It's hard to be the main character

Yes, yes, Eric Godvirdson - that's me - remembers that he promised an article next about the depth of the study of the world - but let's talk a little more about the characters. specifically - about the main character, the person around whom the narrative is built.

In the end, speaking of characters in general, it is impossible not to pay special attention to the main character. and to talk about the fact that being them is really not easy.

How often does the reader call the main character his favorite character?

It would be logical to say - oh, yes, almost always!

After all, the author invested so much effort into the main character, through him the writer tells everything he wanted to tell, the reader looks at the world through his eyes, goes hand in hand with him all that way!

As a rule, we get to know him first. And if not with the first one, then we will definitely know him better than the others, and much faster.

Without him, in the end, this book would not exist, and we, as a reader, would be bored without a faithful companion - the main, damn it, hero. The main character is the main one, because, in the end, this is a story about him.

Is it logical to get attached to the main character most of all?

Logically. And moreover, the author himself seems to hint that this is how it should be.

But, having a reading experience much more than a writer, and most importantly, regularly communicating with the same binge readers, we can say directly – but nothing like that.

The fate of the readers' favorite protagonist does not wait by default, and this is normal. But the fact that it is the main character who most often finds himself in the shadows, it is worth paying special attention to our taste.

Here it is, the main character's problem.

Strictly speaking, of course, not a problem. Rather, it is a feature.

It is always difficult for the main character – he is constantly in the focus of attention. They expect something unusual from him. They expect him to be a hero. Who's waiting? Yes, as a rule, everyone - both other characters and people reading the book. The main character is hurt by mistakes, illogicality, strange actions, and just weaknesses - either from within the world, if the author is harsh, like Stephen King, or from a reader who will blow up unreliable behavior in his reader's review to the nines ... maybe even fairly will.

It's hard to be the main character. And writing it is also very difficult. that's exactly why - that too much is assigned to the main character. And any falseness in writing will become noticeable immediately. If the heroes of the second plan are sometimes forgiven even some template - then to those who stand under the spotlight of the closest attention of the reader and the author, it is impermissible.

And yet - and it's not a fact that the main character will actually be appreciated and loved.

Personally, I have generally met the opinion that the main character is always "well, this", that is, a deliberately weak and unnaturally written character, and by and large its significance is not so great… Yes, that's the hell with two, gentlemen, as for my taste - both reader's and writer's.

The main character is not a passing figure at all, he cannot and should not be "like that". Yes, it is difficult - to create it truly complex and at the same time integral.

Probably, the surest way will be this: let the reader really feel like the one who is walking next to the hero. Not by themselves, because this is a slightly cheap move – but by those who shrewdly see everything that is happening to the hero. He will be... a little co-author of adventures. Companion, comrade, friend - the author and the hero.

Only then will it become easier for the hero to be him, and readers will love and remember the main character, and the reader himself will get a great time spent inside the world of the book.

And this is the most difficult part of what we call the craft-and-art of being a writer. Everyone finds their way to it by themselves: no seminars, manuals, lists of "questionnaires for characters" will teach you this. Seminars and clubs will only supply you with the "craft" part, and what is done according to the manual word for word may turn out to be completely unreadable in the end. This can be very easy - moreover, we have seen such examples more than once. Actually, here we come again to the topic of the depth of the world and the depth of character, and where it comes from. And so. This is a big and complex topic, and we will analyze it for you in the new year.

So, craft is only one side of the question, and all that is responsible for art, each author cultivates in his soul himself. As well as the image of the main character. therefore, let's say one thing at the end of this article - love your main characters! Whether you are a reader or a writer, you love. They deserve it, because they really have a hard time.

the image is taken from open sources on the Internet