The PokéCommunity Forums

The PokéCommunity Forums (https://www.pokecommunity.com/index.php)
-   Writer's Lounge (https://www.pokecommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=120)
-   -   Main Characters (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=360232)

Ice December 23rd, 2015 12:56 PM

Main Characters
 
Every story is build upon main characters, be it a singular or multiple. They commonly are the lens that a story gets focused through, the reader's way into the world, and their experiences colour these lenses. A good set of main characters can make a book a lot more interesting, and developing them in the right way adds a lot of depth to a story.

A main character's story will dictate the plot quickly. Unless they just get dragged around by the plot without being able to make many decisions on their own. Their intentions and personality can be a great driving force behind a story. However, sometimes a main character is more a reader's surrogate into the world than a character in itself. Bella from Twilight is commonly brought up as an example for this. In this case the story doesn't rely as much on the main character to act, but on the world around them. Using Bella as an example for another M.C. strategy here, namely world explanation. A character that falls into a world more complicated than what they know allows for a great insight into it, and the fact that they don't know the world in all it's detail gives the characters around them a great motivation to explain. Other examples of this are the player character in the mystery dungeon series, or Harry Potter.

How do you go about main characters? Is there a archetype you prefer? Are there certain strategies you like to use in your stories? And another interesting point of discussion, are there certain character types you think aren't fit to be a main character?

Bay December 24th, 2015 5:16 PM

It's been a long while since I created my own main characters since I usually write about characters that are already created from the canon source and just go with my instinct how they would react in certain situations. I do create some original characters to interact with the canon characters and I tend to decide their personality, backstory, and their purpose in the story. That's the strategy I used also back when I did main original characters.

As for the question any characters I think shouldn't be main ones, nothing I can think of at the moment.

moon December 25th, 2015 12:45 PM

In my stories, I typically have several "main" characters rather than one. And there are no archetypes, really.

Well if I really think about it... The most "main" ones, the ones that are in focus for the first or most part of the story, they are pretty bland. There are not many truly odd things about them! I guess perhaps I use them as a base against which to show how all the other characters are unique and special in different ways?

bobandbill December 25th, 2015 7:47 PM

I usually work out my main character - or their details - after working out how they fit into the story through an iterative process. I tent to have a loose plot and events with some setting laid out first, then the character, then how the character reacts to certain events shapes the plot and etc. That in turn gives me a better idea on them as well as the story.

I don't think my main characters fit the same sort of archetype much... I guess they tend to be 'good' characters, although I have written from the POV of villains who were supporting actors. Some of late have been canon characters, but on the other hand mere NPCs with at most a battle and a few lines of dialogue, meaning I still have a fair bit to work with there.

Quote:

And another interesting point of discussion, are there certain character types you think aren't fit to be a main character?
I think any type of character can work - some just are easier or fit more stories than others, while others are more 'niche' or do require a stronger writer to manage.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 3:47 AM.


Like our Facebook Page Follow us on Twitter © 2002 - 2018 The PokéCommunity™, pokecommunity.com.
Pokémon characters and images belong to The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo. This website is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo, Creatures, GAMEFREAK, The Pokémon Company or The Pokémon Company International. We just love Pokémon.
All forum styles, their images (unless noted otherwise) and site designs are © 2002 - 2016 The PokéCommunity / PokéCommunity.com.
PokéCommunity™ is a trademark of The PokéCommunity. All rights reserved. Sponsor advertisements do not imply our endorsement of that product or service. User generated content remains the property of its creator.

Acknowledgements
Use of PokéCommunity Assets
vB Optimise by DragonByte Technologies Ltd © 2023.