#active protagonists

[secondhandsorrows]

Ways to Create More Active / Less Passive Protagonists

Recently I made a two-part post on passive protagonists, so what better day than today to get into some tips to help make protagonists less passive? This post will be relatively short — uni is a big ol' pain right now. Enjoy ~

Tip #1: Remember to give them a goal that matters to them.

What does your main character want? A goal is something that your character wants to achieve. It may not be the only goal throughout, and it usually gets resolved at the end of the story, whether the protagonist achieves it or not. It can be tangible like solving a crime, paying off a debt, reconnecting with a family member, or saving the kingdom. It’s completely unique and personal to that character. Ask yourself (or rather, your character) just how much they want/desire this and would do anything to acquire it. What does achieving this goal mean on a personal level to them? 

Tip #2: Identify the driving force that’s motivating your protagonist.

Underneath this want/desire, is the character’s motivation for it. As your protagonists goal(s) is the destination, motivation is the number one fuel that drives them to achieve it. It can be anything from survival tendencies, a psychological need, or made out from something internal such as backstory. 

What you can do to make their motivation more felt is by connecting their present ambitions and desires to significant moments in their past. As an example: if your protagonist is driven by a desire for wealth, uncover the childhood experiences that helped shaped his hunger for comfort and achievement— thus allowing readers to sympathize with his coming from a state of lack and revelational need to be content with the wealth he already has. 

Tip #3: Think about all the threats and dangers that could arise… and throw them straight into your protagonist’s face. 

Hey, life ain’t ever easy. It’s especially not much easier in a novel, whether you’re writing an action-packed thriller, a fantasy saga, a cozy romance, or a light-hearted coming-of-age. Every kind of story has some kind of conflict. You should introduce challenges for the protagonist that not only threaten the protagonist's external goal, but also their internal struggles. Push them out of their comfort zone! Also consider what will happen if they fail and what will change if they succeed. Let those stakes gradually elevate, and force them to confront their fears and darkest truths. 

Tip #4: Bring on the domino effect: allow the protagonist to influence the story.

We’d want to ensure that the protagonist is not a passive observer, but an active participant in shaping the narrative. In both the short-run and long-run, your protagonist’s actions will influence and affect the world around them. Their decisions, actions, and reactions should ultimately have consequences that ripple and escalate through the story. By having this sort of chain of events, you not only drive the plot dynamic, but also emphasize the protagonist's agency in shaping the course of events.

#writing tips #writing #writing advice #fiction #on writing #creative writing #character #story tips #passive protagonists #story conflict #writerscommunity #writer #writer stuff #writeblr #books #active protagonists #character goals #story goals #writers on tumblr #main character #character motivation

[spinaart]

hey leader!!!

#persona 3 #p3 fanart #makoto yuki #minato arisato #junpei yori #yukari takeba #i think their trio dynamic is the most overlook in any game #we talk about makoto in relation to anyone else but i always find it fascinating how #despite being the bro character. junpei initially resents makoto and actively has to work towards understanding him #as opposed to other bro characters who immediately love the protagonist #and i love how yukari learns to open up to him even through her own trust issues AND his aloof general attitude #to the point she behaves how she does in the answer (iykyk) #which is in my opinion (and like no one elses lol) one of the most compelling characterizations in a female character in persona #ok rants over. i just love these guys and i think they are sadly underappreciated #art #fanart #spin draws

[sketchy--akechi]

self indulgent twitter sketch dump

#my apologies been more active on twitter than here lately #persona 5 #persona 5 royal #p5r #shuake #akeshu #persona 5 protagonist #persona 5 joker #akira kurusu #kurusu akira #ren amamiya #amamiya ren #akechi goro #goro akechi #copkira best kira #liz art

[hedgehog-moss]

My top 10 nonfiction reads of 2023 (the asterisked ones are in French with no translation as of yet) :

Belle Greene, Alexandra Lapierre

The Indomitable Marie-Antoinette, Simone Bertière

Reporter: A Memoir, Seymour Hersh

Red Carpet: Hollywood, China and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy, Erich Schwartzel

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, Patrick Keefe

Servir les riches, Alizée Delpierre*

La Comtesse Greffulhe : L’ombre des Guermantes, Laure Hillerin*

Le Courage de la nuance, Jean Birnbaum*

The Book Collectors of Daraya, Delphine Minoui

Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Korea's Feminist Movement, Hawon Jung

