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Young Writers Society


On Multiple Protagonists



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Mon Jan 09, 2012 4:04 am
ChunSquirrelArtiste says...



I have been planning a series of fantasy novels, set mainly in a school and much like a bildungsroman, with two protagonists to tell the story.

The series is built upon, in a number of ways, opposites, pairs, and the reactions that spur from these oppositions. The two protagonists are a quiet, peculiar, impish girl of 16 and a fiery, garrulous girl of 10, the former serving as mentor to the latter as she enters the fantastic school.

I hope to appeal to both a children and young adult audience, and am curious about how well you think this will work. What do you think of multiple protagonists? (both will be told in third-person perspective) I know a lot of challenges, as well as opportunities, come along with choosing multiple main characters over one, but I really would like to tell the story of both girls.
  





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Mon Jan 09, 2012 3:41 pm
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Rosendorn says...



So long as we don't get confused about who is doing what, it'd be fine. Multiple PoVs can be handled really well, so long as they are clearly different. It looks like you've already taken that into consideration with the basic premise, so you'll probably be fine.

It can still take awhile to get into each protagonist's voice, so don't expect the first draft to be that good (but that's typical). But after a few drafts, you should be well on your way. Character sketches could help later on, as well.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo

Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
  





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Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:23 pm
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ChunSquirrelArtiste says...



Thank you Rosey Unicorn, that is very helpful. I've done a few writing exercises to develop the voices of each, so hopefully that will not be a major problem.
  








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