Protagonist?

Hello, I was just wondering if you all could help me out here. I seem to have writer's block for this one (important) subject in particular. I can't seem to think of a protagonist for my story! I have no problem developing a major problem, I've created an entire world, with cultures, religions, and various methods for using magic. I've created a relatively indepth world, and I have a major antagonist, but no good guy; I was wondering if someone could review a condensed version of my notes and help me out.

Thanks! Cheers!

 

Who's got reason to want your antagonist to fail?

 

Well, pretty much anyone and everyone who doesn't serve certain powers.

 

Well then pick one, and then elaborate on why he/she/it, out of all of them, is the one to do something about it.

 

That's not really something you can ask other people to do for you. It's really central to the story, like saying, "I have a great joke I'm putting together, all I need is a punch line."

You've created an obstacle and a setting. What will propel your protagonist into a position that it becomes his (or her) problem? When you answer that, you'll know more of the constraints that will help define your protagonist.

 

Maybe your bad guy is really the good guy...? Maybe things should just get worse and worse in this fantasy until the bad guy is undone by his own karma, or something like that. Maybe a dumb little kid comes along at the last second and exposes his fatal flaw. Somethin like that.

I hope this was helpful. yours in Chaos, Scarlett

 

If you have an obstacle... well, who is it an obstacle TO? Who'd be fighting against it?

 

Huh... I've always thought you came up with that stuff after you had a protagonist. Like others have said, you're the one who needs to find a person with good reasons to get in the antagonist's way. I'm a fanatic conworlder, so I'd love to review your condesned notes.

 

I can't believe you've gotten that far and haven't found a protagonist. I think he (or she) is in there somewhere, you just haven't noticed him yet. He's probably calling out, yelling at the top of his lungs, and you just can't hear it. You may have thought he was smeone else, but he's really your protagonist, struggling to make his presence known. Trust me, he's there. Listen very closely and you can hear it....