Writers in the Storm

By Angela Ackerman

Character tropes—familiar character ‘types’ used often in stories—are sometimes condemned as being cliché and something to avoid. And it’s true that in the wrong hands, tropes can lead to flat characters and stereotypes. But used skillfully, tropes accomplish a ton of things at once, including:

1. Giving writers a valuable starting point for character-building. Just as a blank page may intimidate, so can a lump of character clay. Kickstarting the process by choosing a special skeleton for someone is a great strategy to get things moving.
2. Being able to orient readers quickly. Tropes provide a snapshot of who someone is and their role, giving readers the context they need to feel anchored in the story.
3. Speeding up connection. Knowing fundamental details about a character makes it easier to empathize and relate to their struggles, needs, fears, and unspoken desires.
4. Satisfying a reader’s expectations. It’s rare to choose a book blindly—people usually go looking for a specific experience. The genre guides readers to the type of story and often features certain characters: Rebels, cowboys, monster hunters, bad boys, etc. Character tropes help us deliver a story cast readers want to engage with.
5. Subverting expectations! The best part of making readers happy by giving them the characters they crave is the ability to go off script just enough to provide a character who is fresh and new. This is the key to making tropes work, so let’s dive into that a bit more.

Breaking Away from Predictability

Characters feel hollow when they are reduced to something – a trope, stereotype, mental health condition, set of circumstances, etc. Rather than having  depth and complexity, they get labelled – the washed-up detective with a drinking problem or the aloof teen with dead parents. When it comes to important characters, these labels let readers down. They want depth, not cliff notes.  Unless a character has a walk-on part, we still have much work to do.

Breakout characters and showstopping stories rely on trading generic characters for those who fascinate. Here’s how to write a character who will transcend their trope.

1.    Know Their Why

To develop a character further, understand what shaped them in the first place: What past events led here and what pain do they carry? How did they succeed and fail in life? What experiences, caregivers (or detractors), and challenges nudged them to align with this trope?

The past influences the present, so dive into their backstory. Not only will you feel closer to them, but you’ll also be able to write their actions and choices with greater authority.

2. Go Deeper

After thinking about their past circumstances and experiences, turn to other pieces of their identity. Questions like these will help you:

1. What are their best qualities (traits, strengths, values, beliefs) and how do they display these to the world through their actions, relationships, and motivations?
2. What do they fear most, and why?
3. What do they need most but believe they are unworthy or incapable of having?
4. What flawed ideas, beliefs, and misconceptions are holding them back?
5. What dreams and goals do they keep to themselves, and why are they important to them?
6. What emotions are hard for them to experience, and why?

By answering these, you’ll gain the knowledge you need to elevate a trope into an individual, a character who feels human, true, and easy for readers to and relate to.

3. Steer Clear of Trope Danger Zones Like Cliches & Stereotypes

As you’re building out who your character is, take care to not repeat overdone aspects of a trope. For example, if your jock is the star quarterback, has great hair, a cheerleader girlfriend, and is a total jerk…yikes. A carbon copy is boring and flat, and readers deserve better.

4. Give Readers Something Different than They Expect

Readers love to be surprised, and tropes are a great opportunity to make this happen. When someone recognizes a type of character, they make assumptions: The protagonist is a starving artist! I bet he’s talented, misunderstood, and trying to break through a glass ceiling in his field. Look how excited he is over this latest piece! Someone needs to take a chance on him because he probably works a dead-end job to pay the bills, and his family harps on him for being a hopeless dreamer.

Readers love to feel like participants in a story, and tropes make them feel like story masterminds. With the first piece—a basic understanding of a character’s layer—they start forecasting what the problems will be, where the story will go, and what will need to happen for a protagonist to reach their goal.

When using a trope, readers should let some predictions land but subvert others in meaningful ways. Maybe the artist’s family is supportive, but the character doesn’t believe in themselves. Or the excitement over their latest work isn’t a sign that it will be their breakout piece, it’s the euphoria of knowing the cottage they’re painting belongs to someone they’ve decided to kill. Thinking outside the trope offers big rewards. Here are more ideas for twisting a trope.

5. Use an Arc to Elevate the Trope

Tropes work well on minor characters, helping readers see how their role or function fits within the bigger story. When a main character fits a trope, though, these characterizing details shouldn’t be window dressing, they should tie to their internal arc. For example, an Adrenaline Junkie heroine shouldn’t chase thrills ‘just because.’ Maybe for her it’s an escape mechanism, a way to avoid life’s painful moments. And, in her story, a difficult blow--her twin’s terminal diagnosis—shows her how she needs to step up in the moment rather than try to skydive away from it.

