From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story

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Story check: Uncovering your protagonist's inner issue

Story check: Uncovering your protagonist's inner issue

From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story

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Story check: Uncovering your protagonist's inner issue

- The root of all your protagonist's desires and fears are buried in their backstory, which is exactly where you'll find the answers to these questions. First, what's the source of the fear and of the desire that the plot will force your protagonist to struggle with? Can you trace her inner issue back to specific events in her past? Do you know how her inner issue has stopped her from fulfilling her desire right up to the moment the story begins? Ask yourself, how have these things shaped how she sees the world and herself? Second, has your protagonist revealed her deepest, darkest secrets to you? Writers often shy away from uncomfortable truths because they're hard to admit. Just talking about them can be unnerving, but unless you're planning to write a story with a depth of greeting card, you really need to explore the messy stuff. Third, are your character bios specific enough? When you close your eyes, can you envision it? Picture it?…

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