Monday, June 13, 2011

COTT - Well-crafted Main Characters

When you finish reading a novel, are you ever sad to see the protagonist go? Does it feel like you’re saying good-bye to a good friend? Those are signs of well-crafted main characters, like the ones in our excerpts this week.

There are many protagonists whom I’ve met in my life who have felt like old friends, and I miss them at the end of the book.

Here are eight of my favorite protagonists and their characteristics which I found most endearing as a young reader and still admire to this day:
  • To Kill a Mockingbird- Scout Finch’s imagination.
  • Pride and Prejudice- Elizabeth Bennet’s wit.
  • Mouse and the Motorcycle- Ralph S. Mouse’s sense of adventure.
  • Charlotte’s Web- Wilbur’s loyalty.
  • The Baby Sitter Club Series- Kristy Thomas’s organization skills.
  • Jane Eyre- Jane Eyre’s conscience.
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- Lucy Penvensie’s bravery.
  • Mandie Series- Madie Shaw’s crime solving skills.
My question for you, who is your favorite protagonist?

Amanda Flower is an academic librarian for a small college in Ohio. Her first novel, Maid of Murder, was released in 2010. When she is not at the library or writing her next mystery, she is an avid traveler, aspiring to visit as much of the globe as she can.

She is the author of Maid of Murder

Contact Amanda: amandaflower(at)gmail(dot)com
Amanda's Site, Blog, Facebook 
Posted by Edie Melson at 6:00 AM
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4 comments:

  1. Beth K. VogtJune 13, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    I'll give you two of my favorites: Sarah Prine, in the book "These is My Words." Sarah is feisty, independent--illiterate too. But she teaches herself to read and overcomes disappointment and shattered dreams to find true love.
    And then there's PJ Sugar in Susan May Warren's PJ Sugar series. Great sense of humor, struggling with a sense of worth and who she is in God's eyes. Very believable character.

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  2. 1writerlaurieepps@gmail.comJune 13, 2011 at 2:35 PM

    I loved Daisy in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald for her style, grace under pressure, and I relate to her as an indirect heroine.

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  3. HeatherJune 13, 2011 at 2:51 PM

    The Fountainhead - Howard Roark because of his personal strength and courage in the face of adversity.

    Atlas Shrugged - Dagny Taggart for her strong will, love for and belief in America, and her uncompromising spirit.

    As You Like It - Rosalind for her boldness, imagination, wit, and ability to see herself for who she is and adapt to the life she's been given.

    Speak - Melinda for her strength and ability to recover from a traumatic experience and find her voice again.

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  4. a.n.g.June 14, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    I'd have to agree about Elizabeth Bennet.

    ReplyDelete

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