Writing Ever Write a Boring-ass Protagonist?

[ShrimpShady]

Have you ever created a protagonist who's less interesting than the other members of the cast? What made them boring? How do they compare to the other more interesting characters in your story?

I'll give an example of mine, should it interest you

Spoiler: My boring-ass protagonist

The protagonist of a story I'm working on is a run-of-the-mill milquetoast hipster Japanese teen who listens to /mu/core music. He reluctantly becomes the master of his late father's familiar and is forced to exorcise ghosts and absorb their magic in order to keep his familiar alive. Aside from that, he really has nothing interesting going on, has no real interesting backstory, and is the passive type of protagonist for the most part.

On the other hand, his "rival" character is a 20-something year old college kid who hits on highschool girls and tries to be a superhero because he has supernatural abilities. He later on learns that his powers are baby shit compared to the other characters and he falls into a deep existential crisis, thinking that he'll never become a hero if the villains are stronger than him. In the midsts of his anguish, he encounters a runaway girl and a baby and reluctantly takes them in. After a while, he decides to open an orphanage/daycare of some sort, landing him a feature on the Japanese equivalent of The Ellen Degeneres Show and turning him into an overnight celebrity and the hero he always wanted to be.

I think you get the idea. Let's see some writing fiascos!

Oh, advice is also welcome. I know I can't give any, considering that I still consistently suffer from this issue myself.

 

[DarkWe]

Well, most of my characters work as cashiers, quit their job, and achieve nothing until they magically get transported to a fantasy world where their boring character can create interesting 'interactions' with other characters ^^

 

[ShyMaskedMan]

Quite solid, I am no expert, just a newbie.
Would be more interesting if u develop it into maybe a one shot story for the second character with its own title.

 

[BenJepheneT]

Well, most of my characters work as cashiers, quit their job, and achieve nothing until they magically get transported to a fantasy world where their boring character can create interesting 'interactions' with other characters ^^

In the far away lands of Platon, one mysterious day, a man was suddenly summoned in the local town pawn shop. His name was Adam. He was as average as a peasant, with looks no one would spot in a crowd.

However, one day changed when the local town pawn shop owner decided to let him man the counter. A miracle happened! The books were written accurately! Every payment and change were exact! The local pawn shop were able to write off their taxes in a single invoice! Management was up to an amazing 50% and dissatisfaction declining by tenfold! What shocked the owner further was that Adam didn't even need an abascus; for he possess magic he dub mathematics and common sense.

It wasn't long until Adam warranted attention of shop-owners all across town. Even the king wanted him to take the high position of a tax auditor! What will happen to Adam? Where did this mysterious man of magic come from?

And what did he mean by "a year-end bonus"?

 

[ShrimpShady]

Quite solid, I am no expert, just a newbie.
Would be more interesting if u develop it into maybe a one shot story for the second character with its own title.

Funny thing is, I actually planned to have some short little extra chapters in between the main chapters that give little snippets into the lives of the less important characters, including that guy.

 

[AliceShiki]

I dunno, I'd try to make my protagonist as interesting as I can, because... Well, it's the protagonist of the story and stuff, it's one of the first things the readers should see in my story and stuff, and definitely the one thing they'll see the most.

 

[ShrimpShady]

I dunno, I'd try to make my protagonist as interesting as I can, because... Well, it's the protagonist of the story and stuff, it's one of the first things the readers should see in my story and stuff, and definitely the one thing they'll see the most.

When you think about it, it really is that simple lmao.

But strangely sometimes I feel like the reason why other cast members, especially minor characters, sometimes seem more interesting than the protagonist is exactly because they don't have as much screen time. Maybe they have fascinating gimmicks, novel traits, or represent some specific idea or aesthetic that wouldn't necessary hold up as a protagonist who's the focus for most of the story.

 

[ForestDweller]

I think my protag might be more boring than the harem he gathers and even the NPCs. He's just a slightly perverted guy who wants to do his best in his second life. Nothing dramatic or special about him, other than him chastising his old self on many occasions as he resolves to be better. His harem member, on the other hand, has all these elaborate and tragic backstory.

