Writing a Memorable Protagonist

The best novels are character-driven. But to write a compelling character-driven novel, your protagonist will need to be relatable and memorable. Here are a few tips to writing a memorable protagonist.

Watch the video below or scroll down to read the full article!

Agency
Motivation
High Stakes

Empathy
Flaws
Additional Resources

Agency

There is one non-negotiable when it comes to writing a memorable protagonist: They must have agency.

No one wants to watch a character who simply gets tossed about as things happen to them, who reacts instead of acts, or who opts for complete inaction due to indecision. Likewise, we don’t want to read endless pages where your protagonist waits around or performs mundane tasks.

What readers want is a proactive protagonist who makes conscious choices and takes charge of the action. So the first step toward writing a memorable protagonist is to not just make things happen to your characters, but to make them happen because of their decisions and the actions they take in pursuit of their goals and motivation, which takes us to our next topic.

Motivation

Your protagonist should have a clear goal and actively be pursuing it. This applies to their main goal of the book, but also to each mini goal within every chapter and scene.

Kurt Vonnegut once said that your character must “want something right away, even if it’s just a glass of water.” Maybe they don’t always achieve their goal, and it most definitely changes from moment to moment depending what the current scene calls for, but a goal must be ever present to drive the story forward (and to allow your protagonist to have agency).

What is your protagonist’s short-term goal? What is their ultimate goal? What are they doing to achieve it?

High Stakes

Not only does your protagonist need to want something, they need to have a reason to risk it all and pursue that goal. What will happen if they simply sit back and let whatever happens happen? Will they lose their job? Their love interest? Their life? The stakes have to be high to push your protagonist into making choices and taking action.

There’s no story if there’s no conflict, so there should be consequences regardless of their decision. Make the stakes so high that, even though they do have a choice (because they have agency), your protagonist feels like there’s only one valid option, and that’s to proactively pursue their goal.

Empathy

Creating empathy in your readers will go a long way in writing a memorable protagonist as well. Some possible ways to achieve this are to make them loved or admired by others, have them show a tenderness toward children or animals, give them a sense of humor, make them victims of undeserved misfortune, or give them everyday flaws. Let’s discuss this last point more in depth.

Flaws

It might sound like an oxymoron to give your protagonist a weakness in order to make them a stronger character, but we all have struggles, and as my husband likes to say, “Pobody’s nerfect.” After all, even Mary Poppins had her flaws (vanity, criticism of others, self-righteousness).

Giving your protagonist both strengths and flaws will make them more relatable to your readers. Maybe they are an expert at their job, but they struggle to connect with people on a personal level. Or maybe they’re feared by many, but secretly are afraid themselves.

Think of common struggles that most of us can relate to—self-doubt, coming up short, physical and mental health issues, financial struggles, challenges with relationships—and take your pick. Make your protagonist vulnerable. (Check out this extensive list of 123 Ideas for Character Flaws.)

Editor’s Note: Opposite to this, be sure to also give your antagonist a redeeming quality.