Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash
In the day 30 post, I shared five relevant characteristics of the story protagonist in three example stories. These are what we might call functional details for the story. They create the conditions that help us tell a coherent story.
The goal for us is to identify the details for our own protagonist that help us enact the vision of our story’s essence and send the message that’s most important to us. What does that mean? We want to find the details that make our protagonist the right one for this story.
Here is a list of questions I’m developing to help us do that. This is a starting point. We would ask further, more specific questions based on the answers we get here (much like those to discover the story’s essence).
Story Foundation
What is the basic premise of your story? This is the person in a place with a problem that the story is about.
What is the essence of your story? This is what is essential to us about the story idea.
Character's Relationship to the Story
Is the protagonist entering a new, unfamiliar environment or facing unfamiliar challenges in their familiar environment?
What is the protagonist's role in the story's environment?
What archetypal role does the protagonist embody?
Personal Background
What is the protagonist's age and level of experience?
What is their family background and social class?
Where are they from, and where have they lived?
What is their education or training?
Physical Attributes
What are the protagonist's key physical characteristics?
Do they have any unique physical traits or abilities?
Mental and Emotional Attributes
What is the protagonist's personality type?
Do they have any mental or cognitive traits that affect their behavior?
What are their core values and beliefs?
Skills and Interests
What are the protagonist's professional skills?
Do they have any hobbies or special interests?
Is there a unique skill or interest that might be relevant to the story?
Relationships and Social Context
What is the protagonist's marital or relationship status?
Who are their key relationships (family, friends, mentors)?
What is their social status within their community or profession?
Internal Conflicts
What are the protagonist's main internal conflicts?
How do their personal values clash with external expectations?
External Challenges
What are the main external challenges the protagonist faces?
How does their background or personality affect how they approach these challenges?
Character Growth
What areas of growth or change will the protagonist experience?
How will their journey align with or challenge their archetypal role?
This organization allows us to start with the foundation of our story (premise and essence) and then build out the protagonist in layers, from basic background information to more complex aspects of the character. It also helps us writers to consider how each aspect of the protagonist relates to the story's premise and essence.
As I mentioned above, for each category, we can develop more specific questions. This structure gives us flexibility while helping us to consider critical aspects of character development.
This post is part of a 75-day writing challenge and experiment. From September 9 through November 22, I'll be posting daily thoughts on writing, storytelling, and creativity based on recent readings or reflections. While my intention was to keep them very short—250 to 400 words—I've found that this range doesn't give me enough space to cover these topics adequately. I aim to keep them brief enough to be read quickly, but they will often be longer than 400 words.
At the end of the challenge, I will organize and revise the material with intention. For now, the object is to explore and share.