Our January workshops focused on the question, “What makes a good protagonist?” When I worked in the movie business with Bette Midler, we would turn in a script only to have an executive sometimes respond, “The main character is unlikable.” Bette would insist she could make it work, movie star that she is, and I never doubted her. But my job was to work with the writer and develop the best script I could. So I asked myself, “What makes a protagonist likable?” And I came up with this checklist.
A good protagonist:
- Cares About Others
- Makes Mistakes
- Keeps Trying
- Learns, Changes, and Grows
Let me know if this simple checklist helps you!