Examples of Main Characters who Change

A Main Character is said to change if, at the end of the story, the Main Character’s basic way of seeing things has altered from what it was at the beginning of the story. For example, a stubborn bounty hunter, who sees every criminal as “guilty,” changes to realize this isn’t true for every criminal and decides that he is chasing an innocent man; a woman who has always put her job before her family changes, and puts her family first by adapting her schedule so she can spend more time with her husband, even though it will mean missing a promotion; etc.

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The Changing Main Character

Every Main Character represents one special character element. This element is either the cause of the story’s problem, or its solution. The Main Character cannot be sure which it represents since it is too close to home. Near the climax of the story, the Main Character must make a Leap of Faith and decide if it should stick with its approach in the belief that it is the solution, or jump to the opposite trait in the belief it has been wrong. When a Main Character decides to abandon its story-long approach for its counterpart, it is said to Change. And as a Changing Main Character, it will contain the crucial element/characteristic in the story.

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Using “Main Character Resolve” in Your Story

Just because a Main Character ultimately remains steadfast does not mean it never considers changing. Similarly, a Change Main Character does not have to be changing all the time. In fact, that is the conflict with which it is constantly faced: to stick it out or to alter its approach in the face of ever-increasing opposition.

Illustrating your Main Character as wavering can make it much more human. Still, if its motivation is strong enough, your Main Character may hold the course or move toward change from the opening scene to the denouement. It all depends on the kind of experience you wish to create for your audience.

There is no right or wrong degree of certainty or stability in a Main Character. Just make it clear to your audience by the end of the story if it has been changed or not by the experience. Sometimes this happens by forcing your Main Character to make a choice between its old way of doing things or a new way. Another way of illustrating your Main Character’s resolve is to establish its reaction in a particular kind of situation at the beginning of the story that tells us something about its nature. After the story’s climax, you can bring back a similar kind of situation and see if it reacts the same way or not. From this, your audience will determine if it has Changed or remained Steadfast.

What if a Main Character Changes when it should Remain Steadfast, or Remains Steadfast when it should Change? Choosing your Main Character’s Resolve describes what your Main Character does without placing a value judgment on it. The appropriateness of its Resolve is determined by other dynamics in your story which will be addressed later. For now, simply choose if your Main Character’s nature has Changed or Remained Steadfast.

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The “Main Character Resolve” Concept

Do you want your story to bring your audience to a point of change or to reinforce its current view? Oddly enough, choosing a steadfast Main Character may bring an audience to change and choosing a change character may influence the audience to remain steadfast. Why? It depends upon whether or not your audience shares the Main Character’s point of view to begin with.

Suppose your audience and your Main Character do NOT agree in attitudes about the central issue of the story. Even so, the audience will still identify with the Main Character because it represents the audience’s position in the story. So, if the Main Character grows in resolve to remain steadfast and succeeds, then the message to your audience is, “Change and adopt the Main Character’s view if you wish to succeed in similar situations.”

Clearly, since either change or steadfast can lead to either success or failure in a story, when you factor in where the audience stands a great number of different kinds of audience impact can be created by your choice.

Consider not only what you want your Main Character to do as an individual, but also how that influences your story’s message and where your audience stands in regard to that issue to begin with.

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Story Point: Main Character Resolve

The Main Character represents the audience’s position in the story. Therefore, whether it changes or not has a huge impact on the audience’s story experience and the message you are sending to it.

Some Main Characters grow to the point of changing their nature or attitude regarding a central personal issue like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Others grow in their resolve, holding onto their nature or attitude against all obstacles like Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive.

Change can be good if the character is on the wrong track to begin with. It can also be bad if the character was on the right track. Similarly, remaining Steadfast is good if the character is on the right track, but bad if it is misguided or mistaken.

Think about the message you want to send to your audience, and whether the Main Character’s path should represent the proper or improper way of dealing with the story’s central issue.

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Writing an Initial Thematic Synopsis

Some see theme as a premise, such as Greed leads to self-destruction. Others see theme as an area of exploration such as man’s inhumanity to man. Both of these aspects of theme, and more, will need to be explored for your story to have a strong emotional throughline. Therefore, before you begin writing your story, take time to simply describe the issues you would like your story to examine thematically. This thematic synopsis can serve as a guide to keep your story’s message on track.

To this end, you may want to consider these thematic points:

The premise approach to theme usually tries to illustrate the results which grow from human imperfections. To prove its point, a thematic argument must be made over the course of the story to show that the stated outcome is unavoidable if one does not shed oneself of a negative attribute.

Conversely, a premise can just as easily seek to prove that a good trait leads to a favorable outcome, such as Compassion leads to true happiness. More complex themes may even propose that Compassion leads to self-destruction, or that Greed leads to true happiness, creating mixed feelings in the audience. Of course, all of this is tempered by the manner in which the material is presented: as comedy or drama, for example.

Exploration themes tend to be less linear, seeking to examine a positive or negative trait in a number of manifestations such that the audience ultimately arrives at an overall rating of that trait ranging somewhere along the scale from favorable to unfavorable. For example, one author might show that man’s inhumanity to man is an inherent evil. Another author might put forth that man’s inhumanity to man is a necessary evil that allows for progress of the species. Yet another author might propose that man’s inhumanity to man is a good thing because only through physical and emotional violence is the human spirit truly alive.