#book recs #i haven't finished the last one yet but it's been good so far! i really admire these women's resilience and solidarity #some inspiring stories of political activism + insight into aspects of korean history i didn't know about #i wanted to do a half-fiction half-nonfiction list like last year but i've read mostly disappointing fiction this year :( #my favourites were probably kivirähk's the man who spoke snakish & catherynne valente's radiance; though it wasn't as good as orphan tales #i'm reading jacques abeille's les jardins statuaires right now and it's quite frustrating because on the one hand #it's well-written and interesting with original worldbuilding. on the other i'm 300 pages in and there have been #2 female characters. the purpose of both (so far) was to have sex with the male protagonist and only 1 has a name #which makes the read feel less original and more ''same old shit as far as i'm concerned''

[st-hedge]

My favourite Nintendo sports game is ocarina of time

#loz: oot #link #ganondorf #the first pic is referenced from concept art so he has a stoic mr fighty protagonist pose #this scenario just keeps developing out of my head #why is the racket broken? why is link climbing over the fence? #the door is right there #out of frustration? #so Ganon doesn’t put him in a headlock for cheating somehow #who knows #but why is he wearing a hoodie in a high activity sport? oh u know #the little transmasc things

[metamelonisle]

i actually know about kirby outside the context of smash bros or memes this makes me better than literally everyone i know irl and i am not joking

#i know him. hes the funny pink buall. his best friend is a penguin. he can't sing. he loves to explore. he is friendly to a fault. #he is a gourmet and a fledgling chef. he is a jack of all trades and a master of one at a time. he narrates each copy ability for you. #it is stated by one of his more analytical and cold enemies that he has infinite potential and assumes this is purely because he is strong. #but in truth his greatest strength is explicitly his kind heart and ability to turn his enemies into friends and villains into heroes. #he's afraid of bugs. he has no arch-enemies because they either die or become part of his ever-growing circle of friends. #he's like a shonen protagonist with a pastel aesthetic. except he's far more polite than most! #he likes to eat but (and i think this is extremely important) he actively tastes and savors the food he eats too. #he's altruistic and heroic to the point that his own kindness once took physical form to guide his (temporarily) fractured form to safety. #he has so much love in his heart that every villain who does die is presented as tragic just as much as it is cathartic. #he has a fondness for the simple pleasures of life and one of his major major strengths is getting people to appreciate em too. #he's a fun little fellow who's significantly brighter than everyone gives him credit for. #and he's even canonically nonbinary!!

[carrotkicks]

god ur skk at school got me thinking a lot about how much angst can they endure..... how silent and lonely chuuya looks....and i bet she looks even more gloomy the days after a bad experiment in the lab....having to look normal again when monday arrives....

and dazai having the time of her live making friends i love her i hope she can help chuuya :(

Yeah. yeah, see chuuya is basically a fish out of water in this au, she never knew how other kids her age acted or what their home lives were like untill she went to school, and since she's never had the experience of being a 'normal' kid or having a childhood at all. So seeing all the other students have freedom where she doesn't only makes her more miserable with her situation and she chooses to isolate herself and keep a distance to avoid the jealousy and pain. Chuuya's actual experience at school ends up going against the original goal of sending her in the first place (learning to communicate with people her age) and N definitley realizes this soon enough.

Dazai on the other hand is given a genuine chance at having a relativley normal teenage (as normal as you can get for the adoptive daughter of a crimelord but ok). Dazai is a character who's really influenced by their environment, so NOT being in the actual mafia really improves her mental state exponentially, and being friend with the ADA trio brings out her heroic side a lot more. Another thing, Dazai does WANT to be part of the Port Mafia, out of curiosity and probably because it would be cooler, but essentially isnt allowed to (she's not allowed to touch dad's work lol). Ultimatley she's going to join the detective agency anyways but the journey there will involve less trauma.