Tropes are excellent tools, but like anything else, should be used strategically and masterfully. If you’d like to browse a wide range of archetypes and tropes and learn how to write them into your story, check out One Stop for Writers’ Character Type and Trope Database.

Is there a character trope or archetype you love to see in stories?
 Let me know in the comments!

About Angela

Angela Ackerman is a story coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, and its many sequels. Available in ten languages, her guides are sourced by US universities, recommended by agents and editors, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, and psychologists around the world. To date, this book collection has sold over 1.3 million copies.

Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers®, as well as One Stop for Writers®, a portal to game-changing tools and resources that enable writers to craft powerful fiction. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Header Image from Deposit photo

by Ellen Buikema

The average number of pitches read by literary agents runs anywhere from 1000 to 5000 per year. Response rates are low with less than 4% receiving any response, including rejections. Having a well-written, to-the-point pitch is crucial to engage an agent or editor.

Whether pitching in-person at a conference or sending a written query letter, make certain to get straight to the point. Perusing pitches is what agents and editors do during downtime. Their days are busy.

Ways to work on the pitch via query letter and in-person follow:

A good example of a query letter that uses the Hook, Book, Cook method for their supernatural thriller can be found in Jane Friedman’s blog.

The Hook Book Cook formula

Hook – 

The hook is the first few sentences that grab the reader’s interest so they’ll keep reading. If you’ve previously met the person you’re pitching, say at a conference, mention this upfront. That will help your cause.

I once met an agent in person at a conference whom I had previously queried. After her presentation I stopped to thank her for the comments she sent me on my query. She seemed quite shocked to be thanked. After a short conversation she told me to send another query when I’m ready and remind her that we met.

The following hook is for a novel I’m almost finished revising, although the revisions seem unending.

I am seeking representation for my Young Adult historical fiction THE HOBO CODE (65,000 words) in which 14-year-old Jack conspires with his younger siblings to escape dire situations rather than risk being forever separated. Jack promised to get them to safety, and he always keeps his promises. No matter what.

Book – 

The book section is a short summary of your manuscript focusing on its selling points and should include the title of a book or two similar your work.

Example book section from The Hobo Code manuscript:

After the death of their mother in 1905 Wausau, Wisconsin, fourteen-year-old Jack and his two younger siblings are sent to an orphanage by their grief-stricken, alcohol-driven father. A dangerous encounter with orphanage staff forces Jack to flee with his younger siblings, sending them on a peril-filled journey across the country via freight trains.

Through their travels they encounter the underbelly of society where pleasure, delights, addiction, and violence weave a deadly tapestry. Together, the three children weather encounters with death, a pedophile, working girls, a psychopath, and are involved in a train robbery.

With the help of hobos and hope of finding family in Los Angeles, they traverse a hazardous path to find a new home.

A hero’s journey, THE HOBO CODE is a standalone story with series potential that shares elements from Markus Zusak’s THE BOOK THIEF.

Cook – 

The cook is your brief bio and writing credentials.

I’m a writer living with my family in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. I am a co-host of Writers in The Storm blog. I taught reading and writing as a Resource Specialist Teacher in several school districts and psychology as adjunct faculty at the College of Lake County in Illinois. My chapter books for children received 5-star awards from Readers’ Choice. THE HOBO CODE is my first novel. In my spare time, I love to read, listen to music, and make people laugh.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Each section of the query should cover what the reader needs in a concise manner, keeping in mind the limited time that the reader has available.

 
The Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short description of an idea, in this case a book, that explains the concept in a persuading way within a short timeframe, 30 to 60 seconds, about the length of time you’re chatting with someone on an elevator.

An elevator pitch should include a quick summary of your manuscript, including the main character, central conflict, and the stakes. If there is time, mention any relevant comparisons (comps) to similar books.

Short Pitches

“A murder inside the Louvre, and clues in Da Vinci paintings, lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years, which could shake the foundations of Christianity.” (IMDb) https://reedsy.com/blog/guide/book-hook/hook-examples/ The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown

“A scientist discovers a way for human consciousness to travel through time and relive moments of their life, but after one fateful experiment she returns to find her reality altered to a horrifying extent.” (Publishers Marketplace) https://reedsy.com The Third Rule of Time Travel, by Philip D. Fracassi

“The ultimate guide for crafting accurate drug scenes and avoiding common pitfalls, with tips, facts, and sample scenes to bring your writing to a new level.” The Grim Reader: A Pharmacist's Guide to Putting Your Characters in Peril, by Miffie Seideman

All-the-way-to-the-first-floor Pitches

Cold Karma, by Eldred Bird

“When writer James McCarthy turns to Deputy Sheriff Nestor Yazzi for spiritual guidance, he agrees to help ... for a price. In exchange, James must work to solve a cold case that has haunted his mentor for fourteen years. Nestor’s best friend disappeared into the mountains of central Arizona while prospecting, leaving nothing behind but a tractor and a few hand tools. Armed with little more than his wits and a box of old files and photos, can James succeed in bringing Nestor’s missing friend home, or will he fail to hold up his end of the bargain?” (From the author.)

