Crafting My Hero: First Thoughts on My Main Character

What makes a male protagonist in a fantasy series worth following for multiple books, and isn’t a replica of classic male protagonists in high or epic fantasy books? That’s the question I’ve been pondering while crafting the main character for my fantasy series, Sacred Wolves. 

I’m in the prewriting stage for this series, still honing the characters, plot, and settings, so this post is a peak behind the curtain of creating my story’s protagonist.

Many things might change from the writing of this post to the publishing of this book, but I wanted to share my current thoughts and get your feedback. Writing is often a journey of long-term refining of ideas, and sometimes writing posts like this can help the developmental process. 

Thanks for indulging my musings! 

Meet My Main Character 

Josoul Mett wants a life at sea. He’s worked on merchant ships since he was a young kid, working up the ship’s ranks and saving his money to buy his own boat and retire early. He longs to live on the sea, away from the land and people he’s known his whole life.

But my book has other plans for him. 

The most important aspect I’ve been trying to sort out is how to make him unique from other main characters in the fantasy genre. So far, what makes him different is nothing. He is normal. He has skills but nothing worthy of a Guinness World Record entry. He may participate in some battles, but he is no Aragorn or Legolas. He doesn’t have an impressive, powerful magical ability to show off (at least yet). He’s not even really a “Chosen One” trope.

He’s average. Born at the right time and in the right place all for a reason. 

The Journey Ahead

Josoul wants to be disconnected from people—or so he tells himself.

I think as the book progresses, some suppressed emotions will surface and he’ll be forced to be honest with himself about what he fears, what he truly longs for, and what/who he’s willing to fight for. 

I’m excited to write Josoul’s journey, because I see myself in the internal thoughts he will battle against. I hope to discover more about myself along the way. 

Inspiration Behind the Character

It all started with a single image of a pack of white wolves in a snowy forest that had just rescued a man. (Read the full post about my story inspiration idea here.) And soon after I came up with the man’s first name—Josoul. 

Now, why the unique name “Josoul”? Well, I was recovering from hip surgeries and was on heavy pain medications. lol. No, actually I wanted to create names for characters and settings that were either entirely original or more obscure.

Also, I knew that in addition to external conflicts, I wanted to write a lot of internal conflicts for Josoul, which is why I incorporated “soul” into his name. The story will dig deep into the core of this character, and “soul” hints to this, at least in my mind. 

Disclaimer: His name might completely change by the time I publish this book. This is only what I have so far. Which leads me to…

…What I’m Still Figuring Out

I’ve completed all my character creation worksheets for Josoul, but I still need to fully uncover his voice on the page. This will probably just involve beginning to draft, but I’ve been procrastinating. 

I don’t want to get him wrong. 

I’ve been planning this story for ages, so I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to make it perfect. But lately I’ve been thinking I need to let go of my fear of failing this project. I’m scared my words won’t be good enough. I keep pushing back drafting because I want this book to be all it can be, but it’s never going to get written with that mindset. 

My next step for Josoul is to begin drafting his character and discover who he is beyond my worksheets. (Not to say worksheets are bad. To the contrary! But they can only take a writer so far.) 

My Hope for Readers

My ultimate goal with Josoul is to provide entertainment and personal reflection to readers. In every book I write, I want there to be meaning. Fiction is entertainment, but it’s also a safe place to explore the parts of us we bury and hide, even from ourselves. 

I’d love to know—

What qualities do you look for in a fantasy protagonist? Answer in the comments.

You can always keep updated on the Sacred Wolves project on my book page here. 

Like thrillers? You’ll love The New Dawn! Check out my thriller’s book page here.