Your Protagonist, Unfortunately, Is Boring as Hell

Given the vastness of the human experience, the mind boggles at how many stories exist to be told. But instead of writing about literally anyone else, many of us defaulted to the most boring, self-absorbed choice imaginable: ourselves. If you relate to the below, you’ve written about yourself, and you’re boring as hell: Your protagonist is a shy, socially inept introvert with social anxiety, crippling self-doubt, PTSD, and a laundry list of other mental health afflictions. Your protagonist is a misunderstood, mopey teen with angst. Your protagonist is somehow, against all odds, chosen by destiny to wield some ancient power, inherit a throne, or otherwise embark on some earth-shattering adventure. Let me be clear, there is a time and a place to write about yourself. Sometimes cathartic writing is necessary to process a difficult experience, or to grow as a writer. But many of us take our personal stories too far, projecting real-life emotional baggage onto our characters or, worse, crafting characters indistinguishable from ourselves. So why does this happen, and how can we break free from the worst of these habits? In my opinion, the why is easy. It’s what feels natural, comfortable, and accessible. We know ourselves, our thoughts, and our struggles. When our personal stories are all we know, we don’t have to go out of our way to research anything. We already have everything we need right in front of us. And if we’re lucky, we might even relate to our readers. But that’s not what readers want. As an audience, we don’t want real life. We want escape, and we want excitement. We want characters who are so flawlessly crafted, they feel like real people. More than that, we want to be transported to new, imaginative worlds, to meet people with experiences and stories we can only dream of. Unless your real-life story is truly extraordinary, it’s probably not what readers are looking for. So how do we avoid projecting ourselves onto our work? Here are a few strategies I use: 1. Create a real character profile. I like to start here. Take some time to brainstorm your character’s looks, personality, backstory, conflicts—everything. Literally write it out in bullet points if it helps. Who are they as a person? What drives them? What are they passionate about? The more you understand your characters, the less likely you’ll be to project onto them. 2. Consider the story first. A lot of us start with the character and work our way outwards. That approach is fine. But if you find yourself crafting a story that’s overly dependent on a personal experience, that’s usually a sign that the writing has gone off course. Stop, take a moment, and think about how you can rework the story to be less reliant on what’s familiar to you. This is especially true if you’re writing fantasy or science fiction. I’ve read too many stories that are supposed to be high fantasy, but the “magical realm” is suspiciously like real-life Earth, the characters say things like “Netflix and chill,” and the entire story plays out like some bored teenager’s daydream. 3. Practice getting into other people’s heads. Take time to listen to people. It doesn’t have to be super deep conversations. At dinner, listen to what people are saying or, more importantly, what they’re not. A person’s mannerisms, posture, and expressions are so much louder than their words. I know this sounds obvious, but listen to people outside of your social circle or echo chamber. Listen to people you disagree with. If you don’t like people in real life, then people-watch. Read real-life stories about people in vastly different walks of life than yours. 4. Practice writing in different styles. Try your hand at different genres, narrative styles, or formats. For example, if you’re a serious poet, try writing absurdist comedy. If you’re a fantasy writer, try writing sci-fi. If you’re usually a novelist, try writing a script. You’re probably not going to write something Pulitzer-worthy on your first attempt, but that’s not the point. If you want to craft unique, compelling characters, you need to put yourself in different creative shoes. Think about it like method acting, but for writing. And if you’re writing about someone very different from yourself, take time to explore different perspectives, read outside of your comfort zone, and try to approach your characters with empathy. 5. Practice getting outside of yourself. I’m not saying this is always a good idea. If you’re writing about personal trauma, it’s probably not a good idea to detach yourself entirely from the subject. But if you’re writing a story that you know is autobiographical, take a moment to step back, breathe, and reassess. Try analyzing yourself like you’re a character. What motivates you? What are your flaws, strengths, and weaknesses? What’s your arc? Where could you grow as a character, person, or writer? The more you practice detaching yourself to look at yourself objectively, the more easily you’ll be able to do the same for your characters. 6. Work on empathy. A lot of us, especially as aspiring writers, are naturally empathetic people. But I’ve met a lot of writers—published and unpublished—who seem to regard empathy as an annoyance, something that gets in the way of the writing process. Don’t listen to them. If you want to write characters people will actually care about, then empathy is essential. Take time to listen to real people, to put yourself in their shoes, and to genuinely understand and appreciate them. Practice analyzing people’s motivations, needs, and desires. Unless you’re writing about a world of robots, you’re writing about people, and if you can’t relate to people, you’re fucked. **TL;DR:** Too many writers write characters that are carbon copies of themselves. If readers want to hear about you and your emotional baggage, they’ll read your diary. Practice writing characters, not yourself. Get into other people’s heads, work on empathy, and approach real-life stories with nuance.

Your Protagonist, Unfortunately, Is Boring as Hell

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