When publishing a novel, making sure you have a well-rounded, involved and interesting protagonist is important. The protagonist generally serves as a novel's reactionary force. The protagonist reacts to a situation or circumstance that has somehow altered the world they live in and they desire to change it, either retroactively or progressively. So they do not typically set the plot in motion, but this does not mean that they are passive characters.http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/node/3590368
The protagonist is usually the main character in the story and receives the most attention. The protagonist is typically the central point at which the rest of the story rotates. Supporting characters and antagonists influence the path which the protagonist takes.
How to Publish a Novel: Protagonist Video
Donna Sozio, author and publishing consultant, discusses how to create a protagonist for your book in this video produced by the Mahalo video team. Donna speaks about how a protagonist should be an active part of the story, doing things and saying things that affect the story world. She also talks about how protagonists should have specific goals and transform in some way in order to achieve them.
Step 1: Character Creation
When creating a protagonist, it's important to keep in mind that they should have a strong passion to create or change something in the story world. A successful and memorable protagonist generally has extraordinary personality traits, abilities and desires. These factors should be considered in relation to the plot, themes, supporting characters and antagonist in the story.http://uphillwriting.org/2010/04/25/10-questions-to-ask-when-creating-a-protagonist/
Step 2: Implementation
As you put your protagonist into your story, fleshing out their details and traits, consider what point of view you'd want for your narrative overall. The protagonist can be the teller of the story from a first-person perspective. The alternative is a narrator, who takes on the omniscient third-person perspective. Second-person storytelling is typically reserved for experimental novels and instructional books. Additionally, make sure the protagonist's goals work for the story's major elements and there is no confusion or unintended conflict.http://www.elizabethterrell.com/creating_your_protagonist.htm
Step 3: Transformation and Climax
As your story progresses, your protagonist should exhibit some form of transformation from their original state of being at the beginning of the story. The change can be big or small, but readers generally enjoy some kind of evolution in their protagonists.http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/node/3590368 The transformation generally comes just before or even after the climactic conflict with the antagonist is resolved.http://www.elizabethterrell.com/creating_your_protagonist.htm
References
Fast Facts
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Make sure your protagonist is active and not passive in the story.
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Consider how the protagonist will transform during the course of the plot.
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Consider what kind of archetypal personality traits will suit the protagonist.
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Think about how you can develop the conflict between your protagonist and antagonist.
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Keep in mind that the protagonist is often the character that readers root for the most.
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Think about how you can develop the conflict between your protagonist and antagonist.
