Classes Coaching Critiques Podcast Blog About Us

#46: The Top Ten Indicators that Your Main Character is Driving the Action

Season #2

Last week we discussed four things you must do if you've given your character the trait of "selfishness ". This week I want to discuss what it looks like for a main character to actually be the one who's driving the action in story. 

How to test whether or not your protagonist is the one driving the action

Too often, writers create passive protagonists. This is where things happen TO that character. They don't make things happen. But a fundamental characteristic of great storytelling is that your main character must be the one who makes things happen. They must be driving the action of the story.  And while we know this on some level, on another level, this idea confuses us. We simply don't understand what it means for a main character to drive the action of the story. To that end, I've listed the Top Ten Markers that you can use to test who is actually driving the action of your story. 

The question is: What does it actually look like when your main character is the one driving the action of the story.  Use these  ten criteria to test who's driving the action. If it's not your protagonist making things happen in your story, you need to rework the plot. 

DOWNLOAD FULL TRANSCRIPTS FOR FREE on the podcast page of our website.

UP NEXT - Next week we're going to have a real discussion about how to overcome the stress of writing. Every writer has experienced the daunting pressure of a deadline, piled on to all the pages you should have, could have, or would have written if ____. We all know how it feels, so join me on next week's episode I give you the tool you need to shift your mentality and get your WIP finished. 

HELPFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES -The Storyteller’s Mission online platform offers one-on-one COACHING, SCRIPT and MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUES, and ADVANCED CLASSES ON WRITING. Send us an email at [email protected], or if you have a question or a specific writing related topic that you would like Zena to consider addressing on a future episode, LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL!