It’s about your Protagonist, Part 2
Writing a Graphic Novel using Save the Cat
Problems, we all have them. We all deal with them in different ways. Some succeed in solving them. Others may run away or fail. Problems help us grow, for better or worse. Your protagonists need to be relatable. They need to have problems!
Their problem is a flaw that hinders them. For example, Batman can be too obsessed with a crime. Luffy isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. Problems and flaws are why we relate to characters. This is one of the reasons, arguably, why people don’t relate to Superman. He can do everything. We care more about Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
Problems and flaws also manifest in ways that affect the protagonist’s decisions. The obstacles the protagonist’s faces are a direct result of their flaw. They provide road bumps so that the journey of the story isn’t easy.
When you analyze most protagonists in comics, they have some level of relatability. Most heroes are orphans to build empathy. This is what motivated them to pursue being a hero. Look at Spiderman. Losing his Uncle Ben forced him to learn about power and responsibility. That motto has been a burden on Peter. He has the pressures f his job, Mary-Jane, and Aunt May, often clashing with his Spiderman problems.
In the end, the problem your protagonist has or will face will draw your audience to care and you must have at least one.
