Every story depends on how you introduce your protagonist. That first impression matters. If it falls flat or doesn’t provoke curiosity, your reader might not even make it to chapter two.
In this episode, we’ll talk about the most common mistakes writers make when introducing their protagonist, and I’ll give you three simple strategies to make your protagonist’s first appearance unforgettable – the kind of introduction that makes readers sit up, lean in and keep reading.
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Episode at a glance:
[03:37] Common Pitfalls
Protagonist introductions go wrong when writers front load irrelevant details, ordinary routines, backstory, or stay stuck inside the character’s head.
[06:46] Ground Your Character In Action
Put your character in motion, in time and space. They should be doing something that reveals who they are, and what they’re preoccupied with, setting up the main conflict to come.
[08:19] Give Your Protagonist A Here And Now Want
Your main character comes into the story already wanting something, even if they don’t know their big story goal yet. Give us a glimpse of their immediate desire, hinting at what’s missing.
[11:23] Let Us Meet Your Protagonist When Something’s Off Balance
We’re irresistibly drawn to characters in some kind of crisis, even if it’s small. Let’s meet your character in a state of instability, not when life is hunky dory perfection.
Links Mentioned In This Episode:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
You Are Here by David Nicholls
The House In the Pines by Ana Reyes
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
Quick Guide To Nailing Your Story Idea
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