protagonist

A Fireside Chat

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I cast my mind back to my first meeting with Sir Donald – the warm fireside chat, followed by a handshake to confirm my appointment. No contract and no fuss. “That’s how we do things here, old chap,” he said at the time and I honored our agreement.

The Fireside Chat

The short episode above was based on a job interview I had for a position in a prestigious high school – one that I accepted and enjoyed for many years. It would be fair to say it was the most fulfilling time of my teaching career. For our protagonist, however, the fireside chat with Sir Donald would prove less so. The warm fireplace soon cooled, along with any further career prospects for Sir Christopher. Still, the fireside chat is very English – a traditional way to relax and engage. It seemed perfect for a scene in MUTINY and was easy to write.

MUTINY – an apt title?

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Mutiny /ˈmjuːtɪni/

~ an open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially by sailors against their officers. A mutiny by those in control could trigger a global war ~

This preface to MUTINY fits the plot well, but it also suits the-plot. MUTINY has more than one ‘rebellion against the proper authorities’ as our protagonist faces his failure and the demise of a thankless career. You see, as age creeps up on us all there is a greater need for affirmation. MUTINY takes place around the Christmas season – a time of reflection, sharing and rejoicing. But, it can be a lonely time too. I remember just a few Christmas’s ago, when feeling a bit down, I received a very kind note from a student I had taught many years before. His email thanked me for being an inspiration for his learning and hoped I was doing well. You can imagine my joy at the encouragement? Sir Christopher Jenson – the protagonist in MUTINY – may be my alter-ego? Perhaps, though Sir Christopher is single and I am married. Though, I admit, it was easy to write MUTINY from Sir Christopher’s POV – we are of similar age and we have both been to most of the locations that crop up in MUTINY. Furthermore, while writing MUTINY, I could identify with Sir Christopher’s character – at times, he became an extension of myself. Yet, he retained his own fears and faults and eventually retired into obscurity with a new name, new future and, it appears, a new passion. My alter-ego may yet be revived in a follow-up thriller, so watch this space.

Freedom

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The more social controls we put upon people, the greater the cry for freedom, but what does freedom really look like? Freedom is a recurring theme in MUTINY and reference is made, in Chapter 25, to Big Brother from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four:

Nineteen Eighty Four

[Michael clears his throat. “In his 1949 novel – NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR – George Orwell feared a Big Brother who would control us all, even our thoughts. I’m afraid we have arrived at the gates to this Orwellian world and are mesmerized by distractions that disguise what is really happening to us. The very foundations of society are crumbling.”]

A parallel to 1984 is the life of the protagonist, Sir Christopher Jenson. He seems to have lost his career mojo and, when an investigation goes awry, he is more than willing to change. And, so are a few other characters and I think this ‘freedom’ theme helps create several layers in MUTINY.

Orwell’s predictions are rapidly finding fulfilment in society today, aided by many geo-political conflicts. Yet, in the midst of these, MUTINY is able to finish on a positive note – one that leaves Sir Christopher with a sense of hope and love. Was it planned that way or did it just ‘happen.’ Perhaps the readers will find the answer.

Who is the main protagonist?

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Sir Christopher Jenson – the main protagonist – is a gentle nod to my initials, C.J. But, that’s where the similarity ends, or does it? After all, Sir Christopher has the same first name as me and is roughly the same age, so I might be lurking in this lead character? Another giveaway is that Jenson is written in the first person. Hold on, I have another character – Ravi – built on my experiences in Sri Lanka, and Claudine visits places that I have visited. Let me think about this a bit more and get back to posting again later, :-).

Little Gray Matter in The Gray Man

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One review of The Gray Man says, “The Gray Man is a story about assassins who are, we’re told, the very best in the world. And yet over and over again, they are shown to be shitty at their jobs. They incite international incidents. They wage small wars in town squares. And they have a very hard time holding a small girl hostage.” The reviewer, Joshua Rivera, notes that the plot for The Gray Man is tried and trite; of a protagonist who’s boss seeks their demise, as in The Bourne series. It is so easy to fall into a plot like this and (shh, just our secret) I almost did this the other day too. I prefer simple plots with complex endings that surprise the reader, but would never want you to know this. [Postscript: This movie is full of action—so much so, that one popular review says, “Sometimes it seems like everybody in hollywod (sic) has forgotten that things don’t have to happen on a massive scale to be interesting.”]

5 Key Elements for a Thriller

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While hosting workshops in the USA I found that the most popular ones were those with a catchy title, such as “10 Top Tips for Technology Teachers.” Hence the title for this post. Catchy, huh? Well, almost. The danger is that my top 5 tips might not be your ones. The following are from an article in masterclass.com and I will personalise a few to give my perspective. Let’s get into this:

