torn

Im working on my novel, and have found that within my story i have 2 main protagonists. I did do this on purpose, but before i go further (i can easily change one to an anti-hero) i wan to know if anyone has had any experience (positive or negative) with this.

Ill explain my situation, I have to characters who are both after the same thing, to not give away any details of what im writing lets say my story involves jack and jill, both middles aged middle managers looking for a way into a better job and a powerful position. Jack and Jill both have sympathetic reasons for this. There is already a John out there trying to stop them both reach their goals. My question is 'is it feasable to have both jack and jill as heroes of the story, with one winning and one losing, but both getting one over on john?'

It might just be easier to put Jill in a role alongside john, but i fee that would take away some of the excitemet and make either Jill or John redundant characters.

Funnily enough my story is not about getting a new job but is future fantasy fiction, in case you wondered.

lisajane

There's no reason why you can't have more than one protagonist. The problem is, to make both protagonists equally as important as one another, but completely different people with completely different personalities, so they don't appear to be the same to the reader, and it neesd to be clear that you need both.

At this point, it sounds like Jack and Jill appear to be far too similar as characters to each other, the reader might be like 'well they're both the same, why bother having two?' That said, the story might play out differently. I suggest writing it with the two protagonists, and then analysing whether you need both once you've completed the story.

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torn

Im my actual story jack and jill are both completely different people needing the 'job' for different reasons, and are about as similar as a banana and a telephone. I shouldn think it would be too much of a problem in that sense.

lisajane

Then why do you think it's a problem to begin with, if they're so different like you say?

For problems like these from anyone, it's far easier just to write the story rather than waste time asking questions.

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'Beauty stands and waits with gravity to start her death-defying leap. And he, a little charleychaplin man, who may or may not catch her fair eternal form spreadeagled in the empty air of existence.' - Laurence Felinghetti, 'The Acrobat'

DabigJimdogg0

Yeah I agree, just let it flow. It's intriguing when you mix it up a bit from the usual "here's your hero, here's your villan" formula. I've never written like this but the several books I have read that have been structured like this were very good especially if they connect at the end in some deep way.

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torn

I have been sat thinking about it for some while, and ive come up with a series of side switching, due to morals and allegiances, which will mix things up and keep the reader on their toes.

mswietek

In addition to them being different, they both need to be credible threats to one another's goal. If one of the protagonists is much stronger than the other achieves his goal, then the purpose of the 2nd protagonist will be called into question.

If you do a good job at making them both strong characters who are likable in different ways, it can increase reader suspense and interest, if they form a bond with both characters and yet realize that only one can reach the goal.

Michael

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