No matter how popular or unpopular a thematic value may be with an audience, a story always gains in depth and power from a fully developed theme.

Though you will eventually want to add detail and nuance fo your theme, for your initial thematic synopsis, simply describe the central message or thematic topic of your story, and how you want the audience to feel about it.

Example: Star Wars seeks to prove that if we keep a noble heart and trust in ourselves, we will ultimately triumph over any opposition, no matter how outmatched we appear to be.

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Writing an Initial Plot Synopsis

Plot refers to the sequence of events which transpire in your story. Before you begin developing your story, it helps to create a brief outline of any ideas you may have already worked out for your plot.

Plots can be simple or complex. There can be a single plot to a story or any number of sub-plots. Some stories even have two or more independent plots which run in parallel, never affecting each other but providing a sense of contrast for the audience.

Try not to be overly literary or descriptive at this point. Even if you have already developed intricate details, when writing an initial plot synopsis you only need enough information to identify the key events which link together to advance your story. This information will serve as a guide down the line to ensure your overall story stays on track.

　

EXAMPLE: Star Wars

Orphaned Luke Skywalker who works on his uncle’s farm chases a runaway robot helper into the desert where he encounters a retired warrior with mystic powers, Obi Wan Kenobi. The robot has a hidden message that leads Luke and Obi on a race across the galaxy to get important information to rebel fighters against the Evil Empire.

Along the way, they join forces with an unruly transport pilot who gives them passage off the planet. The Empire tries to stop them in a big laser gun battle, but they escape.

Later, they get captured by Darth Vader aboard a huge space station with a weapon which can destroy whole planets. There, they rescue Princess Leia, a leader of the Rebels, who joins them in their race to get the information into the right hands. Again, they escape except for Obi Wan, who is killed (though his spirit lives on to guide Luke.)

Eventually, they hook up with the Rebels and hand over the information which shows how to destroy the space station weapon. Luke gets his chance to be a fighter pilot when he joins the rebels, and they all blast into space to do battle with the space station which has tracked them down.

In the end, Luke (guided by Obi’s spirit) learns to rely on his own skills and single-handedly destroys the weapon just when all hope seems lost. He comes back a hero and a legendary warrior in his own right.

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Writing an Initial Character Synopsis

When you are about to begin developing your story, you may already have some ideas about the characters you want to explore. Creating a brief initial character synopsis can help you pin down the list of people you’ve been considering to populate your story and to act as a reference as story development continues.

Some of your characters may play a role in the dramatic structure of your story, perhaps affecting plot and theme as well. Other characters might be included for entertainment value only and have no tangible impact on the course of the overall story. Either way, it helps to briefly describe them before you begin writing.

Try not to be overly literary or descriptive in your initial synopsis. You only need enough information to identify your characters by name, basic personality type, and traits and attributes, such as their job, a physical ability or disability and their relationships to other character as you currently see them.

EXAMPLE: Star Wars

Luke Skywalker is a farm boy with dreams of becoming a hot shot space fighter pilot in the rebellion against the evil Empire.

Obi Wan Kenobi is a former Jedi Knight who befriends Luke and teaches him warrior skills. He is an old man now, but still has strong powers, especially of the mystic sort.

Princess Leia is a leader in the rebellion. She’s a real take-charge lady. Perhaps a love interest for Luke.

Uncle Owen. Luke’s somewhat authoritarian Uncle and guardian.

The Alien Band: A group of musicians from all over the galaxy who play weird music in a local bar.

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Writing a Story Synopsis

What inspires a story may be a setting, an intriguing situation, a clever bit of dialog, or even a title. As development proceeds, this jumping-off point functions as the grain of sand that ultimately becomes a pearl.

To keep your eye on what inspired you to write a story in the first place, it helps to create a brief synopsis before you begin. Try to describe your story as if you were writing a short blurb for a television listing. This will set a touch point for your ongoing development.

Example:

Star Wars

: It is a time of rebellion. The evil Empire has most of the galaxy under its control except for a handful of rebels. However, with the Empire’s new weapon, even that last holdout may be destroyed. The Rebels must find a way to destroy the Death Star. Star Wars is also the story of a farm boy destined to become a hero.

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Choosing Your Story’s Title

What’s in a name? Having at least a working title will help you start your story, even if you ultimately change the title.

The title of your story may or may not have dramatic significance. In some cases, the meaning of the title may become apparent only during the course or even at the end of a story. There have even been stories in which the final understanding of the message is only achieved when the title becomes the last piece in the puzzle.

Example:

Imagine all the other titles Star Wars might have had. In fact, it was originally titled Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode One of the Star Wars, then Adventures of Luke Starkiller, then The Journal Of The Whills. You can immediately feel the impact of a change in title on your impression of the story.

Consider the value of other example titles such as The Verdict; (which refers to the story’s climax), Alien; (refers to the subject matter), and The Silence of the Lambs ;(refers to the Main Character’s personal problems).

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