  1. Make your main character compelling. In the thriller genre—just like in real life—a conflict is rarely as simple as “good guy vs. bad guy.” Good thrillers often feature protagonists that are flawed and complex…Readers relate to imperfect heroes, and having a main character with flaws will increase the tension and stakes of your story. Having a deep, three-dimensional main character is an essential ingredient of a successful thriller. [I totally agree. Of most importance is to allow the flaws in your main character to enable them to change/flip 180 degrees/grow into the villas. Mine did this by mistake. He started out as an ageing spy, but…oops, can’t give it away that easily!] Can you find the main character here below? Yes, of course you can, but is he/she compelling enough to stand out among the others?
    More about character flaws can be found here.
  2. The opening scene has plenty of action. Readers MUST be on the edge of their seats from the very first page. The opening scene of a thriller novel should introduce the crime, conflict, or stakes as quickly as possible. The best thrillers hook their readers with instant action, then fill in the necessary character and storyline information later. [Comment: avoid fluff at the start. Action, action, action. Some suggest that a thriller should start at the point of most conflict, then unpack it in the following chapters.]
  3. Create an interesting villain. Even your antagonist is unforgivable, their motivations should be rooted in a relatable desire or emotion. In other words, they should be motivated by their own twisted, internal logic (e.g. The Silence of the Lambs its subsequent sequels, readers learn through flashbacks that Dr. Hannibal Lecter witnessed the murder of his sister when he was young. Therefore, Dr. Lecter is more than just a psychopathic serial killer—he is a person whose evil actions stem from a heartbreaking trauma). Readers are more likely to be engaged in your villain’s story and character development if they can recognize seeds of themselves in your antagonist.
  4. Build obstacles for your protagonist. If there’s one thing that all bestselling authors of thrillers are good at, it’s putting their protagonist in harm’s way. Your main character should experience heartbreak, trauma, and anxiety throughout the book. Sometimes, the most effective obstacle is a ticking clock or strict time limit to complete their task. Obstacles will also increase the narrative satisfaction of the end of the book, when your protagonist finally overcomes the hurdles and triumphs over adversity. [Yes, have a chase that is race against time.]
  5. Add plenty of plot twists and turning points. More so than any other genre, thriller novel writing requires the story to contain an abundance of plot twists, turning points, and cliffhangers. If you’re experiencing writer’s block when writing a scene, ask yourself what a reader might expect to happen next. How can you subvert those expectations? If a scene feels uneventful, think about what plot element or character you can introduce to raise the stakes or create a dilemma for your protagonist. Plot twists will ensure that your thriller is a page-turner and make it impossible for your reader to put it down. [Right on! In my last thriller I was writing a new chapter when it suddenly took a turn that I never expected.]

Jeff Bezos Defines the Essentials of an Epic Story

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The author Brad Stone, in his book ‘Amazon Unbound’, mentions a moment when Jeff Bezos rattled off a list of the main ingredients of a great story. You might like to check these against your writing too. They are (condensed):

1. A heroic/compelling protagonist who experiences growth and change
2. Wish fulfillment (e.g. the protagonist has hidden abilities)
3. Moral choices
4. Diverse worldbuilding (different geographic landscapes)
5. Cliffhangers (urgency to read the next chapter or watch the next episode)
6. High Stakes (a global threat or a devastating pandemic)
7. Humor
8. Betrayal
9. Positive emotion (love, joy, hope)
10. Negative emotion (loss, sorrow)
11. Violence (one that I am not a huge fan of)

source: Amazon Unbound, pg 151

Characters in Search of an Author

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Six Characters in Search of an Author, is a play in three acts by Luigi Pirandello, using the device of the “theatre within the theatre,” the play explores various levels of illusion and reality.

I saw this play once and it began with workers putting final touches to the theatre set. They were in a panic to get it ready for the play and asked the audience for some help. The audience soon discovered that they were part of the play.

Pirandello’s device is very clever and it has a lesson for authors—you need to introduce your characters from the get—go! My first manuscript for book #2 fell into this trap. While focusing on a setting builder in Chapter 1, I had left out the main characters until Chapter 2. This left the reader guessing where the protagonist, antagonist were. This begs the question—do all successful books require the main characters to appear in the opening chapter? 

The bible is regarded as one of the most read and most important books of all time. In it, the first chapter—Genesis—describes the main actors (God, Adam and Eve, etc. appearing on the stage (the earth). So, take it from the top; don’t forget to put your main character(s) in the first chapter!

When to Introduce Your Main Characters?

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A good question. When is the best time to introduce your main characters in your novel? I made a big mistake on this in my second novel—the draft did not feature the main character (the protagonist) and antagonist until later in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3. When I reworked the script to have these characters appear in Chapter 1, along with a strong hint of the conflict between them, it produced better tension and moved the plot along with more pace.
Definitions (from here):

PROTAGONISTS

The definition of a protagonist is basically “the main character”. Here is the Wikipedia definition:

“A protagonist (from Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής (protagonistes), meaning “player of the first part, chief actor”) is the main character in any story, such as a literary work or drama. The protagonist is at the center of the story, makes the key decisions, and experiences the consequences of those decisions.”

ANTAGONISTS

The Wikipedia definition of antagonist is the following:

An antagonist is a character whose motivations, goals, desires or opinions are opposed to those of the protagonist.

The important aspect in this alternative definition is the lack of hostility. Remember, I am in favor of tension to drive a story, but not in favor of (instant) trouble. Hope this helps your writing; it sure helped mine!

 

Blog Views Mirror Thriller Plot?

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The following graph is a summary of recent visitors to this blog.

I could not help thinking that the rises and falls are similar to the intentional (or unintentional) rising and falling of tension in a thriller like 3 WISE MEN. For some, a sudden rise in tension – for example, the unexpected death of a character – is too much, and they prefer a more gentle building of tension. The steeper the graph, the more rapid the rise in the number of viewers on this blog. Peaks often correspond with holiday periods – a time when readers have more time to indulge in blogging. The mathematical significance of this graph would not be lost on our protagonist – Jak Colins! As a writer of thrillers, I am acutely aware of the need for the peaks and troughs in the plot. After all, I do want readers to be glued to the text and not easily able to put the book down. On the other hand, I know it is important to establish characters and event – something that might look like the trough in the graph above. For me, I need to work hard to do this characterization in a style that still engages, and a technique I have found useful is the use of humor. Let’s have a brief look at this in my next post.