How to Write Young Adult (with Wattpad's Finest)

Choose Your Own Adventure - so1tgoes

Choose Your Own Adventure

by Katie Baker (so1tgoes)

They say that our fates are not ours to choose, but I disagree.

There is a pattern occurring in movies and literature. An ordinary protagonist, nondescript in every way, is plucked from obscurity and thrust into their journey. The story isn't led by a protag who actively pursued their adventure, but rather, by someone chosen by destiny to be the hero.

We see this in action-adventure franchises all the time. Katniss signs up for the Hunger Games after her sister's name is chosen randomly from a draw. Harry Potter is the 'boy who lived'; predestined for greatness while he was still in diapers. Tris was Divergent, Mare is born with with Silver powers, Bella Swan...smells really good? I don't know, I never really got that one.

Why are we fascinated by these characters? Is it because we are insecure about our own significance, so we project the idea of being 'special' or 'chosen' over our fictional counterparts? Certainly, there is a lot of appeal in the idea that every one of us is capable of greatness, if only we were given the opportunity to prove ourselves. Who hasn't fantasized about a Gandalf-type figure showing up at the door and inviting you to begin your hero's journey? All this time you thought you were a nobody, but fate had other plans.

This formula has wrought no small amount of strong protagonists, and it's always interesting to watch a character progress from obscurity to greatness. However, I am partial to the idea that we are in charge of our own destinies. Do you want change? Go out and create it. Is an unjust antagonist causing trouble? Pick up your weapon and begin training. No one is going to come along and force you into action; you have to take the steps yourself. This is your story, and the pages will be written by no one but you.

I don't like randomness. To me, it feels lazy. It's true that story writing will always involve a certain amount of shortcuts; dropping characters into situations helps with pacing and keeping the action constant. However, I think that a lot of interest can be drawn from following a protag who makes their own decisions, and actively sets themselves on their own path. I have tried (and struggled) to create such a main character in my series, The Runner, and I have learned a couple of things in my attempts.

One way of getting around the 'chosen' character quandary is to create a protag who already has a wealth of experience behind them. Think of Indiana Jones, James Bond or any of your typical superheroes. You already know their general backstory: they studied hard, trained and gradually worked their way towards their ultimate goal. There is a reason that books and movies will often begin in the middle of an ongoing story; they don't want to bore you with the details of how your heroic protagonist came to be.

Another method for cheating a character into action is to drop a problem that suits their particular skillset. In Pirates of the Caribbean, the source of conflict takes place on the high seas; an environment Captain Jack Sparrow happens to feel very comfortable in.

Be warned, however, that there is a to pratfall to creating unchosen heroes. It can be difficult to leave room for character development when your protag is already strong. When a 'nobody' is called into action and thrust into their journey, there is all sorts of room for them to learn and grow, but an experienced hero has to be handled with more subtlety.

The idea of destiny and inevitability is a timeless tool of storytelling. We want to see the ordinary character rising to extraordinary circumstances because we want to believe that we, too are capable of fantastic things.

We are capable. Maybe Hedwig won't be dropping any letters down your chimney, and your strange neighbour probably isn't Obi-Wan Kenobi, but that doesn't mean that you have to wait to start your own, incredible journey.

If you have any other suggestions about creating strong protagonists that don't fit the 'special someone' mold, please leave a comment! I would love to hear if other writers have experienced this issue.

Biography

Katie Baker is the author of The Runner series and a lover of action, adventure, and all things dystopian. She lives on and off the ski slopes with her husband in Ottawa, Canada and funds her bad habits by building websites.