100 Words - Protagonist

Nothing loses a reader faster than a weak protagonist. That is not to say your protagonist cannot be characterized by a weak spirit or shady morals. Personality flaws actually tend to make a character more dimensional. The problem comes when a character acts out of character. Even if it is justified, the seeds of doubt are planted as your audience tries to decide if they can accept your reasoning for the behavior. Don't view time spent writing background material as wasted, because even though they will never see it, your readers appreciate the depth of personality created by the exercise.

100 Words is a writing challenge based on The Free Dictionary's Word of the Day.