9 Common Writing Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Main Character
Your story’s protagonist is the conduit for the audience to experience your story through. Over the course of the pages, readers will spend a massive amount of time getting to know the character and, if all goes well, emphasizing with them and their point of view. So it is the author’s job to make their central character intriguing.
I cannot overstate the importance of putting time into making your character unique when you are planning your novel. Even the most gripping novels can fall flat if the protagonist cannot capture the audience’s attention.
If you have ever wondered how to craft a dynamic main hero/ heroine, or alternatively, you are worried your current one isn’t up to the test, this article is for you.
Here are ten of the most common mistakes authors make when writing their main characters:
Do NOT, under any circumstances, make them perfect
It goes without saying; if you want readers to like your character, write a likable character. Simple right?
Well, as it turns out, there is a difference between likable and boring. Nobody wants to read three hundred pages about an impractically perfect human being. That’s just dull, and no one is going to relate to a perfect protagonist unless they have a terminal case of self-centereditus.
Characters that are too perfect are called Mary/ Gary Sues. Avoid these at all costs.
If you don’t know whether your character is a Sue, there are some easy ways to find out.
Ask a beta reader or critique partner to look at your first couple of pages.
Take an online quiz- HERE–
Go through the checklist:
a) Does your character have any character flaws aside from an adorable allergy to pollen?
b)Does everyone who comes into contact with your character immediately like/ fall for/ befriend them?
c) Are they unusually good with animals and children?
d) Is the plot a marathon of unfortunate, and completely unfair occurrences brought on by the selfishness of those around your character, despite their unfailing kindness to everyone
e) Are they uncannily beautiful/attractive, to the point where it is brought up at least once a chapter?
f) Is everything about their appearance slim, graceful, and beautiful?
g) Alternatively, can they make every situation cool, while maintaining their hair
h) Are they completely unaware of their own good looks to the point of naivety?
I) Are they naturally talented at everything?
j) Do they have an immense and mysterious power that only they can wield?
k) Do they have a membership card for the legion of chosen ones?
If you answered yes to a) and two or more of these questions, then your character might be a lil-sue. If you answered yes to a) three, then they are a front-row Sue, and if you answered yes to all of these, then you have come down with a real bad case of what I like to call mash potato character syndrome, where your protagonist is a bland pile of mushy perfection.
It’s important to remember that any of these on their own aren’t necessarily bad. Your character can be likable, beautiful, skilled, talented, chosen ect, but they have to have some kind of conflict.
Remember that being likable and being perfect are not the same thing. There are plenty of likable villains. That’s why the popularity of the antihero is on the rise. People love to love bad guys. Especially if they are sympathetic.
So, if you do have a Mary Sue, or a too perfect for comfort character, what can you do about it?
2. Don’t be afraid to give them flaws
Don’t skimp on the side helping of character flaws. While your main probably shouldn’t be the most repulsive, dysfunctional character that ever lived, you can absolutely give them some quirks. Odds are your readers also have a few faults and it goes a long way to humanize them.
Personally, I am a walking ADHD disaster. You know who else is, my fav boi Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf. He’s hyperactive, anxious, and a complete spaz, but he makes it look fun. There is nothing I love more than seeing a character rock something I struggle with. And I doubt I’m alone in that.
If you are struggling to decide what to curse your character with, here are some of the most common character flaws that I have observed:
Arrogance seems to be a popular one
Cowardice
Low self-esteem
Unresolved trauma that manifests during crucial moments
Jealousy
Unsure of their place within the world
Anger management issues
Anxiety
Depression
Resentment
If you are feeling up for the challenge, you can always try an unusual flaw:
Overly talkative
kleptomaniac
Learning disabilities
Insomnia
Overly trusting to the point of naivete
An all-round air head (as a fellow airhead, my dream is to encourage a legion of idiots)
To name a few.
You get extra points if you tie your character’s flaws to the plot.
There are two ways to play this off:
A) Hamartia: as in a fatal flaw. The moment when your character’s unwillingness to grow results in disaster.
This was frequently overdone since the time of ancient Greek texts. Modern examples include Raya and the Last Dragon, where the main characters’ deep-seated mistrust ended up bringing her worst fears to fruition.
B) The optimistic: Where your character’s issues avoid a catastrophe, causing them to re-evaluate their opinion about X.
This, while less common, could look like a character’s naivety in choosing to trust an obviously shady villain, which only encourages them to switch sides at the last moment and circumvent a tragedy. Thus, throughout the process, the character learns that while they are often ignorant, their ability to see the best in people has advantages.
An example of this is shown in the show Gravity Falls, where Maybel’s blind faith in her family, despite a seemingly sinister intention, ultimately saved them.
Remember that giving your character depth means giving them imperfections. If you find yourself with a Mary Sue, this is one of the easiest ways to turn their flat tortilla personality into deep dish pizzas- lots of layers.
3. Don’t write your main character to be a self-insert
Never say never, but you have to be careful if you go this route. Most people, me included, are not self-aware enough to model their main characters after them, while simultaneously picking up on their own flaws in a way that is compelling to the audience.
If you have your heart set on this, then you have to give it a lot of thought. Write down what you believe are your biggest flaws, pick the ones you find the strongest, and try to work them into the story.
On a that note….