#also maybe daz reminds mori of yosano in a way so he's trying harder with her. making up for his mistakes by giving her a normal childhood? #maybe thete a little bit of over protective dad gender bias thrown in there. 'i'd let my son in the family business but never my daughter'. #in anycase mori stifling dazai in a way thats ultimately beneficial to her by not letting her get involved with the criminal underworld #N is stilfing chuuya in a way that's actively harming her. good thing dazai's in her shounen protagonist era lol #ask #sends them to school au

[carlyraejepsans]

Tragic! Gorgeous game with extremely moving premise deathly afflicted with 2011 dialogue writing

#playing to the moon with kal and i cannnnot stand the protagonists jc #like i remember there being a plot point about ethical questioning of their corporation with protests etc #so i am PRAYING that their irony poisoned attitude gets dissected and dismantled in the story #but so far it is very grating. in a way that actively distracts and takes away from the emotional beats of the story #which is doubly annoying because eva DOES have small moments where it seems like she connects with johnny on a human level #but they never go anywhere. #like kal said ''it would be better if they were either way better people or a lot worse'' #this way it's just. annoying

[ladyluscinia]

OFMD fandom has me thinking about Protagonist Centered Morality, like, in general.

I feel like we only call it that when we think it's been handled wrong and are criticizing it, even though - let's be honest - we have all bought into some degree of protagonist centered morality in our favorite show. Like. It's the beating heart behind the very idea of a Mook - the faceless darkside minion that your heroes can destroy without any moral consequence for that action because who gives a shit? It's basically inescapable in every cop-show (or reskinned cop show like spn), chosen one story, action movie, revenge quest, underdog tale... we fucking love it when the universe agrees "yeah they earned that" and will generally just roll our eyes at people going "ok but you know your fictional murderers are doing bad things, right?"

Until we don't.

And, like, as an offshoot of this... 99% of the time, when you're criticizing a show for its protagonist centered morality, the most straightforward way to get your point across is complaining about whatever happened. "X did Y and then we're just supposed to forget about it?" Or "X is being such a hypocrite about Z!" And then someone else (real or hypothetical) pushes back with some point about how the story / other characters / etc. don't treat this as a problem and that kicks off the framing criticisms. But is it really about what they did?

People will object to the protagonist centered framing of actions they don't consider that serious, and be satisfied or unconcerned with the framing of actions they find borderline unforgivable. Protagonist centered morality can casually handwave (or seriously penalize) the whole spectrum of morally questionable actions from being a shit in high school to committing massive war crimes. Sometimes the primary complaint is that the protagonist already took a stance against this action, so now being fine with doing it themselves is hypocritical and out of character, and the problem with protagonist centered morality seems to be more that it's letting the OOC part slide.

The concept engages with genuine criticism of a characterization or character's actions as a shorthand, but the part it's actually complaining about is closer to feeling the narrative failed somewhere on a meta level to calibrate how much the audience should care about this event (and what level of in-universe caring would then satisfy).

It's not (at least usually) a fancy way of putting forward character crit of the good guys - most people who want to do that are just going to do so directly. If anything it has more in common with being upset at a story for breaking your Suspension of Disbelief (usually in the arena of character relationships).

#media #tropes #analysis #fandom culture #suspension of disbelief #protagonist centered morality #i'm mostly just rambling here after seeing lots of back and forth flame stuff just bounce entirely off the points being made #like you can't argue someone around to your pov on this by doubling down on how there's no issue until they make one #or defending your fave from perceived attacks. it's not *about* blorbo it's about the meta narrative #see: criticizing the fact the spn universe treats dean winchester's pov as divine law is not really deancrit #in fact my poor blorbo is actively denied character growth because he's fundamentally no allowed to be wrong #ladyluscinia

[arlathvhenan]

Can Solas Actually Die?

Here's something that's kinda messing with me over the whole 'will your protagonist have the option to kill Solas' question.

Can he even die?

I'm sure his physical body can die. But plenty of characters in this franchise have proven that it's possible for certain individuals to essentially defy death because they don't need a physical form to continue existing and operating within the world.

If he's anything like Mythal, being dead probably would be more of a setback than a definitive end. In fact, I think there's a strong possibility that the Solas we met in Inquisition isn't the original Solas in the sense that he isn't inhabiting his original body. I have my theories on that, but won't get into them here as they're not terribly relevant.

So hypothetically, if Solas doesn't need a living body to...you know live then what does that mean for his role in the next game? Let's say the protagonist does have the option to kill him. Assuming he was always going to have a change of heart and end up siding with Team Protagonist regardless of how the PC feels about him would he then be Spirit Solas for the rest of the game?