Parallel Lives: The Paths Not Taken, by Kris Maze

“When Harriet discovers The Experience, she's skeptical of its promise to show her better versions of her life. But as this jaded insurance adjuster steps into the simulation chamber, she's thrust into vivid realities she could have lived. In one reality, she's saving lives in Honduran clinic. In another, she's creating art in the Arizona desert.

"Each simulation features a man whose path intertwines with hers across different timelines whose motives grow increasingly suspicious. Harriet begins to unravel the true nature of these experiences as the simulations become more intense. The man appears with a devastating warning and she faces a terrifying realization. What if these alternate realities are more than just simulations, and what happens when she follows the wrong one?” (From the author.)

Loglines

A logline condenses your story into a one-sentence (sometimes two) summary. It’s often used for screenplays but translates well to books. It includes:

• The Protagonist: The main character and their defining trait.
• Inciting Incident: Event that forces them into action.
• Goal/Objective: What the protagonist must achieve.
• Central Conflict/Antagonist: The main obstacle in their way.
• Stakes/Consequences: What happens if they fail?

The logline is designed for the reader to instantly have a good understanding of the story’s concept.

Examples:

“When monsoon rains uncover a body, a naïve writer is pulled deep into the foothills to aid in the investigation, putting friends, family, and his own life at risk.” Catching Karma, by Eldred Bird

“A revolutionary technology offers one woman an incredible opportunity: to see the lives she's never lived, but she faces a terrifying realization. What if these alternate realities are more than just simulations, and what happens when she chooses the wrong one?” Parallel Lives: the Paths Not Taken, by Kris Maze

Final Thoughts

Along with getting across the selling points of your work, the pitch also gives the reader an idea of your writing. I noticed when rereading this article that I subconsciously slipped in a bit of alliteration, which I use quite a bit in children’s stories.

Have a care with spelling and grammar. Have other people read your query, elevator pitch, and logline. Extra eyes-on is always a good thing. This is your chance to shine.

Even if you never plan to pitch an agent or editor in hopes to be traditionally published, writing your selling points using any of the methods mentioned will make talking about your work flow easily.

What is your elevator pitch? Have you written a logline? Share them with us!

* * * * * *

About Ellen

Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.

Find her at https://ellenbuikema.com or on Amazon.

Top image from freepic.com

By Sarah (Sally) Hamer

Stories are more than plots, twists, and climaxes. They are living, breathing organisms that thrive on the pulse of their characters. At the center of every great narrative lies our protagonists -- the figures through whom readers experience both the fictional and the real world, wrestle with conflict, and ultimately discover meaning.

What makes a protagonist truly unforgettable? Is it their actions? Clever dialogue? GMC? (Goal, motivation, and conflict for those who don’t know.) I don’t think so. I think it’s their beating heart.

Of course, characters don’t truly have beating hearts, right? But remember, we ALWAYS base our characters on humans. We have to – it’s our human experiences that make characters real to the reader.

How do we uncover this heart? I believe we must explore the protagonist through three dimensions: body, mind, and soul. Together, these elements form the essence of character and ensure that our story resonates deeply with the audience. We must create something believable, but also something that will connect at a deep level with people who really want to read our books.

Body:

First, we have to ground the protagonist in reality. The body is the vessel through which the protagonist interacts with the world. It is the tangible, physical aspect of character that anchors them in reality and makes them relatable. The aspects are physicality, body language, and action.

• Physicality
  A protagonist’s face and body tells us who they are before they speak. The weary soldier with scars etched across his skin, or the child with tears on her face, tell us who they are at a glance, narrative cues that reveal history, struggle, and potential. It’s technically the superficial level we’re working with here, but it’s the first level of intimacy and we start to get to know them.
• Body Language
  The next level of intimacy is how a character can tell their story without actual motion. This is an outward expression of how we HOLD our bodies. Crossed arms, raised eyebrows, a tilt of the head, the palette of underlying emotions conveyed by tiny clues of unrealized  illustration, these all help us to determine character.
• Action/Motion
  The body also tells us other things. Every gesture, every stumble, every triumph is communicated through physicality. When Katniss Everdeen raises her bow, her body becomes the language of rebellion. When Frodo collapses under the weight of the Ring, his frailty conveys the crushing burden of destiny. The body externalizes the internal, allowing readers to witness the protagonist’s journey in motion.

