Protagonist & Climax

The protagonist is always the character who is the most changed or transformed by the dramatic action in the story.

At the Climax (the scene right before the Resolution at the end), the protagonist does something to "show" the ultimate change or transformation. Whatever she does at the Climax -- the crowning glory of the entire story -- she is unable to do anywhere else in the story. She has to first endure all the dramatic action that comes before in order to gain the abilities and skills and new understanding of herself.

Make sure the action the protagonist takes at the Climax reflects this inner and outer growth and ask yourself if she could have acted in the same way anywhere else in the story.

Yes? Then rethink the Climax.

No? Then you're good to go!

Blah Protagonist

Character makes the story. Character draws us into the story. The reader and the audience have to like the characters before they will commit to the story.

A blah protagonist, passive, and pretty quiet (like writers often tend to be) makes for a blah, passive, quiet story.

To spice up the protagonist, give her a goal. The goal has to be specific and quantifiable. Gets her moving. Gets the story moving.

Give her something to do.

Start the story with a dramatic question:

Is she going to... or not? Will he.... or not? Did they... or not?

She takes steps necessary to answer the question.

A concrete goal gives protagonist action so the reader can react to what the character does rather than merely follow her internal monologue.

Get her moving. Let her actions define her.

Cut all flashbacks.

For more on goal setting:

• read my article in the March '10 issue of The Writer (on book stands mid-Feb.)

• Dreams versus Goals