Warriors Fanfics: Specialized Writing Guide

BASE | The Main Character

- Star Trek: Voyager - The fifth TV series in the Star Trek universe, it follows the journey of the USS Voyager, led by Captain Kathrine Janeway, after it is hurled 75 light years from Earth into uncharted space.

While very few people in this fandom are also Star Trek fans, it still works as an example. Voyager specifically works because it is more character-driven than most series. Fans look back at what previous captains have done (Kirk, Picard, Sisko) and what they might have done in Captain Janeway's position. It may not be the point of the series, but it is one of its best features. Many encounters happen the way they do because of the kind of person Janeway is.

All of these fictions have something in common; whether they are TV shows, books, character-driven, or episodic, the main characters has an influence on the plot or within the universe they are in. The stories would be different if they did not exist or were replaced by another character. Now with that basic out of the way, we will get into your main character's character.

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FLAT, ROUND, STATIC, DYNAMIC

What do flat, round, static, and dynamic mean as literary terms? As I mentioned earlier, almost every character in Warriors is flat, static, or both. I will use who I can recall from memory for describing these character types.

Flat characters do not have many defining or interesting character traits. Their personality is shallow and can be summarized with one or two (often exaggerated) traits. For example, Firestar was strong and an inspiring leader without any flaws. That is important. There is nothing to round out his character. He is simply a walking hero archetype.

Round characters have depth, flaws, and feel like a balanced character. This is you. You are (hopefully) a round character. You have likes and dislikes, morals, people you love and hate, and unbalanced emotions. These things make you a round character. I cannot recall any round characters in Warriors off the top of my head. Regardless, you should not be using Warriors as an example for good characterization. And no, clearly evil Tigerstar who has a soft spot for certain cats is not 'round'.

Static characters do not change throughout the story. Their opinions, morals, and goals stay the same throughout. They generally do not back down from said opinions, morals, and goals when challenged by a strong opposition or valid argument. Easy examples are Firestar and Tigerstar.

Dynamic characters are opposite of static ones: they change. Whether it be some moral revelation, tipping power scales, or a change in personal interests, these characters do not end the story the way they began. This change can vary to certain degrees depending on the story. The important part is that they are not the same cat (or person) or are in the process of changing (because no one changes instantly). One example would be Tiny and his transformation into Scourge in The Rise of Scourge spinoff comic.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when applying these to our characters:

- Flat characters can be dynamic (common with villains and protagonists). Round characters can be static; this is the most common type of character (common in episodic TV shows).

- Round, dynamic characters often take significant amounts of time to realize in a satisfying way for audiences. They are common in long-running, character-driven series.

- Flat or static characters are not bad. Background characters are often this, and serve to amplify the plot, setting, or main characters. Too many characters developing can confuse the reader as to who is important and what the story is really about.

- Characters do not have to do complete 360 transformations to be considered dynamic or have complex emotional states to be round. Think about how many of these transformations and states you have had throughout your life (minus maturing with age). Less is more applies.

- There can be more than one main character. The lead is often referred to as the protagonist for that reason.

Now that that is out of the way, we can get into how you can have characters of your very own come out just the way you have envisioned them.

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HOW DO WE DO THIS?

How do we make a lead and supports that are interesting and hold influence on their stories? First, there is keeping in mind that the character in question must do something in order to be a main character. Our protagonist absolutely better do something. Second, we have to decide what basic character type we are going for: flat, static, round, dynamic, or some combination of them. For the most part, that is it. Reasons for not doing this within the Warriors fandom are hard to pin down. I could blame the rarity of good characters in canon to reference. I could blame the fandom's general age. I could blame the Warriors fanfiction community for its emphasis on quantity and speed over quality. It may be a combination of these things, or none at all. I may not have a reason, but I do have a solution to help you and your main character.

You can outline your main character in the same way you outline your plot, setting, and universe rules. I discussed a general method for this in an earlier section, but we do not have to use the same exact steps:

- First, determine where your main character fits within the plot. By this, I mean make your lead a catalyst, not a camera. The plot should be different if your main character changes.

- Ensure you know your main characters, and that they know themselves. Make sure they understand, to some extent, why they are the way they are. Even if they hate themselves, or know not where their motivations and morals come from, they should at least have some self-conscious.

- Take notes throughout writing your story on your main character's actions. Are they changing? Are they making the plot do a 180? Note it so you have something to compare it to later to make sure your characters are staying on the path you want them to. Note that this method is more effective if you chose to write a first draft.

You probably hope there is a straightforward answer to fix your bad characters, should you have any. But good characters take just as much effort to write as a good narrative. Good main characters are the story. Without them, things are just not the same. Note that we could replace Firestar with some of the other main characters in the series and not much would change. But if we take Harry Potter out of Harry Potter, it is not the same.

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IN CONCLUSION...

That is the information I have on writing better main characters. I encourage those who want to be better writers to go back and read your older works; that is why these BASE sections exist. See if you can identify the flaws I have listed above to any of your main characters. Which of your characters are round, or static? What about their influence on the plot? And how can you fix some of these mistakes with your leads? Better yet, how can you ensure your lead and plot are sound from outline to 'completed' tag?

A strong character dominates all and makes everything else in your story better. And enjoy writing with your amazing characters.

- Tyto