Mind:

If the body is the vessel, the mind is the compass. It shapes and directs the protagonist’s perspective and choices, interprets the world, and shapes the narrative’s moral and intellectual core.

• Thoughts as Windows
  A protagonist’s mind opens a window into their worldview. Through their thoughts, doubts, and rationalizations, readers gain insight into how they perceive conflict and opportunity. As we see in Hamlet’s endless soliloquies, for example, they reveal a mind caught in paralysis, torn between action and contemplation. His heart is found not in his sword but in his ceaseless questioning.
• Conflict as Mental Terrain
  The mind is also the battlefield of internal conflict. A protagonist may wrestle with fear, guilt, or ambition long before these emotions manifest in action. This mental struggle often defines the story’s tension more than external obstacles. In George Orwell’s 1984, Winston Smith’s rebellion begins in thought — his mind daring to imagine freedom even as his body remains trapped.
• The Necessity of Intellect
  To find the heart of a protagonist, writers must explore their mental landscape. What do they believe? What do they fear? What truths do they cling to, and which lies do they tell themselves? The mind provides the scaffolding for the protagonist’s decisions, ensuring that their journey is not random but deeply rooted in their inner logic.

The Soul:

Beyond body and mind lies the soul—the ineffable core that defines the protagonist’s humanity. The soul is where values, emotions, and purpose converge. It is the heart in its purest form.

• Emotion as Resonance
  The soul is the seat of emotion, and emotion is the bridge between character and reader. When a protagonist grieves, we grieve. When they love, we love. This resonance is what transforms a story from entertainment into catharsis. Think of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird: his soul radiates integrity and compassion, and it is this moral heartbeat that makes him unforgettable.
• Purpose as Destiny
  The soul also defines the protagonist’s purpose. It is the “why” behind their journey. Without soul, a character may act and think, but they lack meaning. The soul answers the question: what is at stake? Why does this story matter? In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo’s soul is bound to the idea of sacrifice — his willingness to bear suffering for the greater good. That purpose elevates his journey beyond survival into transcendence. Instead, the character’s experiences may break them, body, mind, and soul, as Winston Smith was broken. Even though his intent was to find a way out of the torture, it finally became too much and he gave up the fight.
• The Necessity of Essence
  To find the heart of a protagonist, writers must uncover their soul. This requires peeling back layers of action and thought to reveal the values that define them. What do they stand for? What would they die for? What truth do they carry into the world? The soul is the heartbeat that sustains the narrative, ensuring that the protagonist is not just a character but a symbol of human experience.

The Interplay of Body, Mind, and Soul

The true heart of a protagonist emerges not from one dimension alone but from the interplay of body, mind, and soul. These elements are inseparable, each informing and enriching the other.

• The body expresses the protagonist’s struggles and triumphs in tangible form.
• The mind interprets these experiences, shaping decisions and conflicts.
• The soul imbues them with meaning, ensuring that the journey resonates beyond the page.

When these dimensions align, the protagonist becomes whole. They cease to be a construct and instead become a living presence in the reader’s imagination. This wholeness is what makes characters like Elizabeth Bennet, Harry Potter, or Jane Eyre endure across generations. Their bodies act, their minds question, and their souls inspire.

Conclusion: Writing with Heart

To write a protagonist is to breathe life into a story. To find their heart is to ensure that life is not mechanical but meaningful. By exploring the body, mind, and soul of a character, writers uncover the essence that makes them unforgettable. The body grounds them, the mind guides them, and the soul elevates them. Together, these dimensions create a protagonist whose journey resonates with readers long after the final page is turned.

In the end, the heart of a protagonist is not just necessary — it is the story itself. For without heart, there is no connection, no catharsis, no truth. And without truth, are stories worth telling?

How do you create a protagonist?

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About Sarah

Sarah (Sally) Hamer, B.S., MLA, is a lover of books, a teacher of writers, and a believer in a good story. Most of all, she is eternally fascinated by people and how they 'tick'. She’s passionate about helping people tell their own stories and has won awards at both local and national levels, including two Golden Heart finals.

A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twenty years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at www.margielawson.com and for the No Stress Writing Academy at https://www.worldanvil.com/w/classes-deleyna/a/no-stress-writing-academy.  Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors.

You can find her at info@mindpotential.org

Header Photo by Aung Soe Min on Unsplash