What can I say? I don't like steering far from the usual good guy protagonist trope. So no anti heroes and no overly perverted leads.

That's why I dedicate so many words writing from the POV of the harem members or other characters.

 

[AliceShiki]

When you think about it, it really is that simple lmao.

But strangely sometimes I feel like the reason why other cast members, especially minor characters, sometimes seem more interesting than the protagonist is exactly because they don't have as much screen time. Maybe they have fascinating gimmicks, novel traits, or represent some specific idea or aesthetic that wouldn't necessary hold up as a protagonist who's the focus for most of the story.

Well, making the other characters interesting and relevant is good writing for sure! \(^^)/

And well, it's okay for them to be more interesting than the protagonist sometimes IMO... Just uhn... I don't think a boring protagonist is a good pick! >.<

 

[ShyMaskedMan]

Funny thing is, I actually planned to have some short little extra chapters in between the main chapters that give little snippets into the lives of the less important characters, including that guy.

Yeah, a good example I know of would be from a game called "The Legend of Heroes" series from Falcom, they love to give each characters their own background story which connected with the main story and main characters.

 

[Khiricastares]

I think the role of a boring protagonist is almost always caused by them being a passive protagonist.
They might have boring sounding hobbies or personality traits, but the main way a story attracts reader interest is the plot.
The story and plot are something that should be pushed forward and created by the (active) protagonist. While the passive protagonist is just kind of dragged along with the plot as it goes.
People want to read about action, not reaction.

 

[AliceShiki]

I think the role of a boring protagonist is almost always caused by them being a passive protagonist.
They might have boring sounding hobbies or personality traits, but the main way a story attracts reader interest is the plot.
The story and plot are something that should be pushed forward and created by the (active) protagonist. While the passive protagonist is just kind of dragged along with the plot as it goes.
People want to read about action, not reaction.

I actually disagree with that tbh~

I mean, I often don't care too much about the plot of the story, for as long as I enjoy the basic premise and its characters. (Like, every Slice of Life story has basically 0 plot to it, for example)

And I think there is a real charm to having a story about a protagonist that needs to react as the circumstances change beyond their control. Rather than they taking the initiative to do something, they simply need to find a way to survive in their new circumstances as they change and stuff... I like that~

 

[blazjindanblue]

I think the role of a boring protagonist is almost always caused by them being a passive protagonist.
They might have boring sounding hobbies or personality traits, but the main way a story attracts reader interest is the plot.
The story and plot are something that should be pushed forward and created by the (active) protagonist. While the passive protagonist is just kind of dragged along with the plot as it goes.
People want to read about action, not reaction.

Gret sage,thx for sharing your wisdom!

 

[Jemini]

I think the role of a boring protagonist is almost always caused by them being a passive protagonist.
They might have boring sounding hobbies or personality traits, but the main way a story attracts reader interest is the plot.
The story and plot are something that should be pushed forward and created by the (active) protagonist. While the passive protagonist is just kind of dragged along with the plot as it goes.
People want to read about action, not reaction.

That's actually one thing I've been struggling with. I have a main character who's pretty interesting in concept, but they have been inserted into a plot that really limits their ability to take pro-active action. Despite all those things limiting her though, she's trying her best to find something she can actually do in the situation and not become passive. I, the reader, am going through the exact same struggle. The plot has really put a lot of walls around her that restrict her actions.

That said, the readers have told me that the things they enjoy most are when my MC goes and tries to actively explore her environment, both because it's action and also because it allows them to see more of what's going on around the place.

 

[gaylolis]

i think my mc would be the most boring 'cuz she's just a loli who wants to sleep and laze around all day. though it kept me writing it the longest, while i tend to drop them after a few paragraphs, when trying the other main characters.

i don't know, i don't really like to make them interesting if I didn't want to. i think it's more important to make it so it's easy to relate like a real person, but to each of its own.

if they are too 'unique' i guess it might make them seem robotic and unlikable, like the protagonist of Kemono Michi. I think the author tries too hard to make a unique MC it went completely miss to me.

