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This week: Every Plot Needs a Protagonist Edited by: Vivian  
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Every plot needs a protagonist, a hero or heroine, maybe one of each. How do we make them real, not caricatures?
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Make a protagonist live
All stories and novels, even many poems, have to have a hero or heroine. More and more heroines fill the bookshelves, too. What characteristics do we want in our protagonist? For what do we search when we read, use when we write? Let’s examine creating a hero (I’ll just use the term hero for the rest of the editorial, but everything applies to a heroine, too).
A hero needs to be believable.
"Okay, fine," someone says. "How does a writer make a hero believable?"
One way is to pay attention to the small stuff, the details. That doesn’t mean as writers we have to include everything possible in the story or novel, but we should have the hero so developed, in our minds, that he or she lives.
Natashya Wilson, www.aresix.blogspot.com, as well as numerous composition books and my notes from writing classes, workshops, and clinics include the following information when examining the components of a hero:
1. The hero should be appealing and should inspire.
Reading about him/her should give readers a feelings that they, the readers, too can achieve their goals. The hero should help readers to find courage and the will to continue. Any hero needs to be strong and intelligent, as well as be human with flaws that readers can understand, but with the ability needed to succeed.
No matter what, the reader must be able to relate to the hero on some level.
2. The writer needs to develop the hero completely.
I noted earlier that the heroes should be developed in our minds until they are real. We should have a background, childhood, friends, family, home, and likes and dislikes all in our mental files. We need to note his motivations, phobias, the people he respects. Not all the information will go into our stories or novels, but the details are there, making our hero real. If we made our heroes live for us, they are more likely to live for readers.
3. Every hero needs a special skill or quality.
We should ask ourselves what gives him an advantage over the bad guy or guys, and why he doesn’t give up? Then we use those answers to enhance our hero.
4. The characters around the hero need to be interesting and fully developed, too.
Those around our hero should be worthy of him. The love interest and the villains should have depth, be realistic and believable. The hero should have a reason to love the other person; the heroine should be in love with someone worth loving. The villain should test the merit of the hero.
5. The plot should grab the reader’s attention and challenge the hero.
Readers have to care what happens and want to continue reading.
6. Make sure the hero has an emotional stake in the outcome.
Another way to help the reader care is to create an emotional stake for the hero. He shouldn’t want to “win” just because it’s his job or is the “right” thing to do.
7. Add a touch of romance.
A bit of romance enlivens the plot and makes the hero more human. The romance should not be the main focus or just thrown it, but it should be a natural part of the story.
Many of today's stories and novels throw in romance and/or sex scenes without ryhyme or reason (used a cliché, I know). Anything inserted in a story, including romance, needs to add to the plot, move the story on, and/or enhance our interest in the hero or another character.
8. Write for your audience.
Who do you want to read and enjoy the story or novel? The plot and characters should appeal to those people.
9. Make dialogue believable.
Nothing ruins a hero, or a story, for a reader faster than stilted or contrived dialogue. Practice what you write. Speak it aloud. Try it out. Is there unnecessary profanity? Do characters “talk” so that readers understand as well as other characters? Listen to people talk, and then clarify for readers.
Are you ready to try creating your own hero? Let me know if you think I succeeded in my story
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Words from Our Readers
The article from four weeks ago was a survey concerning the "need" for graphic sexual details in writing. Below are the comments sent by readers, many of whom agreed with the consensus that graphic details weren't necessary to write good romances.
Tadpole1 
I have a very serious question. I just finished draft two of a novel based on a true story. In this story, a child is molested. That is only a small part of what happened, and to protect the child, I pushed the reader to an outer level instead of being graphic. I asked the child's mother if I should add anything, and she said "no."
My husband said that he thought that it seemed like the author (me) was avoiding telling the full story - true. Also, it was written differently than other tragic events in the mother's life that did not include children directly.
Question: Would it be considered bad writing style to bring the reader into the inner circle for most of the book while providing a protective fence around the child's drama?
Tadpole1
What good would be added to have graphic details? Why would you, the author, gain or the reader gain by your adding those details? If all that having details would accomplish is to feed some voyeuristic "need," then forget it.
Joy 
Good take on graphic content, Viv. And thanks for bringing it up.
I don't shy away from graphic content as long as it has a strong attachment to the plot or is used to highlight the roughness or the gentleness in a character, but usually it fails to do so. Usually, it is used for titillation, which makes me stop reading the rest of the story.
Arakun the twisted raccoon 
I agree. Romance is about feelings, not sex.
rosewater49 
I agree. Romance stories that are too graphic make me daydream about things I shouldn't. I'm not saying I don't like it but it is distracting.
penonpaper
If you asked Jackie Collins her thoughts on graphic descriptions, well, she'd probably tell you it was essential to her success as a bestselling author. Smile Just read "Married Lovers."
I'm sure Jackie Collins wouldn't agree with the informal survey, but then who says she's a good writer? 
Voxxylady 
I was just having this discussion on another site. Absolutely, romance doesn't have to be graphic. I'm in a whole network of published romance authors who are non-graphic. On the other hand, if it's done well, an intimate scene can give a lot of extra insight into a character. They usually don't, but they can. They can also be very intimate without being graphic, which I prefer. However, I do have to say spicier romance sells much better than non-spicy romance.
I wonder how many readers skip the spicy graphic stuff to get to the real story?
styxx
On the subject of romance and graphic detail... I agree that romantic pieces do not necessarily need to have the graphic details of the mechanics of the union. Traditional romance stories in fact, shy away from that. However, erotic stories could and should have a romantic element, eroticsism is all about the description of the mechanics, being a love story at the same time adds realism I think.
Styxx
bertiebrite hoping for peace
First let me explain, that I was raised in a strict Irish-Catholic home. As such, sex was NEVER discussed. So, when I became mature enough a writer and reader to experience some of the graphic sex in novels, I was put off and skimmed these sections, barely reading them. I don't think they are necessary, not because of the prude that I am, but because if you take away the sex scenes from any movie or book, the missive works well without the inclusion. I am not against sex in movies or novels, I only believe it unnecessary to success.
Thanks for all the comments and views.
Please join me again in four weeks. Who knows what I'll cover next.
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For Authors: January 18, 2012 Issue [#4825]
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