Picture that. We reach the climax of the first big story arc in the game. Whatever Big Thing we know is going to happen has happened. Solas is at the mercy of the PC and there's the big moment. Spare him or kill him. Mercy or death. Our hypothetical PC choses death and that goes however the heck it goes. Big fat Varric Greatly Disapproves banner pops up.

Everybody goes back to the base and it's tense and awkward and doesn't really feel like the victory the PC might have been expecting. All scrambling to figure out what to do in the wake of the Big Thing. And then when the PC goes off to brood and think about what the next steps are--surprise bitch!

The guy you just killed is right there with you, and he's going to help wether you like it or not.

Idk why but I would find that so entertaining? The rest of the game is essentially the most awkward buddy cop adventure in history. The spirit of your former adversary is now the sidekick you begrudgingly have to drag along Thedas with you because he has information and abilities you're gonna need to save the world. Fuckin golden.

#solas dai #solas dragon age #solas dread wolf #solas #dreadwolf theories #the vindictive bitch in me wants players who refuse to try and empathize with solas being punished with his begrudging friendship #I'll be honest I think he'd be a lot happier as the PC's personal advisor than actively doing the protagonist shit #solas hates being a protagonist its depressing as hell #he just wants to be a nerd and answer your questions

[digirainebow]

the holy trinity

#digi discusses #the big con is winning the birthday poll and amanda neuron activated me about teen exo so i was. rotating them #this color scheme = best protagonist possible #oxenfree #the big con #i was a teenage exocolonist

[secondhandsorrows]

The Passive Protagonist: Pt. 1

In my last post, we went over the glue that brings character and plot together to make a cohesive, compelling story that helps to keep readers engaged, known as conflict. Without conflict, you just a narrative that goes nowhere: a whole bunch of words on a page that makes someone go “Huh, what’s the point of all this, then?”

But there’s one more thing to keep in mind: how your protagonist takes to the conflict, themselves.

Beware of the “passive protagonist”!

On one hand, active protagonists are more proactive and take steps to get what they want or to overcome something. They make choices and decisions that move the story forward. On the other hand, passive protagonists sit back for things to happen instead of making them happen — they simply react. The main takeaway here is what makes passive protagonists less memorable is the fact that they’re not doing anything worthwhile (or worth remembering, for that matter). 

Sure, you can have a main character that starts off lazy or unassuming; that is, until they’re encouraged to do something about the problems that are coming at them left, right, and center. Now, they’re not so passive, anymore. They’re in a state of both reaction and proaction, and because of this, undergo change and an arc that can appeal to readers. They respond and become reluctant heroes— only driven to action once the stakes get serious enough. Suddenly, they have a goal: to protect a loved one, to avoid a catastrophic possibility, to survive when they’re being threatened, to take an opportunity by its horns before it slips away. You just don’t want to have a protagonist that starts and ends off passively, contributing nothing substantial or meaningful to the story or plot. 

As the protagonist keeps waiting, soon then will audiences find themselves waiting, too -- waiting for that character to do something so that they can find out what happens next without the story and its sequences feeling slow-paced or meaningless.

There can (and should) be a reason as to why they’re passive, be it their backstory or outlook on life. Your character might prioritize observance rather than participation. They may be holding back because of fear or trauma. They could think themselves an outcast, or perhaps they’re dependent on others or lack individuality, unremarkable or indistinguishable from the herd. No matter the case, they should want something. 

"But what if I really want my protagonist to be passive?"

This kind of thing also depends on the kind of story you want to tell when it comes to having a passive protagonist, if you really want to have one. They tend to work better in short stories, as there’s limited word count to work with in such a small timeframe. 

When you have a plot-heavy story with adventure, drama, twists and turns... a passive protagonist from beginning to end isn’t going to the kind of character a reader might want to read about. A passive protagonist may seem like they’d be relatable to an audience, but in reality, its their personality and the struggle that makes them more sympathetic. 

Passive protagonists also tend to work better when their main purpose is to serve as a window into the life of a secondary character who’s life and decisions seem more important. In these cases, they’re simply the POV character in a story that isn’t about them in the first place, so the audience can experience the story through their eyes (for example, Nick Carroway from The Great Gatsby).  

