Naomi Dawn Musch

Readers tire quickly of protagonists that are either too perfect or too ordinary. Have you ever read a book and thought, something about this book seems familiar, as if I've read it before, only to discover that yes, you have read that very book before, but it had been so entirely forgettable that you felt like you were experiencing more déjà vu than a real memory? On the other hand, have you ever had a novel, a character, a plot, stick with you for years and years, right down to its fine nuances?

If you've had either of these things happen, which you probably have, what made the difference? A casual reader might just say that one was more interesting than the other. But what made it interesting? What made you, as a reader, bond with the character of Book A, while the protagonist of Book B dissolved into the mists of memory?

I submit to you that it had something to do with the way the author displayed the character's secret strength within the first few pages of the book.

We hear a lot about "hook". I've written about crafting hook on this blog. But a huge part of making that hook sharp enough to grasp a reader by the vitals is to present a protagonist that has a secret strength. She can be a victim, or he can be an anti-hero, but no matter what, there has to be some compelling part of their core being that reaches into our hearts and burrows a root of strength.

Maybe the protagonist is a bank robber, but he has a special fondness for his young nephew who he likes to spend time playing with at the park. Maybe she is trapped in a dangerous relationship, but she has a huge imagination that helps her to escape it mentally, and eventually, physically.

Have you ever seen the 1999 movie The Straight Story? In it, an elderly Alvin Straight played by Richard Farnsworth is sadly ordinary. He's old. His adult daughter played by Sissy Spacek is challenged and still somewhat dependent on him. He's not allowed to drive a car anymore, and his overall health is in question. All he has is a riding lawn mower that barely runs and his small, non-descript home. His friends are old codgers like himself who seem content to sit around waiting to die. But Mr. Straight is determined. He's very determined, in fact,to see his estranged, 75 year old brother once again. While those around him think he's cracked, Straight rigs his small lawn tractor for the journey from Laurens, Iowa to Mt. Zion, Wisconsin. His determination to make amends with his brother is the strength that takes him from ordinary to extraordinary.

If we want our protagonists to resonate with readers past the finish of the book, then we need to reveal what makes them strong, even if they seem weakened by circumstances. We need to plant in them some seed of human vigor and that keeps them going in the face of adversity.

Think long and hard about this when you're working out the characterization of your novel's protagonist. What is his or her secret strength? How are you going to clue your readers in to it?

Write on!

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