Why are readers so fascinated by character stories driven by angst? No matter the genre, from Romance to Crime to Adventure, in the simplest form, they begin with a character who is unhappy with themselves. They end when the protagonist is happy; or happier, or less unhappy. Or arrives at a state of acceptance of their lot. Perhaps they come up with a plan to change, or take a step on the journey to change.
Pop-psychology fondly promotes the idea that ‘the story isn’t about the destination, but the journey itself.’ There’s the ‘life-as-learning’ trope, and ‘the wisdom of experience.’ Here, the character might move from ignorance to knowledge or self-knowledge.
The Dissatisfaction Survey
The point is, it’s not all about action. The best stories begin with dissatisfaction. Recall Luke longing to get away from the desert, Pip escaping the smithy and the marshes, or Dorothy moaning about Kansas? The protagonist begins from a place of satisfaction and goes on an emotional journey of self-discovery, self-identification, growth or healing. There’s no place like home, be it Kansas, the forge, or the Rebel Alliance. Lizzie and Darcy (collect a sticker) give up their pride and their prejudice in the archetypal romance. It’s the very foundation of the Romance genre and nearly all literary fiction.
Self-loathing, trauma, low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, thwarted ambition, jealousy, loneliness, isolation, guilt, regret; there’s a huge catalogue of angst to choose from. As long as the protagonist is relatable and in some way sympathetic, the reader will stay with them on the journey. Make the character too whiny, self-centred or repellent, the story becomes a DNF; Did Not Finish.
Flat Plains, Mountains Ranges and Forks
While hyper-competant characters such as Sherlock Holmes or James Bond engage readers through their adventures, they have flat arcs of minimal or no change. Holmes solves the puzzle and brings justice, Bond fulfils his duty and takes down the bad guys. There’s very little soul-searching or angst in those two.
In Westerns, there are two types of protagonist. One lone gunfighter rights wrongs and moves on because there is no place in society for them; their angst is never resolved. The other lone gunfighter saves the town, hangs up his guns and settles down with his found-family; here is the transformed man. There’s a fork along the wagon trail.
In character-driven stories, the protagonist has to change. They may want to change, in which case the author obstructs and delays them as long as possible. They must be confined or imprisoned, either by the setting, their society, family or role. Circumstance stifles their proactivity; there is no escape, or so it seems. Perhaps the change backfires, lurches off the straight path through multiple set-backs?
Perhaps the protagonist resists change? For most positive character arcs, change is good. Yet many protagonists deny their need to change. Forced along a path of change by the external plot, events in the story bring them, willingly or unwillingly, to a new role or sense of self; this is the internal plot.
Don’t Shoot the Messenger
I’m currently revising The Sixth Messenger. For all her competence, my protagonist has doubts about her mission from page one. She has doubt about her faith, about her very place in her Order. It’s not a good situation for a priestess. As the story progresses, we discover Aeryn’s self-loathing, trauma, low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, loss, loneliness, isolation, guilt, and regret. Even her identity is in doubt. Somehow she must forge a new one, find a new place in the world and self-identify who she is.
There is a tiny light inside Aeryn, a drive to save others from her fate and that keeps her on the path. All the while she resists change. A sense of unworthiness holds her back. Aeryn denies the leadership role that everyone else believes she should take on, until she has no other choice. She’s bound up in the acceptance of found family and her role as its head.
It’s not a subtle character arc. It’s one of those characters stories driven by angst. Aeryn is the reluctant Western gunfighter coming to the fork in the road. Which path will she choose?