Hence why Superman has never been a good protagonist in my mind. He's just too powerful and the only thing that can bring him down is kryptonite.
A very good point. No matter how powerful a character is, if everyone just expects him to do everything, his limitations will become evident. Also, he'll cross the moral line of letting people decide their fate for themselves.
Well obviously something works about Superman because he's been 70 years at this point without missing a beat and will easily make it to 100. I think the biggest problem with Superman is the "perception of power" with him. Superman can't accomplish everything but everyone feels he can.
Oftentimes, the perception of a lead's power is more important than his actual level of it.
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.
I know that it makes good storytelling, but one part of me is wondering why magic has to have some horrible downside.
I keep thinking of, oh, art. Drawing, or writing stories. Both are rather magical to people who never do them, but there's no universal Downside or Punishment for being an artist or author. And you can still make loads of bucks doing it without being unethical, if you're really really good.
And then I was thinking of another profession, like, I dunno, stuntman. Totally different upsides, downsides, and risks.
And then, other talents and careers.
A very good point. No matter how powerful a character is, if everyone just expects him to do everything, his limitations will become evident. Also, he'll cross the moral line of letting people decide their fate for themselves.
To quote Luthor from Superman: Red Son: "Why don't you just put the whole WORLD in a BOTTLE, Superman?"
Hence why Superman has never been a good protagonist in my mind. He's just too powerful and the only thing that can bring him down is kryptonite.
A protagonist should never be too powerful.
Personally, I like to make my main antagonist a bad ass. He's usually tougher than my protaganoist, and he holds about 80% of the cards to.
I also like to have him/her have some tough flunky's that my protaganist can beat up. THat way, he shows he's competent and capable, yet he doesn't feel overpowered.
Hmm. Sounds like... Cowl?
How so?
Let's see... "tougher than my protagonist" - Harry himself says Cowl's way above him in power, skill and general toughness. "Holds about 80% of the cards" - Cowl knows what's going on, Harry doesn't. "Tough flunkies" - Harry barely beats Cowl's pair, and that's with puh-sychology an' stuff.WEll, yes, I generally like my antagonist to know his own plans. THat why he holds the cards.
WEll, yes, I generally like my antagonist to know his own plans. THat why he holds the cards.
As to the rest, well I mever claimed it was a unique way of creating a protaganist/antagonist power balance.
I also like to have him/her have some tough flunky's that my protaganist can beat up. THat way, he shows he's competent and capable, yet he doesn't feel overpowered.
I think Butcher has the mix perfect. Antagonist has it over the protagonist (who isn't too far behind) but manages to win w/ something human or some human characteristic.
It is essentially the protagonist's story you're writing about and thus, he/she must have certain issues that the reader could relate to. Such as taking the bus or driving the car to work or take on the bad guys in a battlefield or sneak into the fortress. It's the choices the protagonist makes, rather than the best of his abilities (indeed maybe the lack of his abilities) which makes a charcter who/what we can love and cheer to.
Oh gods and freaks, I think I subconciously quoted JKRowling's Dumbledore of COS :o.
But still, the system works. The character grows, he loses his abilities and makes different choices. You question what if he still had the power and then which way would it force him/her to do the best thing or the right thing.
Indeed, I plan to make my character with super-potential and super-strong but her choices restricts her from acheiving top level. Not to mention getting crippled socially, physically, magically and emotionally (in that order). But remember, what makes a book is the characters. Plural. There are others that would support my protagonist along the way, those she had helped before. They wouldn't want her to give up no matter how much she just wants to lay down and disappear.
So it doesn't matter how tough/weak your protagonist is. Preferably, the tougher he is, the more people needed to bing him down. He could be a god with phenomenal cosmic power but it still comes down to either sacrifice his family/friends so their pure blood can heal the planet or rescue them to a temporary heaven and risk bleeding reality to the demons. It's the walk that goes with the talk ;).
Looking at most of Harry's big end-of-book victories, what they seem to have in common is a gift for lateral thinking. I have this vague notion that Harry's gift for thinking about how to do unexpected things with defined situations may owe something to having been brought up by a professional stage magician.
So when you aren't reading Dresden and your Dad's old books from the 60's what sci fi do you turn to for enjoyment?