Welcome, class. Please take a seat.
This is just an idea I had, an effort to teach others how to write fiction and poetry; give some advice and tips for those who would like to write; and assemble a comprehensive guide to the art of writing. Each post will contain a seperate "lecture", each one giving advice and explanations for different aspects of writing. Any feedback, comments, suggestions and ideas are very much appreciated.
IMPORTANT NOTE:I am NOT a professional author. I am aspiring to be one, but for the purpose of this thread, just consider me a non-professional; you may want to take with a pinch of salt. It WON'T turn you you into a fantastic writer with boundless imagination; it's just supposed to help give you an idea of what writing is like, and how you too can become a good writer. This guide may not be for everybody; these are merely my own suggestions.
Enjoy.
LESSON #1 - CHARACTERSOverview"A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author."
~ G. K. ChestertonThe characters; the players; the
dramatis personae. Call them what you like, but remember that the characters are vital to the story. Even if your story has no characters - if you're writing about a landscape or regional feature, for example - it would be hard to write without personifying the features in question; and if you simply describe them as they are, with no personifcation present, it's not really a story so much as a description of a place.
Every story needs its characters. Even the myths of ancient times, with all their fabulous tales of wonder and excitement, had characters who are remembered even today - whether it's the brave heroes of Ancient Greece or the mighty Gods of the Old Norse. Characters are integral parts of writing fiction, and I'm going to give you some advice on them, from the initial ideas to the finished heroes and villains that will shape your story.
The ProtagonistThe central character; the leading figure; the main player. The protagonist is, simply, the main character in your story. They are the one who must embark on the adventure, save the world, retrieve the mystical object, or is simply the basis for the plot. Their actions form the plot of the story, and as such, they are arguably the most important character amongst the cast.
The Hero"The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by."
~ Felix AdlerThe protagonist is usually somebody special or unique, whose importance is recognised by the other characters. They may not initially realise how important they are, but they soon become aware of their own special talents, their place in the fate of the universe or just decide to help others. The protagonist may be a beloved do-gooder, a champion of justice, or just somebody who opposes the evil empire; in this case, they would be seen as the
hero. Famous examples of heroes include Mega Man, Superman, Luke Skywalker, Mario, Spiderman and Optimus Prime. They are all seen as heroes because they oppose characters who are clearly defined as being evil - there are no gray areas (for the most part; we will look at exceptions later in this lecture), and the characters they fight must be punished. They do what's right, not for money, fame or glory, but because it's the right thing to do. Even in the face of adversity, they stand strong, and their courage, honour and bravery ultimately pays off - it is the age-old rule of fiction that the courages hero invariably thwarts the wicked villain. In some cases, tragedy only serves to make them even stronger, as they vow to defeat the evil villain that has caused them harm; a good example would be Peter Parker, who was inspired to become Spiderman and fight crime when his uncle was murdered by a criminal thug.
For the most part, we take the side of the hero, because we admire or respect them; we want to see them succeed, we feel bad when they are beaten, we cheer them on during hard times, and we feel happy when they win and save the day. The hero is an extravagant portrayal of how most of us would like to be, a manifestation of truth, honour and justice. Remember, though, this is not entirely realitic: if your character becomes too much of a pastiche of virtue and valour, they may not be seen as being believable. Remember, everybody has flaws, even heroes. The difference between an ordinary person and a hero is that a hero has the courage to face these flaws, overcome them, and ultimately do the right thing. A good hero is never invincible; if they were, we wouldn't be able to indentify with them, and they would become stale and boring. The best heroes are those whom we can relate to, whose pain we can identify with, somebody we can sympathise with. They may be a shining suit of armour to defend against the vile forces of evil, but if there is no soul within the armour, it is nothing more than a cold, empty shell. An empty shell cannot protect its loved ones, because it can't have loved ones. A hero must be able to experience emotion, to feel pain, to take a hit and get knocked down, but still find the strength to get back up again. They can never be truly kept down, because their courage enables them to get back up again. We don't admire and respect the hero because they're braver and stronger than us; we admire and respect them because they remind us of ourselves, or as we should be.
"Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart."
The Anti-Hero"The same energy of character which renders a man a daring villain would have rendered him useful in society, had that society been well organized."
~ Mary ShelleyThe concept of a protagonist is often seen as being synonymous with the concept of a hero. This is often the case, as described above, but not necessarily always true. The protagonist
can be less than heroic and still remain the main focus of your story. This type of character is often called an
anti-hero, because they are not really heroes in the traditional sense.