4. Don’t obnoxiously copy a popular character
Everyone takes inspiration from characters they admire. But there is a way to do it without landing yourself in Copywrite prison.
Take the aspects you love, that draws you to the character and try to apply them in your own way. What is special about the favorite character that you want to recreate? Do you admire Buffy, or her courage and loyalty?
Alternatively, what would you change about your favorite character? You can improve upon, alter, change, and apply your own head cannons to your favorite character. If you do it correctly, by the time you are done they won’t be recognizable anymore- they will be yours.
Be careful though. Fanfiction exists for a reason. If you want to write a fifty-chapter story about your favorite television ship, then go do that. If you want to write an original, self-contained novel, then maybe steer clear of that.
5. Remember, evil is better than boring
Your protagonist doesn’t have to be the shining light of morality in a dark and unjust world- they just have to be interesting.
Likability is very subjective, but if your reader is bored too tears, it will definitely affect their enjoyment of the story. A good way to do this is to play with the duality of your protagonist.
They can be a hero who makes sloppy decisions. They can also be ambiguous to keep the audience guessing about their motivations. Or they can be a villain. Perhaps there are no villains, only two sides with valid yet ultimately sympathetic viewpoints.
Anything that sparks a tired plot will create tension for your readers to latch on to. Whatever you decide to do, just remember to make sure that your protagonist surprises the audience at least once in the story by acting differently than expected.
Even a boringly predictable character can actually be on the verge of pulling the rug out from under your audience, and in doing so making the reader re-evaluate their perception of the character.
6. Don’t make it too easy for them
“Wow, it sure was awesome how Harry defeated Voldemort on his first try. He really is talented and special. What a magical ten pages that was.”
–said no one ever.
Yes! Of course, protagonist A is ultimately going to defeat Villain B. That’s not your goal as an author. Your actual goal is to trick your audience into doubting the victory. That’s what conflict is, something that allows readers to suspend their disbelief in a happy ending, and allow themselves to invest in the scene’s suspense. It’s this that gives the characters strife meaning.
The harder you make your protagonist struggle towards victory, the more your readers will share in the relief of achieving it.
Did we think Luke wasn’t going to beat Darth Vadar?
NO! We knew it was going to happen from the first movie. Yet it still felt like a victory when he managed it. That’s because the journey of a small-time farm boy who saved the universe became more important than the heavy-handed resolution.
Get the character from point A to Z, just make sure that the journey is twisting.
7. Don’t make them universally adored
Imagine Naruto, but everyone loved him.
In most famous television shows, there is usually the blunt, unsympathetic character that always has an insult handy. Think about the Malfoys of the world. While they can be annoying, these characters stir up conflict and give rise to character growth and dynamic relationships.
You should mix up your protagonist’s interpersonal relationships the same way you mix up the plot. Create supportive friends for your character, and create characters that work as obstacles, snippy truth-tellers, trouble stirrers.
No story will get very far if there is only one brand of friendship. Not only is it static, but it is unbelievable. Who had ever had gotten to live their entire lives by avoiding toxic friends, messy break-ups, bullies, and arch-nemesis?
8. Steer clear of the overly angsty protagonist
I said audiences liked messy characters. They dislike a character that is unnecessarily angsty.
I once beta’d for a girl with a promising premise, unsure how to tell her that her protagonist was an angsty lil-potato (the uncooked version of a mashed potato character).
Having an emotional/ upset character can be great for infusing your hero with emotions, conflict, and circumstance. However, the thing with angst is it has to be earned to some measure.
A character has every right to relent over the upsetting events that transpired throughout the course of your story, or before, as long as the audience empathizes and understands the situation. What does that look like? Well:
Julia Jacobs was broken up with the same day she realized her mother wasn’t who she said she was. The combined blows sent Julia spiraling down a well of self-pity as her innate fears were actualized within the span of a couple of hours, which caused her to lash out at her sister, sending a series of events spiraling out of her control.
Julia is upset here, playing on themes that were introduced and slowly leading up to this moment.
Meanwhile, Jilia Jacobs decided that the academic pressure her father had put on her three pages prior was stifling. As such, she lashed out at her boyfriend, then her father, then her boyfriend again, then ran away into the bushes only to stumble onto the love interest of act two, to relent about the harrows of being Jilia.
Buy a Puzzle Jilia! Get a Hobby!
9. Above all, remember why your MC deserves to be the main character
You should give some long hard thought about why your protagonist deserves to be the main course, instead of one of the sides. What is so special about them that your audience will relate to them, even over all the other characters in your book? Are they really the right lens to reveal your plot through? Or is it actually their best friend?
In the movie Zootopia, the deuteragonist Nick Wilde was originally supposed to be the main character, only to be replaced with his sidekick, the optimistic Judy Hopps, later in production. This was done in an effort to match the story’s upbeat message about acceptance.
Just remember that your character doesn’t have to be the most special or unique. They just have to be an interesting choice.
Try to make them empathetic to the audience, flawed enough to grow as a person, yet humble enough to accept help. There is no right answer for writing a perfect main character, only pitfalls to try and avoid.
When crafting your main character, so many of the mistakes above can be avoided by just putting in the time and effort, sitting down with a pen and paper and fleshing them out, little by little.
Check out more tips to write a good character here!