Character Development: Creating Memorable Protagonists

Creating memorable characters is vital for an engaging and successful story. The protagonist plays a crucial role in driving the narrative, and their development can make or break a reader’s connection to the story. I don’t think it’s necessary to convince you of the importance of writing believable, engaging, and multi-layered characters. If you are here, you already know it. In this article, I will explore the art of character development, the role of a protagonist, and the different types of character arcs to help you craft a compelling story.

Character Development 

Character development is a crucial element that adds depth to your characters. It makes them more realistic, relatable, and interesting, giving them a multi-dimensional personality that captures the audience’s attention.

First, it’s essential to create a detailed backstory of your characters. This could be done before or during the writing of your first draft, but make sure to use it as a basis for your story. Write a detailed description of your protagonist’s past, including past experiences and motivation. Understanding the protagonist’s past will help shape their actions and decisions. Where did your protagonist grow up? Did they have a big happy family, or do they come from a broken home? What parenting style did they experience  (strict and ambitious, loving and supporting, or neglecting and absent)? 

Multi-layered characters should have flaws and internal conflicts. After all, imperfect characters are more engaging—they have the same internal battles as we, the readers, have, making them relatable. The success of every book relies heavily on the reader’s ability to connect to at least one of the characters. Additionally, if a character is perfect and always makes the right decisions, where is the fun? Weaknesses also add depth, taking the reader on a journey to “get to know” the characters, revealing their personalities bit by bit. What are your characters’ flaws? Why do they have them (childhood trauma, unhappy relationship, stressful job)?

The plot and the characters are strongly connected—one can not go without the other. The characters’ goals and motivations should drive the plot forward and create conflicts. What does your protagonist want, and equally important, why do they want it? Connecting their current goals and motivations to their past experiences will create a genuine, believable, and relatable storyline. Make sure to unpack the protagonist’s motivations with each chapter. 

Relationships are significant in character development. We don’t need to be psychologists to know that each person we communicate with changes something in us (even if it’s just our current mood). Use interactions with other people to reveal personalities. For example, your FMC can spend hours talking to her best friend with a glass of wine in her hand, discussing her unshared love for the MMC. This reveals a goal: she wants the MMC to notice her. Other interactions, such as a  character’s attitude towards servants, can indicate whether they are a good person.

The Protagonist's Role 

The protagonist is the central character and is often how readers experience the story. That is why creating a relatable MC is crucial to any book—the reader needs to see the world through their eyes to feel “at home” while reading. The protagonist usually has the most elaborate character arc, with their journey being essential to the plot. 

The reader must be able to understand the protagonist’s emotions and motivations. The backstory mentioned above is a great way to establish this. The connection between your main character and the readers makes the story more engaging. Make sure your protagonist’s struggles are accessible.

Conflict drivers are integral in every story. The conflicts should be based on the main character’s goals and desires. These conflicts and challenges are what push the story forward. Conflict often provides tension, which prompts the reader to keep going to see how it will be resolved. There are different types of conflicts, but they could be summarized as internal and external. Internal conflict has to do with a character struggling with something within themselves: it could be a moral battle of doing the “right” thing or overcoming a flaw/weakness and rising above circumstances. Sometimes, an internal conflict might encompass a mental health issue.

The most common type of external struggle is character vs. character. The protagonist has an enemy or is disturbed by another character. There are many alleys to explore here: for example, in romance, we often see an enemies-to-lovers trope, but this type of conflict could be resolved in various ways—by winning over the opponent, by finding common ground, etc.

Other external types of conflict include character vs. nature, character vs. society, character vs. technology, and character vs. supernatural.

Conflict is often used to reveal a deeper meaning through highlighting characters’ motivations, values, and weaknesses. This is a great technique to create emotional depth and elicit a range of emotions in readers. A well-developed protagonist (and secondary characters) has a powerful impact on engagement and connecting with the story.

Character Arcs 

The transformation and development a character undergoes throughout the story are called character arcs. There are various types of character arcs: some could be positive, others could be negative, and there’s also a flat character arc. The decision of what character arc to use depends on the type of story you want to tell and the change your protagonist needs to experience.

In a positive change arc, the character begins with flaws or weaknesses and gradually grows, overcoming challenges and conflicts. They become a better person by learning and positive change. 

On the opposite side, a negative arc changes a character in a detrimental light, and it’s caused by a negative experience or circumstance. The protagonist regresses or becomes worse as the story progresses. This type of arc is less common but can be extremely effective when used correctly.

In a flat arc, the protagonist remains largely the same, but there’s a twist. Here, they challenge the status quo, so it’s not the character that changes but the world around them. Some examples of flat characters in literature include Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and even Cinderella.

The art of creating memorable protagonists is a combination of character development, a clear understanding of the protagonist’s role, backstory, and motivations, and the use of character arcs. To craft characters that resonate with your readers and elevate your story, focus on these elements. Whether your protagonist endures a positive or a negative change or maintains a flat arc, they should take your audience on a journey that captivates and inspires, making your story an unforgettable experience.