protagonist. A lot of time can be put into creating an interesting, and well-rounded character, and in all stories the main characters must be interesting and well-rounded.
Any protagonist you create must be relatable for your readers. Even in fantasy books, where the protagonist may not be human, they must still be relatable. Characters that are completely different to you are very hard to sympathise with o grab your interest. Your readers won’t be invested in your story, and are likely to put it down quickly.
But what makes our characters relatable? Readers relate with characters through their motivations and character traits. It is important to establish character motivations, and defining traits early on in a story. The fist ‘Warriors’ book ‘Into The Wild’, shows its protagonist, Rusty’s, primary desires in chapter 1. Through his dreams see a cat who longs for freedom, and to be out in the forest.
The book establishes character traits though showing not telling. This is the number 1 rule in writing: Show, don’t tell! By reading between the lines w can decree some of Rusty’s character traits, his independence, and sense of adventure. Rusty is shown to be totally at home in the forest in his dream. His qualities are subtly woven into the story. You may nitpick them up straight away, but subconsciously, you take note of them, making later developments seem smooth and natural.
When describing your character and their surroundings, think about the adjectives you use, and their connotations. Are they positive or negative? When Rust awakes from the dream where he seem to be so at home, the kitchen and house where he lives is described very differently. We see the world through his eyes, helping us to feel the same as him, and be behind him when he leaves his gadded fence to explore the forest beyond.
In this scene, the author has created an emotional connection with their reader. In oder to keep your audience engaged, showing the world through your characters eyes to create an emotional connection is paramount.
Allude to as any traits as you can early on without listing them. Filter in other information about future relationships, and foreshadowing the same. If you choose traits alluring to readers, they will instantly like the character. However, your story can also be interesting if you choose characteristics that oppose the ending result. This allows for a lot of obvious growth. Rust only has to hone his skills and tries he already has to grow in his eventual role at the end of the series, but both tory lines are interesting and engaging if well written.
Remember, whatever route you choose with your protagonists traits, there will always be challenges and obstacles for them to overcome, and use to grow throughout the story.
There is a great Youtube video made by LZRD WZRD which goes into wore detail about how the first ‘Warriors’ book draws the reader in with Rusty.
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Happy writing always,
Teen Fantasy Author
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