Who are the main characters in a story?
Main characters are the characters with the most amount of influence on the plot or the characters that the plot has the most influence on. There are a few different ways in which you can classify main characters in a story: flat or round characters, protagonist or antagonist, and dynamic or static characters.
The main character is a central character who acts as the audience surrogate—we experience the story through their eyes. The main character is involved in the story, interacts with the secondary characters, and is personally impacted by the plot's main conflict.
What is Character? A character is a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story. Writers use characters to perform the actions and speak dialogue, moving the story along a plot line. A story can have only one character (protagonist) and still be a complete story.
The phrase main character is a reference to the idea of a main (primary) character in a work of fiction that the story centers around. The main character, also referred to as the hero or protagonist, is usually the most important character in the story.
- The Protagonist.
- The Antagonist.
- The Confidant.
- The Love Interest.
Protagonist: This is the main character who revolves around the entire plot.
The setting of a story is the context in a scene or story that describes the elements in which a story is taking place, including time, place, and environment. Each component in story setting helps to build the narrative's mood, plot, and character development.
- Protagonist. Every story has a protagonist, even if there's only one character throughout the entire book. ...
- Antagonist. Where there's a protagonist, an antagonist must follow. ...
- Deuteragonist. ...
- Tertiary Characters. ...
- Romantic Interest. ...
- Confidant. ...
- Foil.
Protagonists = change with the plot (focal point of the story) Main Characters = drive the plot and makes the change happen. Heroes = Who we want to win/succeed.
Writers use the protagonist to drive the story forward—the protagonist's goals reflect the overall story goals, the plot moves forward based on the protagonist's decisions, and their character arc is what the readers follow throughout the story.
How many main characters can a story have?
A good rule of thumb might be: Include as many characters as needed to tell the story and evoke the proper style and scope—and no more. For intimate novels, this number might be as small as 2-5 secondary characters, and for broader stories, this number might be 20-30.
- Protagonist. As we discussed last week in regards to archetypes, your protagonist's role is a no-brainer. He engages readers; he moves the plot forward. ...
- Antagonist. Same goes for the antagonist (whether or not he's human). ...
- Relationship Character. But what about theme?
A character is a person, or sometimes even an animal, who takes part in the action of a short story or other literary work.
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game).
hero/ protagonist
The protagonist is the main character in the story you write about it. The difference is in their Greek roots — the word hero meant "demigod" and a protagonist meant the first person to address the chorus in a Greek drama, also known as the main character.
5 Character Types That Appear in Fiction
Grouped in this way by character development, character types include the dynamic character, the round character, the static character, the stock character, and the symbolic character.
- So how do you conjure up characters like that?
- Protagonist examples:
- Antagonist examples:
- Sidekick examples:
- Orbital Character examples:
- Love Interest examples:
- Confidante examples:
- Extras examples:
- The Leader.
- The Outsider.
- The Caregiver.
- The Rebel.
- The Mentor.
- The Professor.
- The Warrior.
- The Hunk.
Answer. a character is a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story. Writers use characters to perform the actions and speak dialogue, moving the story along a plot line. A story can have only one character (protagonist) and still be a complete story.
- Protagonist. Every story has a protagonist, even if there's only one character throughout the entire book. ...
- Antagonist. Where there's a protagonist, an antagonist must follow. ...
- Deuteragonist. ...
- Tertiary Characters. ...
- Romantic Interest. ...
- Confidant. ...
- Foil.
Who is usually the main character?
A protagonist is the main character in a story and is central to the development of the plot. Stories can have more than one protagonist.
- Protagonist. The good character in the story...often times the victim or the nice guy/girl/animal/character.
- Antagonist. A character who antagonizes the other characters..he/she is not nice at all.
- Static. A character who does not change significantly.
- Dynamic. ...
- Round. ...
- Flat.
