Do You Have a Main Character Type?

I never think about my past books; well, hardly ever. They're done; I'm over them. But for some reason last night I started thinking about Drea from Lies and Love. Yes, I had to look up the character's name, which proves how little I think about those books.

 

My novels and novellas share an overarching theme--a single woman in her mid-thirties who generally faces the unknown, whether it's a new career or just trying to keep her head above water. It's the specific complications that make each story different.

 

I may have thought about Drea because while her personality is similar to my other main characters, she can, when the situation calls for it, administer a beatdown. No, not a physical one. I'm not into super-human heroines who go around knocking out guys or incapacitating them with a judicious karate chop. I'm thinking verbal beatdowns. There's a scene at the beginning of the story in which Drea's grandfather becomes a bit too rough with her alcoholic dad.

 

I knelt down beside the dangling arm and whispered, “Dad?” He didn’t stir.

A wooden craaack missed my face by inches. It thwacked off the bed frame, then thwacked again. “Larry!” Grandpa yelled, before another thwack of his cane. “Larry! Haul your ass out of this bed!” Grandpa lumbered about the room until he found a lamp switch, and the sudden blaze almost knocked me back. The piercing light stirred Dad’s consciousness. 

From the opposite side of the bed, Grandpa’s cane thwacked hard enough to send shockwaves down my arms. “Enough! Get up and pull on your damn pants!”

Dad managed a self-conscious chuckle. “Where’s the fire, Pa?”

“The fire’s in your goddamned soul! And I’ve had enough! Get your pants on. We’re goin’ for a ride!”

Dad turned back to me and implored, “What’s goin’ on, honey?”

I wanted to explain that Grandpa Taylor had taken matters into his own hands, had stitched up everything before he sprung it on me only minutes before; had tied Dad’s future into a knot he couldn’t escape. My anger seared like a red-hot poker, but even though it was all wrong, it was still all right. Not because of Grandpa’s fragile reputation, but because I needed Dad to stay around. In the sudden lamplight he looked like an awakened corpse.

“Dad, don’t you want things to get back to the way they used to be?” I asked.

“Things’ll never be the way they used to be,” he muttered.

“Then you and I will start a new ‘way’. Grandpa, Gil and I are going to make sure of that.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grandpa’s cane take aim at the bed frame again.

I rose up. “Old man, you thump that thing one more time, I’ll crack it over your head!”

 

I like that scene. It was bad enough that Grandpa had forced her to move back to run the family store, but manhandling her dad was a step too far. 

 

I won't say that my main characters are passive, but they're not running around itching for a fight. They tend to "figure things out", using their brains, not their fists.

 

Maybe all genres have archetypes. I don't read women's fiction, but I seem to have fallen into mine naturally. Per Google:

 

The core archetype native to women's fiction is The Reinventor (often manifesting as The Woman at a Crossroads).

 

The Core Protagonists

• The Reinventor: A woman who must completely rebuild her life, career, or sense of self after a major upheaval like a divorce, the death of a spouse, or an empty nest.
• The Overwhelmed Martyr: A woman who has completely lost her identity to her family, career, or caregiving duties and must learn to prioritize her own happiness.
• The Secret-Keeper: A protagonist harboring a painful past or a family secret that finally comes to light, forcing her to confront her shame and heal.

Supporting Archetypes

• The Catalyst Best Friend: The fiercely loyal, often blunt confidante who pushes the protagonist out of her comfort zone and demands she stand up for herself.
• The Estranged Matriarch: A mother, grandmother, or aunt whose complex, often strained relationship with the protagonist serves as the emotional core of the healing process.
• The Low-Stakes Romantic Option: A romantic interest who serves as a safe space for growth rather than the main plot, proving to the protagonist that she is worthy of healthy love.
• The Toxic Anchor: A critical mother, an unsupportive partner, or a competitive "friend" who actively tries to keep the protagonist trapped in her old patterns.

I've done The Reinventor (a lot) and a bit of The Secret-Keeper. Never the martyr. Hate martyrs. Stop feeling sorry for yourself!

 

And I've totally written The Catalyst Best Friend. A bunch of them, in fact. Estranged character? Well, yes, in Lies and Love, specifically, but also in my first (bad) novel and in The Diner Girl and Bad Blood. Gotta have an antagonist!

 

I quibble with the "low-stakes romantic option". In my books, he's pretty high-stakes, albeit never the main driver of the story.