An anti-hero may be someone who, despite their vices, questionable morality and/or cruel methods of opposing the villains, has some semblance of pathos or a sense of justice; or they may just be swashbuckling rogues. Alternatively, they may be twisted, morally-bankrupt lunatics who are simply cast in the leading role; or they may just not be at all heroic, but not necessarily crazed either. Another type still would be those who really don't want to be heroes or have little to no interest in saving the day, perhaps even directly opposing the notion that they are heroic; perhaps they are simply protagonists in the purest sense, with no redeeming or condeming values. Examples of anti-heroes in the former sense would be Batman, Han Solo, Zorro, James Bond and Conan the Barbarian. Examples in the middle sense would be Patrick Bateman, Hannibal Lecter, the Hulk and Travis Touchdown. Examples in the latter sense would be Rincewind, Susan Sto Helit, Hamlet and Frodo Baggins.
When writing anti-heroes, it is important to remember that, just because they aren't truth-and-justice types like true heroes, they aren't necessarily unheroic; those who fall under the former case can indeed be very heroic, but they may have something that seperates them from usual heroes - a flaw, if you will, such as alcohol abuse, greed, lust, spite, excessive wrath, or a motivation that would be considered immoral or selfish. In some cases, this makes them more believable; they are flawed, just like everybody else, and are not invincible or super-heroic. Those that fall under the latter sense are often heroes or are destined to be heroes, but simply choose not to accept this or refuse to act that way, or just don't seem at all heroic - they're just the main characters.
Ordinary and Unexpected"There goes my hero,
Watch him as he goes.
There goes my hero,
He's ordinary."
~ Foo Fighters, "My Hero"Remember that your protagonist does not need to be a big, handsome, lantern-jawed doer-of-good. As partially described above, the protagonist does not have to be a hero. For example,
Ulysses by Jame Joyce features a protagonist named Leopold Bloom: in the story, Bloom does nothing that can be seen as heroic. He doesn't rescue a damsel in distress; he doesn't save the day; he doesn't even defeat any greater evil. The story simply follows his exploits during that particular day, with nothing too out of the ordinary occuring, and without him performing any acts of selfless nobility to earn him the title of "hero". Bloom is simply an ordinary man that Joyce penned a story about; he is the protagonist by virtue of being the main character, and little else.
Alternatively, your protagonist could be something the readers would not expect as a hero: Death in the
Discworld series is a good example. Death is, as his name implies, the Grim Reaper himself. In the early books, Death is not a nice character: he is mean, spiteful, haughty, arrogant and sees his job as just a job, with little regard for the people whose souls he collects. Later on, though, he becomes a friendlier character - he loves his granddaughter very much, and wants to be a good grandfather to her. He doesn't know much about children, but he does his best to keep her pleased, even assembling a swing in the back garden with his bare hands - it is flawed, but he does his best, because he loves her. As well as that, he grows fond of human beings, and even protects them from greater evils - when the Auditors of Reality, who govern all natural laws and physics in the universe, sack him for going against his "contract", he settles down as a humble farmer. Eventually, when the Auditors introduce the "New Death" - a cold, monstrous phantom who represents fear and the unknown - to collect the souls of the deceased, the former Death goes and defeats him, earning his old job back and ensuring there is somebody doing the job who actually cares for others. Both of these aspects have poignant undertones, and we feel bittersweet as a result. Death wants nothing more than to be a good grandfather and to help people, but it's very difficult when he represents death itself. We, the readers, know he can never be truly accepted as "normal", but he does what he can to ensure others are safe and happy; and after all, what else does a hero need to be but a guardian and helper? We would not expect Death, of all people, to be a hero, so it makes it all the more comforting and interesting when he becomes just that.
There is potential for good in everyone. It's up to you to find that good and turn it into a strong, believable main character.
The AntagonistWhat is a hero without a villain? Without anybody to oppose them and makes things difficult for them, the protagonist would not have much to do, and the story would not be very interesting. The antagonist is simply the character who goes against the protagonist, gets in their way, creates problems they must overcome and ensures an uneasy journey. If there is conflict in a story, it is usually betweem the protagonist and their arch-foe or rival. Because they keep the story interesting, they are arguably almost as, if not just as or even more than, important to the story as the protagonist themselves.
The Villain"He who does not punish evil commands it to be done."