References
- https://www.rcboe.org/cms/lib/GA01903614/Centricity/Domain/11206/Characterization%20of%20Madam%20Loisel%20from%20The%20Necklace.docx
- https://www.fultonschools.org/cms/lib/GA50000114/Centricity/Domain/248/Grade%204%20Lesson%201%20Describing%20Characters%20.pdf
- https://writingtipsoasis.com/my-writing-room-by-tom-vowler/
- https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-setting
- https://www.well-storied.com/blog/how-to-define-your-characters-story-goals
- https://jamigold.com/2014/10/ask-jami-how-many-characters-is-too-many/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Narrator_(Fight_Club)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_(arts)
- https://www.stagemilk.com/how-to-find-your-characters-objective/
- https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/creative_writing/characters_and_fiction_writing/writing_compelling_characters.html
- https://education.ket.org/resources/drama-glossary/
- https://www.stagemilk.com/what-is-an-objective/
- https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-conflict
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/character
- https://marrzipandrama.co.nz/the-6-elements-of-drama/
- https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-many-characters-include-story/
- https://www.dictionary.com/e/hero-protagonist/
- https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/we-all-have-main-character-energy-now
- https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/who-is-your-hero-interview-question
- https://www.thomas.co/resources/type/hr-guides/what-are-big-5-personality-traits
- https://study.com/learn/lesson/a-raisin-in-the-sun-characters-analysis-traits.html
- https://nybookeditors.com/2018/01/5-important-characters-to-have-in-every-story/
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/point-of-view-first-second-third-person-difference
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/character
- https://www.doi.gov/american-heroes/heroes
- https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/hass-storytelling/storytelling-pixar-in-a-box/ah-piab-character/v/2-character
- https://jerryjenkins.com/types-of-characters/
- https://www.thoughtco.com/the-necklace-short-story-740855
- https://self-publishingschool.com/protagonist/
- https://www.123helpme.com/essay/What-Makes-a-True-Hero-313201
- https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/can-a-story-have-more-than-one-main-character/
- https://nybookeditors.com/2018/03/6-types-of-heroes-you-need-in-your-story/
- https://homework.study.com/explanation/who-are-the-characters-in-the-story-the-necklace.html
- https://www.cxomedia.id/human-stories/20220722170529-74-175667/get-to-know-main-character-syndrome
- https://www.literautas.com/en/blog/post-182/types-of-narrators-point-of-view-in-fiction-writing/
- https://www.washoeschools.net/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=28263&dataid=31385&FileName=Who%20is%20a%20Hero.pdf
- https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-200926,00.html
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/whats-the-difference-between-a-main-character-protagonist-and-hero
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-character-vs-character-conflict-learn-about-the-literary-conflict-with-examples-plus-create-a-character-vs-character-conflict-in-4-steps
- https://www.quora.com/Can-the-protagonist-not-be-the-main-character
- https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin;/characters/
- https://jerichowriters.com/protagonist-vs-antagonist-complete-guide/
- https://study.com/learn/lesson/elements-of-drama-characters-setting-symbolism-parts-of-a-play.html
- https://becomeawritertoday.com/protagonist-vs-antagonist/
- https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/44037/will-it-be-accepted-if-there-is-no-main-character-stereotype
- https://blog.reedsy.com/character-motivation/
- https://blog.reedsy.com/protagonist-and-antagonist/
- https://literaryterms.net/character/
- https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/section2/
- https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-story/
- https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/make-sure-choose-right-protagonist/
- https://www.mometrix.com/academy/characters/
- https://brainly.in/question/25646158
- https://prezi.com/u74nhjsvcask/half-a-day-by-naguib-mahfouz/
- https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/character
- https://www.authorlearningcenter.com/writing/fiction/w/character-development/1941/characters-101-what-is-a-protagonist-and-antagonist---article
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-all-the-types-of-characters-in-literature
- https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-necklace-madame-forestier-character-analysis.html
- https://selfpublishing.com/setting-of-a-story/
- https://dramatica.com/questions/concept/story-goal/all
- https://brainly.in/question/30654385
- https://www.skillshare.com/en/blog/your-essential-guide-to-characters-in-literature-and-more/
- https://www.walb.com/story/14157521/special-report-what-makes-a-hero