 

[Matt1plus]

I made my protagonist with the mind of a normal depressed teen or somewhat like that, except for the part where he reincarnates as a Damphir. But if your character isn't unique but instead relatable and enjoyable to read about, I think it's all good.

 

[Khiricastares]

I actually disagree with that tbh~

I mean, I often don't care too much about the plot of the story, for as long as I enjoy the basic premise and its characters. (Like, every Slice of Life story has basically 0 plot to it, for example)

And I think there is a real charm to having a story about a protagonist that needs to react as the circumstances change beyond their control. Rather than they taking the initiative to do something, they simply need to find a way to survive in their new circumstances as they change and stuff... I like that~

To me, there are three main layers to the protagonist puzzle. Basic story, advanced character development and then advanced story. The passive vs. active part is only basic story, but I find it most common because it is the first step and one people often overlook. Identifying where your protag isn't doing anything of their own will or volition is fairly easy once you look for it.

Slice of life is where you need a good idea and control over advanced character traits and development. If the story is going to be character driven, then they need to be as interesting as possible. This is in my opinion at least, much harder for the average writer to do than an overarching plot or story structure. People grow up with stories as children and they learn to imitate them, but characters often require further thought and study to create.

What I mean by action - not reaction, is not that characters shouldn't react to things as they happen. But to make their choices and reactions feel meaningful and relevant to the story. Slice of life is the best example here, if your plot is about the characters and not a grander story, then the characters should grow or gain something from the problems they're faced with and this should be the result of their own actions.

A passive protag may bumble their way through things, but in the end it doesn't really matter what they did or how they solved it, if there is no meaning or lesson to the struggle.

The main difference between passive and active is not in how the protag acts, but how their actions flow and mesh with the story. Story and character are always together, a boring character can create a boring story and a boring story will usually create boring characters.
This is all assuming a basic structure and level of writing, people are talented or creative enough to make just about anything work.

 

[AliceShiki]

To me, there are three main layers to the protagonist puzzle. Basic story, advanced character development and then advanced story. The passive vs. active part is only basic story, but I find it most common because it is the first step and one people often overlook. Identifying where your protag isn't doing anything of their own will or volition is fairly easy once you look for it.

Slice of life is where you need a good idea and control over advanced character traits and development. If the story is going to be character driven, then they need to be as interesting as possible. This is in my opinion at least, much harder for the average writer to do than an overarching plot or story structure. People grow up with stories as children and they learn to imitate them, but characters often require further thought and study to create.

What I mean by action - not reaction, is not that characters shouldn't react to things as they happen. But to make their choices and reactions feel meaningful and relevant to the story. Slice of life is the best example here, if your plot is about the characters and not a grander story, then the characters should grow or gain something from the problems they're faced with and this should be the result of their own actions.

A passive protag may bumble their way through things, but in the end it doesn't really matter what they did or how they solved it, if there is no meaning or lesson to the struggle.

The main difference between passive and active is not in how the protag acts, but how their actions flow and mesh with the story. Story and character are always together, a boring character can create a boring story and a boring story will usually create boring characters.
This is all assuming a basic structure and level of writing, people are talented or creative enough to make just about anything work.

Oh, I totally agree that character development and growth by actively solving your problems once they're thrown at your face is good! \(^^)/

If there is no struggle and nothing is learned, then it becomes really boring really fast... T.T

 

[ludagad]

Literally every Japanese web novel ever. The point is to make the protagonist the 'straight man', helplessly reacting to the cast of weirdos. American show scriptwriters also use this trope a lot. Personally, I'm bored. I love eccentric protagonists more and don't care much about secondary characters, save for the main love interest.

 

[AliceShiki]

Literally every Japanese web novel ever. The point is to make the protagonist the 'straight man', helplessly reacting to the cast of weirdos. American show scriptwriters also use this trope a lot. Personally, I'm bored. I love eccentric protagonists more and don't care much about secondary characters, save for the main love interest.

Well, you need to learn how to pick your webnovels better then. Because there are tons of very interesting protagonists in Japanese Webnovels.