How to Choose Your Main Characters

If you’re not someone who develops character before story, you might find it a little difficult to decide who deserves a place in your novel. Even if you figured out your protagonist, there will probably be several other characters that need to be thought about, depending on your story.

Choose your main characters by considering these important questions:

Why type of protagonist does your story need?

If you’ve already developed the basics of your story, you’ll need to know who it will revolve around. Think about your story and what type of person it needs. What should your protagonist be like? What do they want? How will they get it? Are they motivated? Is there something extraordinary about it? You don’t have to settle on your first idea. Experiment!

Who will stand in your protagonist’s way?

Do you have a villain in mind? What do they think about what the protagonist is trying to do? You need to consider that something will need to slow down or prevent the protagonist from getting what they want, if it’s not just their own flaws or an outside force. Your antagonist deserves just as much attention as your protagonist.

What characters will support your protagonist’s journey?

Take some time to think about side characters. How will they help or aid your protagonist? What are their own personal goals/motivations? What’s their purpose in the story? Remember, each character should want something.

Will you be switching POVs?

If you want to switch POVs, you might need more than one main character. Develop those characters separately and make sure you get each of their voices just right so they don’t sound the same. Consider which characters you want to focus on and how their stories might fit together.

-Kris Noel