- https://www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org/monologuetips.html
- https://dramaresource.com/narration/
- https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-supporting-character-definition/
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/character
- https://brainly.in/question/13679691
- https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/34186/does-my-protagonist-have-to-succeed
- https://brainly.in/question/20220860
- https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/main%20character
- https://pcwrede.com/pcw-wp/simple-and-complex/
- https://www.grammarly.com/blog/story-plot/
- https://www.neworleansreview.org/the-sentence/
- https://storymastery.com/character-development/what-does-your-hero-want-outer-motivation/
- https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/55300/can-you-write-a-story-without-a-protagonist
- https://www.liveabout.com/protagonist-1277128
- http://allwritefictionadvice.blogspot.com/2014/09/how-many-characters-in-story-are-too.html
- https://users.aber.ac.uk/jpm/ellsa/ellsa_elements.html
- https://www.beemgee.com/blog/protagonist/
- https://www.ipl.org/essay/An-Essay-About-A-True-Hero-F3YMZ3KRJ4D6
- https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/chooseyourwords/hero-protagonist/
- https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/main-character/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero_(novel)
- https://self-publishingschool.com/character-archetypes/
- https://www.ultius.com/glossary/literature/character-types/hero.html
- https://www.interglot.com/dictionary/en/en/translate/main%20character
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-character-goals
- https://www.wellandgood.com/how-to-be-main-character-your-life/
- https://www.flyingwrestler.com/2017/11/problemgoal/
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-main-character
- https://www2.anglistik.uni-freiburg.de/intranet/englishbasics/DramaCharacter01.htm
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-protagonist-vs-antagonist-characters
- https://ofpanthers.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Theme.pdf
- https://www.litcharts.com/lit/a-haunted-house/characters
- https://www.managementstudyguide.com/personality-traits.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatis_personae
- https://sites.google.com/site/nicolewhitesshortstoryproject/Home/key-elements-in-short-stories/haunted-house/haunted-house-explained
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/eponymous
- https://www.nownovel.com/blog/main-character-writing/
- https://cdn5-ss7.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_92164/File/General%201/SettingEvidenceDiceGamebackofcard2.pdf
- https://writingcooperative.com/3-types-of-characters-that-could-lead-your-story-to-greatness-d1d913340b12
- https://www.alvordschools.org/cms/lib/CA01900929/Centricity/Domain/876/Intro%20to%20Thematic%20Statements.pptx
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protagonist
- https://knopfdoubleday.com/2019/06/18/the-characters-of-there-there/
- https://quizlet.com/172687419/six-types-of-characters-in-literature-flash-cards/
- https://www.twinkl.co.uk/teaching-wiki/character
- https://www.appstate.edu/~smithtw/rcoe/Craft_Minilessons/RE_3150_f03/Adam_Pyles_MainCharacter.htm
- https://www.grantbulldogs.org/cms/lib010/IL01904683/Centricity/Domain/256/storyelements2.ppt
- https://www.managementstudyguide.com/importance-of-character-in-personality-development.htm
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-good-character
- https://www.writerswrite.co.za/the-4-main-characters-as-literary-devices/
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-fictional-characters
- https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/ways-build-character-1327/
- https://blog.reedsy.com/types-of-characters/
- https://www.tcss.net/cms/lib/AL01001644/Centricity/Domain/821/5%20Elements%20of%20a%20Short%20Story.ppt
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-dramatic-monologues
- https://thenovelsmithy.com/want-versus-need-storytelling/
- https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/story-elements/
- https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/08/13-ghoulish-ghosts-that-haunt-the-haunted-mansion-at-disneyland-park/
- https://www.vedantu.com/english/story-characters
- https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=17067&dataid=15846&FileName=The%2012%20Stages%20of%20the%20The%20Hero.pdf
- https://k12.thoughtfullearning.com/minilesson/starting-stories-5-great-beginning-strategies
- https://www.grammarly.com/blog/protagonist/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_character
- https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-protagonist
- https://www.mercurynews.com/2013/06/10/novelist-marra-visited-chechnya-only-after-writing-about-it/
- https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/haunted-library/
- https://screenrant.com/rdr2-dutch-red-dead-redemption-main-character-focus/
- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/common-hero-archetypes-in-literature
- https://writers.com/story-writing-exercise-what-does-your-character-want