McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
How powerful should a protagionist be?
blgarver:
I'd tend to agree that Harry is a pretty good protagonist. He's uber powerful, but he pays a price for his power, which often leaves him vulnerable for attack from one of the several enemies.
That's another cool thing about Dresden; no matter what his immediate goal is, he's got a handful of other baddies trying to get him while he's down. So his real power is his skill at juggling all the difficulties he's going through. That's a mental fortitude that doesn't really have anything to do with his magic ability.
This is something I need to work on in my own writing; raising the stakes, really piling it on the main character.
Protagonists like Superman have always bugged me. One of my favorite rivalries is the one between Wolverine and Magneto. All the X-Men are pretty awesome protags too.
Josh:
In forming a character, I always try to enact a price for whatever power they have. If they have some great gift that lifts them above the commonfolk, then they're going to pay for it! Their power demands some sacrifice, which then makes them (hopefully) a bit more of an indepth, conflicted character and one who is more interesting to see how they not only employ that power, but how they deal with the cost. For instance, in one story I've written, the character is extremely powerful and is able to employ all manners of magic around him while most people are limited to one style. The only problem is, in order to access said powers, he must rip them away from those who have them, which tends to destroy their will to live. He doesn't really like doing this, being all moral and stuff. The antagonist has similar abilities, and, of course, has no qualms about doing whatever is necessary for the power. So...yes, way powerful, but that whole struggle and balance can become a deeper part of the story itself.
Abstruse:
Don't forget your price for the power can simply be all the crap they have to go through because they have the powers. Most of Harry's problems aren't due to him using magic, it's due to his belief that his power gives him strength he should use to help and protect people. He could easily pay his bills and even become wealthy using his abilities to sell hocus pocus to country singers on heroin or other rich folks. And that's not even counting all the flat-out illegal ways he could get money. He could live very comfortably...but he chooses not to. He chooses to do the right thing. And in doing the right thing, he brings the White Council, the Red Court, the Black Court, Winter Queen, and whoever else he pisses off all upon himself. So keep that in mind too.
The Abstruse One
Darryl Mott Jr.
blgarver:
--- Quote from: Abstruse on December 28, 2006, 11:31:10 PM ---Don't forget your price for the power can simply be all the crap they have to go through because they have the powers. Most of Harry's problems aren't due to him using magic, it's due to his belief that his power gives him strength he should use to help and protect people. He could easily pay his bills and even become wealthy using his abilities to sell hocus pocus to country singers on heroin or other rich folks. And that's not even counting all the flat-out illegal ways he could get money. He could live very comfortably...but he chooses not to. He chooses to do the right thing. And in doing the right thing, he brings the White Council, the Red Court, the Black Court, Winter Queen, and whoever else he pisses off all upon himself. So keep that in mind too.
The Abstruse One
Darryl Mott Jr.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, this is very true. Dresden does have iron will, that's for sure. And it makes you wonder about your own character; whether or not you'd be able to stick to your morals.
I think I would be, for all of you familiar with D&D, a Chaotic Good character if I had some sort of wild powers. I'd use them to benefit myself as long as there was nothing inherently immoral about whatever task I was doing. Unlawful is different than immoral. For the most part I'd be a law abiding bad ass, but not all laws are driven by moral fiber. Like trespassing or stupid stuff like that. I'd probably break a few laws here and there, but still try to do the "right" thing in the moral sense.
The Corvidian:
One of my protagonists is very powerful, but he has to hide it. He has been reborn many times, and over these lifetimes, he as picked up knowledge, wisdom, and a few enemies. Also, if he were to use his full power, it would draw attention to him, because a couple of monastic orders think that he is the reincarnation of their founders. They keep trying to get him to come and lead them, and he has had to refuse them on more then one occasion, & once very violently. He also made an enemy of a group a few lives back, and the few members are trying to get even for supposed past transgressions.
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