Change is scary… this we know for certain. But, what’s more admirable, a character sitting back and letting all the terrible things pummel them without mercy, or a character brushing off the dirt and getting back up time and time again despite the costs? It’s hard to care about someone who does or accomplishes nothing. 

Anyways, I hope this all makes sense, if not at least a little bit. In the next part, I will list some ways you can identify a passive protagonist as well as what steps you can take to make them more active.

Thanks for reading!

#writing advice #fiction #writing #writing tips #creative writing #on writing #passive protagonists #active protagonists #story conflict #character #writing characters #writing choices

[spider-xan]

Mina didn't knock out Griffin with a metal bucket after outsmarting him by splashing him with paint to make him visible while the men struggled just to have people say that the comics sidelined her for being a woman and only the men got to do anything in the action scenes.

#lxg #league of extraordinary gentlemen #mina harker #mina murray #she is literally an active participant in every action scene in the first volume #for all of the comics' many problems #mina being sidelined bc she's a woman is not one of them #she is literally the protagonist and leader and most proactive member of the team

[taitavva]

if i draw during lecture does that make me a bad student ????? .... no (<- lying)

#i swear it helps my active recall #i SWEAR !!! #first time drawing shiho & it looks NOTHING like her #help. #just pretend its uhh #a professional volleyball player au #persona 5 #p5 #persona 5 royal #p5r #medibang #2022 #illustration #digital fanart #goro akechi #persona 5 protagonist #akira kurusu #ren amamiya #ann takamaki #shiho suzui #3 hours #hate drawing w/ my finger i cant see shit

[villainihavedonethymotheronao3]

Not hating on the players but I cannot get behind Fjord as the Marquis of Nicodranas wishcasting floating around. This man has taken an oath to forever roam the seas! He is addicted to getting on boats and getting his shit rocked on boats, and sinking the boat but it’s okay because there’s always a new boat out there for him, the Wildmother’s special little boy. Politics would not allow him to pursue his passions (pushing big red arcane buttons and casting Underwater Breathing on his whole crew every twenty-four hours). He needs a larger enclosure, preferably with haunted shipwrecks and fucked up creatures to upset.

He is admittedly a very charming man who could and would depose the current Marquis of Nicodranas, I’m just not sure he’d keep the post for himself. Here’s a short list of other people he’d install into power and then backseat Marquis whenever he’s in town.

1. Vandran. Worried about your old Captain in his retirement? Make him a local political figure and stack his court with loyalists. He definitely won’t get bored and you don’t have to worry about tariff laws.

2. Marion Lavorre. Nicodranas loves her anyways, she’s one of the most diplomatic people out there, and it would be very funny if The Gentleman escaped the law by becoming the local authority’s boy toy.

3. Marius LePual. You know who can be peer-pressured into absolutely anything and loves fancy shirts? Marius isn’t going to get swayed by some chump from the Cerberus Assembly. He saw Fjord get stabbed by a fish man at midnight he knows what side his bread is buttered on.

4. Kingsley. There’s no rule that the Marquis of Nicodranas can’t also be the Plank King. This sets off three years of furious cold war and ultimately mends the rift with the Revelry.

5. Veth Brenatto. She receives: a big fancy house, power, unlimited hors d’oeuvres, something to do when camps aren’t running. He receives: insider political intelligence, another way to make fun of Veth, the best guest room guaranteed and sealed with a blood pact.

#fjord stone #critical role #he’s an adventure lad with an adventure wife #one of his core aspects is this unrelenting need for change #he’d be good at politics but eventually I think his urge to dive into the unknown would take over #and he’d run head first into the sea like a 19th century novel protagonist #Nicodranas is too nice of a city it doesn’t have enough dark secrets and eldritch horrors for him to put his hands all over #the politicking probably doesn’t involve a lot of direct threats and menace…. #he can’t even swing his fancy sword around and point it at other nobles #maybe if Kingsley could stabilize relations with the revelry and he could be a pirate ambassador #that’s a political position full of fjord activities

[qualityrain]

low effort shitposting based on a convo with a friend

#my friend is actively trying to block out akechis outfits frok his mind #good for them 🫶 #persona 5 #akechi goro #persona 5 protagonist #p5r #my art #doodle #doodles