When Your Protagonist's Stubbed Toe Is Worth More than a Thousand Sunsets

Behind the Curtain: Scenic Transportation

We’ve all had that dreaded beta reader moment: You ask for their feedback and they say your main character is just plain too passive.

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

The good news is that this passivity doesn’t necessarily have to be plot-related. Sometimes, your main character appears passive simply because they’re doing far too much observing. Reading a manuscript with an MC that only observes can be a little like watching a movie with the sound turned off. You can see what’s happening, but you don’t feel it.

Often, when this happens, the fix can be as simple as adding in some physical sensations.

This week, behind the paywall, I’ll be exploring three different categories of physical sensation, mistakes to avoid, and some advanced layering techniques that will make your character feel touchably real.