Does Your Main Character Suck?

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The main character of your novel is one the most important elements in your story. You likely know this character inside and out, but translating what’s in your head to the page can be a challenge, and it can be difficult to determine if your main character is coming across as you intend. You might be asking yourself if your protagonist is as strong and compelling as you feel they are, or if they are falling flat from the reader's perspective. To help you assess the effectiveness of your protagonist, in this video I go over some common issues with writing strong main characters.

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GREAT BOOKS ABOUT WRITING/PUBLISHING:
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer / https://amzn.to/3VE8dtt
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody / https://amzn.to/3Vyk2Bn
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum / https://amzn.to/3Z4at03

SOME OF MY FAVORITE NOVELS:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones / https://amzn.to/3vvWItt
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips / https://amzn.to/3CFz4Pt
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid / https://amzn.to/3CjFFi5
 
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MORE WRITING RESOURCES:
How to Write a Flashback: Dos and Don'ts:    • How to Write a Flashback: Dos and Don'ts  
How to Write Realistic Characters:    • How to Write Realistic Characters: 5 ...  
The Secret to Writing Likeable Characters:    • The Secret to Writing Likeable Charac...  
 
COMMON MAIN CHARACTER MISTAKES: 
02:13 – Their objectives are unclear
05:48 – They lack agency
07:08 – Their backstory is underdeveloped
09:17 – Their emotions are suppressed
11:27 – They feel faceless
 
ABOUT ME: 
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with 7+ years of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey—whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
 
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MUSIC: 
Chilling by HoobeZa    • [No Copyright] Chill Lo-Fi Guitar Ins...  
Charlie Brown by Smith The Mister https://smiththemister.bandcamp.com 
Smith The Mister https://bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT 
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Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.