 

So, what's your genre's archetype? Again, per Google:

 

🗡️ Fantasy & Sci-Fi

• The Chosen One: Destiny-bound heroes (e.g., Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins) burdened with saving the world.
• The Reluctant Hero: Unassuming individuals thrust into extraordinary circumstances who must accept their destiny.
• The Mentor/Sage: The wise, older guide (e.g., Gandalf, Dumbledore) who imparts critical knowledge to the hero.
• The Dark Lord / Shadow: The ultimate antagonist representing chaos, corruption, or absolute control.

❤️ Romance

• The Rake / Billionaire: Emotionally guarded or roguish love interests who soften when they fall in love.
• The Damsel/Hero in Distress: A vulnerable character relying on the love interest for salvation or emotional safety.
• The Feisty Protagonist: Often headstrong and independent, pushing the boundaries of societal norms.
• The Rival: A character who stands in the way of the protagonists' union or challenges their worldview. 

🕵️‍♂️ Mystery, Thriller & Noir

• The Brilliant Detective: Hyper-observative and often socially eccentric (e.g., Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot).
• The Hardboiled Detective: A cynical, world-weary loner fighting systemic corruption in a bleak urban setting.
• The Relentless Killer: The shadowy, intelligent, or psychotic force driving the plot forward.
• The Femme Fatale: A mysterious, seductive character whose questionable motives lead the protagonist into danger. 

🌌 Science Fiction

• The Rogue / Scoundrel: Han Solo types operating on the fringes of society, driven by survival until they choose a higher cause.
• The A.I. / Alien: Characters struggling to understand human emotion or morality.
• The Rebel: Individuals leading the fight against oppressive, dystopian governments.
• The Explorer: Curiosity-driven protagonists charting uncharted worlds or uncovering the secrets of the universe. 

🍂 Literary Fiction

• The Tragic Hero: A fundamentally good character whose fatal flaw or twist of fate leads to their ruin (e.g., Jay Gatsby).
• The Flawed Protagonist: Highly realistic, deeply complex, and struggling with everyday moral or psychological dilemmas.
• The Outcast: Characters alienated from society who offer a unique, critical perspective on the human condition.
• The Sage: Everyday observers or marginalized figures who hold quiet wisdom.

Historical Fiction

These archetypes navigate the strict social hierarchies, massive conflicts, and shifting cultural norms of past eras. 

• The Rebel Pioneer: A forward-thinking protagonist who refuses to be constrained by the rigid gender, class, or racial expectations of their time period. 
• The Reluctant Soldier / Conscript: An ordinary citizen pulled into a sweeping historical conflict (like World War I or II), focusing on survival rather than glory.
• The Secret Keeper / Spy: An ordinary person (often a civilian, nurse, or clerk) placed in a position to gather intelligence or protect a dangerous historical truth.
• The Fallen Aristocrat: A character stripped of wealth or title by political upheaval who must reinvent themselves to survive in a changing world.

🩸 Horror & Gothic Fiction

In horror, archetypes are deeply tied to how characters react to fear, isolation, and the breakdown of normal reality.

• The Final Girl / Ultimate Survivor: The observant, resilient, and often morally grounded character who outlasts the monster or killer through sheer grit.
• The Obsessed Academic / Investigator: A character whose desperate need to understand the occult or forbidden science drives them straight into danger.
• The Harbinger: The creepy local or eccentric figure who explicitly warns the main characters to turn back, only to be ignored.
• The Skeptic: The rationalist who refuses to believe anything supernatural is happening until it is far too late.

🌱 Coming-of-Age 

These stories focus entirely on the messy transition from psychological childhood to maturity. 

• The Disillusioned Idealist: A teenager who starts out with an innocent view of the world but is forced to confront harsh adult realities, loss, or corruption.
• The Insecure Outcast: The socially isolated protagonist trying to navigate peer pressure, bullying, or identity crises while finding their place.
• The Catalyst Friend: A charismatic, rebellious peer who pushes the main character out of their comfort zone, for better or worse.
• The Distant Parent / Authority Figure: A flawed or absent adult whose failure forces the protagonist to grow up and rely on themselves. 

🤠 Westerns & Frontier Fiction

Western archetypes deal with the harshness of nature, the edge of civilization, and a deeply personal moral code. 

• The Drifter / Lone Gunslinger: A stoic, cynical wanderer with a mysterious past who rides into town, fixes a problem, and leaves.
• The Corrupt Land Baron: The powerful, greedy antagonist who uses wealth and hired muscle to terrorize local homesteaders.
• The Determined Homesteader: The resilient farmer or rancher trying to carve out a life on a brutal, unforgiving landscape.
• The Lawman: A sheriff or marshal caught between upholding the written law and doing what is actually right on the lawless frontier. 

 

Do your characters fit the mold? Or is that too much of a cliche? I await your thoughts.