Thread: Is it possible to write a story without a definitive protagonist?

Ok, so I'm new here, and I need a little help.

I'm trying to make a character-based fantasy story, but I don't want to focus on a single character, I want the story to focus on a cast of characters that sort of switch in and out of focus as the plot goes on. I don't want any one character to take up the role of protagonist, and I was wondering if that could actually work.

Basically, is it possible to write a good story without having a protagonist?

I've read a few series that will do something similar. They'll have a group of characters and depending on the book or chapter they'll write from the perspective of one of those characters and alternate 'in and out of focus as the plot goes on.' I don't think it's ever necessary to have a single protagonist or main character. I think it would be/is fun to read a story from the perspective of different characters or to focus on different characters of a cast at different points. I think a lot of fantasies will do that at least to some extent.

Yeah, thats basically what I was going to say. I think that you could have a story in the perspectives of all of the different characters, and it could be interesting. I think that what the hard part will be is making all the stories line up, or at least that would be difficult for me.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'protagonist.' I think you mean a single main character or single POV character. If so, then the answer is yes, you can have a story with multiple POV characters.


Your story must have a conflict and the conflict must have a protagonist and an antagonist. Neither must necessarily be human. Your story could be man against nature, for instance. Your story does not have to be told from the protagonist's POV. Take Moby Dick - Ishmael is the POV character (the narrator), Ahab is the protagonist, and the whale is the antagonist. I'm writing a story like that now - the conflict told from the point of view of a third party.


If you want to change POV characters regularly, I suggest you tell it in third person. First person can be done, but it gets awkward when multiple people all say "I." Your narrator can be omniscient or limited. I've written several stories with multiple POV characters, but I always use a limited narrator. You will need a device that lets you signal the reader that the POV character is changing. I suggest you start a new chapter whenever you change POV characters. Let your readers know very early in the chapter, like in the very first sentence, who the new POV character is. You probably need to limit the number of POV characters to four or five at the most. Too many POV characters and it just gets too confusing for the readers. Readers want to have relationships with the main characters, Too many main characters keep the relationships too shallow. Good luck - C.M.