![]() ![]() Effie Trinket to Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.Rather, he exposes things about your protagonist you want more sharply focused, while the antagonist is his enemy. Like the villain, this is an opposite of the protagonist, highlighting his strengths.īut the foil isn’t usually the antagonist. Madame Stahl in Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.These are people your main character encounters, like the repairman, a clerk, a teller, a waiter, or someone he sits next to on a bus. So be careful not to make clichés of them. These are background characters who come and go, but they often lend meaning to the story. You’ll likely need Central Casting-type characters for specific, limited purposes. Cinna in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.The confidante is an essential tool through whom your protagonist’s thoughts and feelings are revealed. But sometimes he can be an unlikely character. The character in whom the protagonist trusts the most is often a best friend, a love interest, or a mentor. Peeta in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.Rhett Butler in Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind.Rendered well, the love interest reveals the main character’s strengths and vulnerabilities.Īs with your main character, a too perfect love interest will fall flat and come off unrealistic. The object of your protagonist’s deepest affection often serves as a prize, but she could also function as an obstacle to attaining his goal. Princess Leia and Han Solo in George Lucas’s Star Wars.Tom Sawyer in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.Sometimes he also turns out to be the antagonist. Third in importance behind the protagonist and the sidekick, this character is usually an instigator, causing trouble for the protagonist and giving him plenty of opportunity to shine. Runaway slave Jim in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.John Watson in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes Others turn out to be the villain.īut most often, the sidekick is a friend who supports the protagonist, offering advice, adding depth to the story. Some switch back and forth, hindering him. The character second in importance to the protagonist, not all sidekicks support the protagonist. Professor James Moriarty in many of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries.President Coriolanus Snow in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Mayor Larry Vaughn in Peter Benchley’s Jaws.The most compelling villains have had bad things happen to them. Make him a worthy foe by giving him realistic, believable motives. force the protagonist to make difficult choicesīe careful not to make the villain bad just because he’s the bad guy.have a realistic and sympathetic backstory.The more formidable your antagonist, the more compelling your hero. This is the villain, the character who opposes and undermines your protagonist. Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.Jack Ryan and Marko Ramius in Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October.Elizabeth Bennet in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.Get him on stage early, introduce him by name, and immediately start layering in personal details that give readers reasons to care about what happens to him. No protagonist, no story, so develop this character first. (Even Indiana Jones was afraid of snakes.) Resist the temptation to create a perfect lead character. a character arc (becoming a different, better, stronger person by the end).potentially heroic qualities that emerge in the climax.He drives the plot, pursues the goal, changes and grows as your story progresses. (*I use the pronoun “he” inclusively to represent both genders, male and female.*) He* is your focus, the person you want readers to invest in and care about. Your main character or hero is, naturally, the essential player. Will you die? Probably.Need help creating your characters? Click here to download my character worksheet. Pick your characters of choice and advance through procedurally generated kingdom maps and slay enemies in a tactical combat game that plays like chess! There are loads of interactions to explore and combos to try on the board! ![]()
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