~ Leonardo da VinciWhen we think of the antagonist, we usually think of a villainous character. Somebody who is, at their core, evil. They represent the opposite of the heroes described above: whereas heroes do what's right, they do what's wrong. Where heroes do their best to help others, they only want to hurt others. Where heroes represent truth, honour and justice, they represent sin, deceipt and corruption. "Classic" villains are characters who are clearly designed to be hated and opposed: they are the black to the hero's white, the person who represents everything the hero dislikes or is against. For this reason, their role in the story was to cause trouble for the hero, but eventually be defeated, much to the delight of the readers. They have no redeeming qualities: they are evil, pure and simple. Examples of characters like this would be Sauron, Emperor Palpatine and Voldemort.
Villains have evolved since then, and with changing views on right and wrong came new opinions on how the antagonist should be portrayed. If you want to write a believable antagonist, then you should remember that nobody actually believes they are evil: they have their reasons for opposing the protagonist and doing wrong, be it because of differing morals, insanity or spite for the protagonist. Let's use a famous movie villain as an example of how even villains can have a good side, and how to have a well-rounded, believable antagonist.
Darth Vader may seem like a tall, imposing, intimidating lord of evil dressed in a black cape, but it would be unfair to label him as "evil": it is shown that the only reason he turned to the Dark Side was because of his will to protect his beloved wife at all costs. He was being manipulated by a greater evil, and eventually became so loyal to this evil that he chose to forsake morality in favour of power and revenge. He still possessed some semblance of justice, though, as he slays his master to save his son, whom he had previously attempted to coax into joining him; this act proves to the audience that he has a human side, as any parent who witnessed their child in danger would likely rush to their aid. Vader repents, and his spirit becomes one with the Force. Despite his evil deeds throughout the series, we cannot help but feel sorry for him - he is not really a villain, but a tragic character whose love for his wife lead to him becoming the unwilling slave of a madman. He once had likes, dislikes, hobbies, hopes, dreams and feelings, but he was forced to hide them beneath the iconic helmet he wears, a symbol of the loss of his old way of life. In this manner, he is not just a "flat" villain who only serves to do bad things: he is a realistic character, somebody whom we can believe in and accept as a person.
Another good type of villain is the "well-intentioned extremist": a character who believes, whole-heartedly, that what they are doing is the right thing and is for the good of the people. This view tends to conflict with the view of the protagonist, and this conflic of beliefs can make for an exciting and thought-provoking story. If you would like to include some moral and/or philosophical debate in your story, this is a good method of doing so. A good example of a "well-intentioned extremist" would be Sigma, the antagonist of the
Mega Man X series. Notice I don't call him a villain; this is because, at least compared to a few other Mega Man antagonists, Sigma is not necessarily evil. Looking at it from a purely objectional stand, robots are intended to be superior to human beings, and so they would be the next logical step of evolution. Sigma sees this as gospel, and wants robot-kind to become the dominant species. He is labelled a Maverick, but really, who is the true Maverick: the one who goes against "the norm", or the ones who oppose logical evolution? This is the kind of socio-philosophical debating your readers might enjoy, because it makes them think. On the other hand, if you're writing an action story or something similar, you may not want to overdo it on the deep thinking and profound questioning. As with all things, a good balance is needed.
The Villain in Disguise"I can smile, and smile, and be a villain."
~ William ShakespeareNot all villains are obvious, of course. Not all villains dress in black cape and wear the skulls of their slain enemies as trophies - in fact, many of them just seem like ordinary people. These villains, in some cases, are even more dangerous and fearsome than those described above, because it's difficult to label them. Generally, this type of villain falls under the category of "sociopath". They seem ordinary enough, nothing too unusual about them - except that, deep inside, they are cold, ruthless, sadistic and hateful people. Often, this might be the result of some form of childhood trauma; maybe they had an absusive alcoholic father who beat them, or maybe they witnessed their family being killed in front of them. Or maybe they just have a latent superiority complex and want to assert their dominance. Whatever the reason, something has transformed them from innocent victims to fiendish monsters. As we did above, we'll use another famous villain, this one perhaps a little less well-known, as our example.
