On August 5, 2023, Kasie and Rex took on the Protagonist as a role in the story. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

What makes a good main character?

Agenda

• Character types
• Main Character must-haves
• How to write one a good main character

Segment 1

Last month we jumped around a bit – special guests, time travel, the mentor character. It was all pretty self-serving. Rex went on vacay so I brought my friends on.

In August, we’re going to try for a series. We haven’t done this for a few months. We’re focusing on Characters this month:

• Protagonist (8/5)
• Antagonist (8/12)
• Best friends & love interests (8/19)

The protagonist in the story is (link) the character who drives the action and whose outcome matters most. Emotional heart of the narrative and central to the conflict of the story.

Good protagonist examples:

• Luke Skywalker
• Scarlett O’Hara
• Officer Brodie (Jaws)
• Frodo
• Rocky Balboa
• Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean)
• Clarice Starling
• Elizabeth Bennett
• Sarah Connor (T2)

Is the protagonist also the hero? (link) not necessarily.

• Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver)
• Anakin Skywalker
• Micheal Corleone
• The Punisher
• Jack Reacher
• Wanda Maximoff (WandaVision Disney+) – has a heroic redemption
• Jack Torrance (The Shining)

Segment 2

What characteristics does the protagonist have to have:

• Backstory – origin story
• Courage – to the extent that they’ll chase their goal
• Driven by something

What has to happen to the protagonist?

• Has to be going through a challenge
• Experience setbacks
• Experiences change through the story

Four kinds of protagonists (link):

1. Hero / heroine – achieves things because of their own means
2. Antihero – lacks the qualities found in the hero, distinctly unlike the hero
3. Villain – unequivocally the bad guy – The Joker, Joe Exotic The Tiger King
4. Supporting protagonist – less common than other types, when the story is told from the minor role’s perspective – Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby

Segment 3

The journey of the protagonist is based on the plot arc. Here’s a link about the hero’s journey version (including the 17 beats):

• The departure
• The initiation
• The return.

Other common plot arcs for protagonists were discussed in previous episodes:

• Moral Ascent (Ep 168) – protagonist redeems themself, becomes better – A Man Called Ove
• Moral Descent (Ep 169) – protagonist falls into moral decay – Th Godfather (Michael Corleone)
• Flat Arc (Ep 165) – main character witnesses the change and evolution of others (Sherlock Holmes)

Here are 10 Signs of a Great Protagonist:

1. Has a problem that needs solving
2. Has the ability to act
3. Has reasons to act
4. Has something to lose
5. Has something to gain
6. Has the capacity to change
7. Has a compelling quality
8. Has an interesting flaw
9. Has a secret
10. Has someone or something trying to stop them

It’s a good exercise to go through with our main characters. So we can do that.

Segment 4

So how do you do it? Here’s a link with some suggestions.

Here’s a better one (link):

1. Make them relatable – flawed – We did an entire series on character flaws. Take your pick (Ep 11 The tragic flaw, Ep 216 and Ep 217)
2. Outline their history
3. Find their motivation
4. Give them something to lose
5. Make them evolve