Who’s your most boring character in your novel?
how can this be fixed? do you put yourself into your own story? how does this hurt you?
Chances are the most boring character in your novel is your lead character. Don’t feel bad most writers make this mistake. But this is not good because the success of a book comes down to the lead. And the reader wants to enjoy the book.
However, if your lead character is the most boring the book will fail right away.
In this blog, we will be looking at and fixing Who’s your most boring character in your novel?
WHO’S YOUR MOST BORING CHARACTER IN YOUR NOVEL?
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Writers know this but still, make the lead actor boring. We need to ask the big question, why is this? Why do so many writers make their lead character the most boring?
In truth, writers have the funny habit of putting themselves into their novels. Most writers grew up as daydreamers. In our daydreams, we picture ourselves in wild crazy adventures. When we watch a movie we put ourselves into the movie as the star. No matter how crazy the plot we picture ourselves saving the day.
WRITER’S PUT THEMSELVES INTO THEIR NOVELS
Your average moviegoer doesn’t write novels, but those who do continue the old habit of putting themselves in the lead role.
But here’s the problem you are not the star of your novel. You are only the writer. You see the events play out in your mind and write it down. In a way, a novelist is nothing more than a reporter. You do not take sides you simply document what you see. That’s easier said than done.
THE CHARACTER BECOMES PASSIVE, NOT ACTIVE
It’s an old habit to place yourself into your novel. But when you do your lead character becomes a passive viewer of all the events. They do not take action. They do not say the wrong thing, nor do the wrong thing. Sitting back and watch all the minor actors come to life and do all the action.
Readers do not read your book to see others taking action. They do not want to see the lead actor sitting around not doing anything. The lead actor should be pushing the plot forward through action. Not having the plot push them forward. The lead character comes across as boring.
THIS WILL HOLD YOU BACK AS A WRITER
Most writers are nervous of having friends and family reading the book and knowing the lead character is you. So you feel embarrassed when the lead character does something silly, dumb or naughty. You worry your family will read the book and give you strange looks. So you hold back on having the lead character doing anything “you wouldn’t do”.
The lead character ends up being the least described character because you know yourself, you don’t feel the need to explain who you are to people. You feel they should already know you. But in reality, your lead actor is not you. You need to describe the lead so strangers reading your book will understand the lead actor.
YOU AVOID GOING DEEP INTO YOUR CHARACTER
Plus, most writers see themselves as private introverted people. They don’t want to look into their own soul and put it down on paper for others to judge. Most people don’t like doing a psychological profile on themselves, most people like avoiding themselves. So when you make your lead actor you, you tend to avoid going too deep into the character conscious knowing on a subconscious level you have to look within your own heart. Plus you feel embarrassed having others read your book and “getting to know you.”
This is why the rebel bad boy of the novel becomes the fan-favorite. This is the character who the author can live through. A mask for the writer to wear. Have the bad boy get into adventures. Think of how Han Solo is the bad boy in “Star Wars”. You can’t help but feel George Lucas made himself Luke Skywalker and lived through Han Solo. In real life George Lucas could not do what Han Solo does so he creates a character for the movie. In the end, most kids want to be Han.
YOUR BEST CHARACTER ENDS UP BEING YOUR VILLAIN
Your best character you’ll have fun writing is the villain. This is were you do not have to hold back, you don’t have stress about being the character. In no way do you live through this character. You’re free to make them bad and not worry about being judged for it. They end up being the most complex person in your book. We get to know them more than anyone else. What ends up happening is the reader will connect with the villain more than anyone. As a writer, this is not good. You want the reader connecting with the lead.
Stephen King frees himself of putting himself into his novels. He knows how to build a wall between his novel and himself. This opens a wonderful door as a writer. Now he is free to have his lead character do anything. Sometimes your lead character might do something wrong, something evil or flat out dumb. But when you separate yourself from the lead you can freely write all the silly dumb things your protagonist will do.
ONCE YOU LEARN THIS TECHNIQUE
As a reader you must separate yourself from all the characters in your book. You are not them in any way. You’re an outside observer to what’s happening. You simply tell the story. Once you learn this technique it will free yourself to truly write. You will not be trapping yourself into not writing fully. Ask any great writer what was the hardest thing to do and they’ll say freeing themselves from putting themselves into their own novels. But it’s the most liberating thing to do. Afterward, you can write about anything you want. Your lead character becomes the most interesting. They becomes active, not passive. They control the action of the plot, instead of the plot happening to them.
As a writer we must always remember why someone sits down to read a novel. They want to be taken on adventures. To see the world without living in their house. They want your novel to be exciting. They want to learn about a world they see outside their window. We all love daydreaming and novels take that daydream to a new level. With rich detail and description.
IT MAKES THE DAYDREAM BORING
Long ago humans sat around campfires listening to wonderful stories being told by the “storytellers.” As they listened they daydreamed the adventure was happening to them. They lived through the story. The lead character could do things a real person could not. The lead character was brave standing up to the bad guys. Something we all wish we could do. By reading a novel it all comes to life. But if your lead actor does nothing but stands around, it makes the daydream boring.
Why read about someone who does nothing? We do nothing in our daily lives, why should the star of the novel do nothing as well? It breaks the very reason why we’re reading the story to start with. We want to picture in our minds a hero jumping from tall buildings, in a car chase, romantic love stories. Winning in the end, all problems solved. Living happily ever after.
WE CARE ABOUT THE BRAVE KNIGHT
AS a writer it’s your job to put your hero in the greatest danger throughout the novel. Leaving the reader turning the page to see how they’ll get out of the cliffhanger. As a writer, you need to make sure your protagonist takes charge, does not stand around. Is the first one into battle, the one who stands up to the villain no matter how powerful. We care about the knight who faces off against the dragon, not the wizard who watches from a distance. Yes, it’s true the wizard is powerful, but it’s the one who takes action we care about the most.
For they’re the ones we daydream of being. No one wants to daydream about being the guy who watches from a distance.
you might be interested in these blogs…
PUT YOUR PROTAGONIST IN THE GREATEST DANGER
HOW TO MAKE YOUR NOVEL IRRESISTIBLE TO ALL READERS
THE GREATEST SECRET TO WRITING AN AMAZING NOVEL