Dio Brando of the manga series
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure began as just an ordinary boy living in Victorian England. His father, however, was a terrible aloholic, and would frequently get violently drunk and beat his son senseless. As well as that, he cruelly forced his wife to do all the work around the house, driving her to an early grave. Dio grew to hate his father, and as vengeance, poisoned him. As a final act of contempt, the young Dio visited the cemetary and spat on his deceased father's grave. After that, he was sent off to be raised by a wealthy nobleman. Dio became the adoptive brother of the nobleman's son, Jonathan. Jonathan was excited to have a brother, and did his best to make friends with Dio. Dio's hatred for his father was corrupted him as whole, though, and instead he chose to make Jonathan's life a living hell. He commited such cruel acts as kicking and burning Jonathan's dog, humiliating and beating Jonathan's girlfriend, pummeling Jonathan and even poisoining Jonathan's father. However, nobody suspected Dio of anything; he was viewed by others as a respectable young man, rather than what he actually was: a psychopathic madman who wished only to harm others. In a twist for the bizarre, Dio dons an ancient Aztec mask and sacrifices his humanity to become a vampire, proving to the readers that he is not an ordinary person. After a long, gruelling series of battles, Jonathan at last brings his psychotic brother's rampage to an end, and retires to a life of peace with his wife. Alas, Dio returns from the grave as a severed vampire head and attacks the ship Jonathan and his wife are travelling on. Jonathan's wife and a child she rescues escape, but Jonathan sacrifices himself to drag Dio with him to a watery grave. Dio is thought to be dead, but he returns a hundred years later, attaching his severed head to Jonathan's lifeless body, and continuing his terrible rampage, this time even more mighty and twisted then before. The reader can feel no sympathy for Dio, because the source of his insanity - his drunken, abusive father - is far outweighed by the atrocities he commits to the hero and those the hero holds dear. And what the reader must remember is that nobody even realises Dio could be behind such evil acts - he hides his wicked urges behind a sophisticated smile. To the outside world, he is a perfectly ordinary young man; to himself, he is like that of a god; and to those like poor Jonathan, he is the devil incarnate.
If you don't feel comfortable or ambitious enough to write a full-fledged super-villain, or just want to be different, this kind of villain is a good alternative. Be sure to remember that they may have feelings, too, and despite their sadism and insanity, they should not think they are actually evil. Remember that nobody truly believes they are evil.
Other CharactersWe'll finish up this lesson on characters with a very brief look at some other types of characters.
Deuteragonist and Tritagonist"To others we are not ourselves but performers in their lives cast for a part we do not even know we are playing."
~ Elizabeth BibescoThe other important characters in the cast; like the protagonist and antagonist, they are named after parts played by actors in Ancient Greek Theater. The deuteragonist is the second-most important character; they may be the "sidekick" in some cases. The tritagonist is the third-most important character. One could argue that the entire remaining "main cast" consists of deuter- and tritagonists. An example would be the
Mega Man X series: X could be seen as the protagonist, Zero as the deuteragonist, and Axl as the tritagonist.
Background Characters"Every human being has hundreds of separate people living under his skin. The talent of a writer is his ability to give them their separate names, identities, personalities and have them relate to other characters living with him."
~ Mel BrooksA word of advice: don't be so hasty to dismiss background characters. While they may seem like random, pointless, faceless characters - much like extras in a movie - they should still all have their own personalities, backstories, families, hobbies, and everything else that makes them unique. You may not choose to develop these traits, but it's still handy to remember that they're more than just faceless nobodies. For a fun and interesting twist, why not have a background character narrate the story, or even have the protagonist be just a simple civilian, with the "heroic" character as just a background person? It's a good idea to experiment sometimes, as long as you have fun with it.
And thus, the first lesson is concluded. I hope you have enjoyed it, and I hope you will find it useful.
~ Professor Rythm
To all writers, avoid Mary Sues, it's a GOLDEN rule.
PS: Mary Sues, for those who don't know, are those amazingly pretty, wise, intelligent, skilled, eternally young ladies in anime/fics/stuff whatever. They also beat the crap out of everyone with their magic and godly powers. And they attract the main character, eternal undying love crap and all.
Girly perfect ladies if you want. And I hate those in fics/writings/whatever (the reason why I hate Bollywood movies, also)
Some advice:
Mary Sues generally are bad, and you should do your best not to make the protagonist overpowered/overly popular.
But there is no way to avoid every cliche out there. You will always meet some. So don't get mad over that stuff. Besides, a character completely free of ALL cliches would be the blandest shell of what's supposed to be a character ever.
But if it helps, remember this:
A character is defined by their flaws. Not by their skills.