The Five Major Character Types in Storytelling


The most important thing when building your cast of characters, per WGA Screenwriter, author, and MFA educator, Michael Tabb, is that each one serves a purpose. In addition, these characters need to revolve around your premise, which is your theme or message. What are you trying to say with your work? To execute on this premise, you must create a cast of characters to act out your points. Tabb believes every good story should contain five primary character types: 1) the protagonist, 2) the antagonist, 3) the mentor, 4) the ally, and 5) the love interest. From there, you must build the plot, the problem at hand, and the goal or drive of the story to bring together your vision.

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