Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Protagonists and Their Problem Lives

I don't know about you, but I'm a bit tired of all the problems that are foisted on protagonists these days.  I just read the synopsis of the first novel in a six book series and I'm wondering why the woman doesn't just slit her wrists and be done with it.  Here's a list of all her problems:

1.  Depression
2.  New relationship complicated by her past.
3.  Abusive former foster-father.
4.  Drowning in debt.
5.  All alone because she was orphaned at age two.
6.  Raised in an unloving household.
7.  Insomnia.
8.  PTSD from an incident seven years previously.
9.  Family curse that will destroy the lives of those she's close to and annihilate her sanity.
10.  And her name is Poe.

Really?  A ten point list of problems?  What ever happened to normal and well-adjusted?    

2 comments:

Thomas Pluck said...

Perhaps that's a bit too much, but the more I learn about people, no one is "normal and well-adjusted."
I'd also find writing about characters without problems to be boring as hell.

sandra seamans said...

Yes, people have problems, Thomas, but don't you think that we've stepped over into cliche territory with many these problems?