What makes a great protagonist?
Many people wonder what makes a book so good. It doesn't have to be YA. It can be adult or any genre. There are certain things I look for when I am reading or choosing a book.
Voice
You need a voice that is relatable. Someone you connect to. It's like when you meet someone for the first time. Most of the time, you know if you are going to be friends straight away. It's the way they talk, what they talk about, and how it makes you feel. It could be humor. It could be some snark. It could be based on your mood at the time. This is different for every person. One of my favorite examples is The Sky is Everywhere. They way the MC sees death is interesting to me.
Engaging
It has to grab me immediately. If the voice doesn't connect with me in the first few pages, I have a hard time continuing. One of my favorite examples is Devil's Kiss. Billy is tough on the first page.
Flaws
We need real characters with real flaws. And sometimes these flaws may get in the way. All humans have flaws so if a character is too perfect - it is boring to me. One of my favorites is Katniss. Her flaw is that she is too tough and too stubborn and it impacts her. But it makes her likeable.
Backstory
We need to understand where they came from. This does not need to be pages of narrative but we need to get a glimpse of their life and their back story and how it impacts the character overall. One of my favorites is The Duff.
Active
The character needs to be doing something. They can't be passive or whiny. We want to watch them fight through a mess they are in. Not be saved or wait to be saved. One of my favorites is Fault in Our Stars - even though the MC is struggling with her health - she doesn't whine and she sees the world in a different way.
Each person looks for something different in every book. But some annoying things that turn me off immediately are:
• Whiny - instead of doing anything they whine about it. To me, this is different than complaining.
• No redeemable qualities - like hates puppies and babies.
• Annoying habits - ones I just cant get past like picking their nose or something.
• Boring or unoriginal - I've seen the character before.
After everything that has happened, Grace moves to the Everglades to live with her grandmother, Birdee, and hang out with old man Rex, Birdee's "friend with benefits". Grace quickly befriends Dylan, Rex's nephew, and Dylan's girlfriend, Sadie, who is a die-hard teen activist. Sadie spends her time leading protests against the roadside zoos that run rampant in Florida with a total disregard for animals or the flimsy law.
One day while out in the marshes of the Everglades, Grace and her friends rescue an abused—and endangered—Florida panther. She and Birdee spend time rehabilitating the animal. But when the panther runs off, Grace follows it to Uncle Bob's, a large roadside zoo they all have been protesting. One that is illegally filled with a variety of endangered and exotic animals. Before she can rescue the panther, she and her friends are kidnapped by the ruthless owner and dragged deep into the Everglades for a hunting challenge.
Only this time, Grace is the prey.
During a sick game of cat and mouse, Grace and her friends are offered one chance at survival, but only if they reach civilization before being caught. With a small head start and very little supplies, only time and skill stand between the hunter and the hunted. But out in the Everglades, there may be more dangers than Grace realizes.
Against all odds, Grace must make it out alive and win, or everything she holds dear could be lost.
I like dark chocolate and cheese dip (though not together) and the occasional straight up, extra filthy martini with extra olives.
I cry at everything. And if you cry around me (or if I even sense that you are about to cry), I cry. I'm a baby.
Even though I pretend like I'm tough, I'm extremely sensitive. My toughness is a total facade except for when I do Bikram yoga in 110 heat. then I'm way tough.
I am very honest. I will always tell it like it is. And that gets me into trouble... a lot.
I am an amazing multi-tasker. Ask my hubby. (I'm juggling 10 things as I write)
I love animals and nature and am completely heart broken at the way we treat both.
I love Milos Sweet Team and any kind of coffee - mostly flavored.
I love to laugh, especially at myself. I work hard to be a silly klutz - it does not come easy.
I am addicted to Delights White Chocolate Raspberry Creamer and horde bottles when it comes out every Dec. (Seriously, it is a problem.)
When I was 10, I got draggeddown an asphalt street by a big dog and my babysitter put band-aids on every single scratch. Taking off 3 boxes of bandaids hurts! (Needless to say my pet walking business was a total bust.)
I love to read in bed and am obsessed with T.V. (Walking Dead, The Following and anything CW).
I'm a slight hypochondriac. Seriously if I sneeze - it must be something serious.
My first car was an apple-red 1984 Toyota Celica Hatchback. By the time I turned it in, I had a boom box on the seat (the radio broke), no air-conditioning, and I had to pour a quart of oil in every morning just to get to work. (True story.)
I am a horrible cook. I can do it if I try, but hate to do it. My timing is always off!
I have two kids that make me laugh and who actually think I'm as funny as I think I am. :)
I worked in Corporate America for about 12 years and barely got out alive. Though my creativity managed to survive. I hope.
I am still seeking my true purpose and hope it helps people someday. I want to make a difference.
=========
Official Authory Bio to impress people :)
S.R. Johannes is the award-winning author of the Amazon bestselling thriller series, the Nature of Grace (Untraceable and Uncontrollable). Unstoppable (book 3) is scheduled for May/June 2014. S.R. Johannes is currently repped by Lara Perkins at ABLA. For foreign rights on the Nature of Grace series, contact Jennifer Custer at AM Heath (London).
S.R. Johannes is the YA advisor of ALLi and a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult category) as well as a Silver medalist (2nd place) in the IPPY awards for YA Fiction. She was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult category), a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Young Adult of 2012, and a YA Finalist in the US Book News Best Book of 2012.
After earning an MBA and working in corporate America doing marketing for over 15 years (Spanx and Good hair Products were my fav because of the perks :), S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, English-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.
Contact and Buy AKA Links:
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love comments, so comment away! I'll comment back if you leave a post-specific link for me to visit! If you leave that link, I'll always comment back, even if it's like, a month late!
This is an award free blog! Thanks for thinking of me but I just don't have the time to pass it along!