Inventing Reality: A Guide to Writing Science Fiction
Focus character
If you’ve done any reading about story writing, you’ve probably noticed that there are quite a number of terms for types of characters. As stories can be constructed in many, many different ways, several terms are needed to describe a specific kind of character unique to a way of telling a tale. Sometimes when analyzing a story, a special term is needed to so a character can be understood within a certain context.
One such term you might run across is “focus character”. This is the character for who the readers most care, even when he’s not in the scene. It’s a term used in critiques and writers workshops, most notably the Cambridge Science Fiction Workshop.
Focus characters usually are the story’s main character, protagonist or hero. Luke Skywalker is the focus character in “Star Wars IV: A New Hope”. Hiro Protagonist is the focus character of Neal Stephenson’s novel “Snow Crash”. However, a focus character doesn’t always have to be the main character. In ensemble casts, such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, the viewer cares for Data, Riker, Worf and others just as much as they do Captain Picard, who usually is the story’s traditional hero. In many episodes, Picard is the not the main character at all.
Like most main characters and protagonists, focus characters possess three traits:
n They have distinct personalities - Luke Skywalker, for example, longs for adventure and meaningfulness in his life during “Star Wars IV”. In contrast, Princess Leia would like nothing more than peace and stability in her life while Obi Wan Kenobi already has a purpose and Han Solo has not desire for it.
n They further the story’s themes - “Star Wars IV” theme of gaining maturity (and hence success) through purpose and self-discipline is played out by Luke’s adventure.
n They interact with other focus characters in the story -Viewers also care about the fate of Princess Leia, Obi Wan, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2D2 and CP30 in “Star Wars IV”. Luke’s quest involves his cooperation with each of these characters.
You Do It
Have your focus character write a letter of introduction to the reader. What is the inner struggle that the character faces? What are his motivations in this struggle? Who are his allies in his cause? Be sure to give him a distinct personality and to make him likeable.