Photo by Ingeborg Korme on Unsplash
In the day 41 post, I shared questions for developing our story’s protagonist. In the day 42 post, I began answering those questions using the story idea based on the Wreck of the Ten Sail. I’ll answer more of the first-level protagonist questions here.
As usual with these posts on how I’m working on this story, pay more attention to how I’m thinking about the problem of story development than the specific choices I’m making. Also note: We don’t have to know everything right away. There are some gaps here that I will come back to as I continue to uncover the story.
As a reminder, here is my story foundation of premise and essence.
What is the basic premise of the story? Captain William Lawford, in the Caribbean Sea, conducting a rescue and salvage mission after the wreck of ten ships in a convoy he is escorting.
What is the essence of the story? A young captain facing a catastrophic failure must navigate not just treacherous waters, but also human nature and his own limitations, to find a new way forward and leave a positive mark on the world.
Physical Attributes
What are the protagonist's key physical characteristics? Do they have any unique physical traits or abilities? This story will involve a lot of physical work, so Lawford’s physical form will matter, but I don’t yet have a clear picture of him. Mostly I have more questions. Here are the four ways I’m thinking about this so far.
Consider the physical tasks Lawford will have to do in the story and, given that, what is the range of physical stature and ability that makes sense?
Lawford is based on a real person (Sir John Lawford), so I could use his description and picture as a starting point.
I can consider other historical (e.g., Nelson or Cochrane) or literary (e.g., Hornblower or Aubrey), examples of naval commanders from the time period.
Consider what physical characteristics will tend to support the story’s essence and the primary conflict I want to dramatize through the story. How can Lawford’s physical traits and abilities make his problems more challenging while still enabling him to solve them?
Mental and Emotional Attributes
What is the protagonist's personality type? Using the big five personality traits, Lawford would score high on trait openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. He would score in the mid range of agreeableness and extroversion.
Do they have any mental or cognitive traits that affect their behavior? Lawford takes in a lot of information from the environment, and sometimes hyper focuses on the current problem a little too much. He is well attuned to the external environment, but finds it difficult to negotiate human relationships, and often misses what he believes are subtle social cues. He appreciates the structure and discipline of a Royal Navy vessel. It makes sense to him. This ordered environment amid the external chaos enables him to have insights that help him solve problems. The chaotic behavior of merchant captains is frustrating to him. Without his ship, conditions on the island from an earlier hurricane and the aftermath of the shipwrecks will be very challenging. He’ll need to find a way to navigate the human relationships if he’s going to be successful in this mission and beyond.
What are their core values and beliefs? Lawford possesses a strong sense of duty and a commitment to upholding ethical warrior codes as an officer. He’s not a naval officer to gain fortune or renown. He’s dedicating himself within this organization whose values he supports to be part of the meaningful struggle to protect his homeland. His belief in the purity of these values is naive. There is corruption; there are selfish motives involved. He will have to find a way to navigate this invisible world as well.
Relationships and Social Context
What is the protagonist's marital or relationship status? Lawford is unmarried during the events portrayed in this story. An open question is whether he has a relationship that might lead to marriage one day.
Who are their key relationships (family, friends, mentors)? Right now, I’m identifying what the key relationships will be based on who he’ll be spending most of his time with, but I need to consider who in his past may be influencing him as well, though they are not physically present.
Officers, noncommissioned officers, and crew members
Merchant captains and their officers and crew
The people who live on on the island and their representative(s)
The admiral who delivers the orders to Lawford
Officers involved in the court martial
Past officers and other mentors who have influenced him
What is their social status within their community or profession? Within the convoy, Lawford is the senior officer, but in the Royal Navy, he is a junior commander.
In future posts, I’ll continue to respond to the questions and share more specific questions I’m formulating based on my responses here.
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 always 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.