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DeaSis:
I need help.  I have noticed in my writing that most of my main characters are passive.  They tend to have things happen to them, observe what's going on, internalize he situation, and make decisions after.  I need to make active characters!  Does anyone have any advice for me?

FishStampede:
Well, passivity in and of itself is not a bad thing. One of my mains is extremely passive, but that's one of her character flaws. Hamlet as a character was defined by his inability to act, and that's normally in the top 5 Shakespeare plays.

A character being overly passive often comes in my experience from them considering their actions too much. They think about what they're going to do well before they actually do it.  For my other character, who is much more active, I often find the best thing to do is ask myself "What could she do that would make things worse?" Then she does it.

the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
I suspect that, provided your ideal reader is not a trained soldier or a hormone-pumping adolescent, thinking things through rather than reacting immediately is liable to add to plausibility and make it easier to identify with, fwiw.

Paynesgrey:
DeaSis, is the issue that your character, as a trait is passive, or that your story feels like it's more about stuff happening to the character, rather than your character going and actively doing things?  (Not necessarily kicking in doors, but pursuing goals, interacting with people, etc?)

DeaSis:
I think I was too general in my plea.  My problem is that as a writer, the majority of my characters in all of my stories tend to be passive.  More of an observer who gets pulled into events and tries to make sense of them.  It's an extension of me as a person, I think.  So so all my main characters have this side to them. 

I guess I'm looking for tips on approaches to writing, a mindset that drives the undercurrent, so that I can make steps toward fixing this problem in all of my writing going forward and not trying to fix just an individual manuscript.  I don't know if that makes sense to anyone. 

Some genres rely on a kind of passivity.  Mysteries need a detective who takes in a scene, collects clues, follows up with detail - makes and tests theories for interrogation - but largely lets the evidence do the driving.  Romances tend to be all about the "feels". 

But my sci fi stories always get nailed by my writer's group for the passive characters.  Have I internalized this too much?  Maybe. 

(I just typed and erased two graphs of whiny introspection full of parallels with my characters and the real life I live of being a stay at home mom to kids that are in college and high school.  Life choices that make me the pit crew for my family who go out into the world.  I just saved you from your eyes glazing over... your welcome:)  *sigh's and laughs at self* 

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