Protagonist In Every Scene

No. But I do think every scene has to advance the plot somehow.

Depends to a great extent on the POV of the narrative. If it's first-person or third-limited (to the protagonists eye), then, yes, the protagonist has to be present. If it's third-omni, or maybe third-limited with multiple POV characters, then no.

caw

Every scene should have a protagonist but that doesn't need to be the MC.

DwayneA said:

Does the story's main protagonist have to be in every scene?

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No, the main protagonist doesn't have to be in every scene -- unless you're telling the story from his or her viewpoint, e.g. in 1st person, or limiting yourself to single 3rd person POV.

-Derek

DwayneA said:

Does the story's main protagonist have to be in every scene?

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Have you never read a book where the main protag wasn't in ever scene?

Well, if it's in first person, you could probably get away with it if the POV wasn't the main character (a la Great Gatsby). A lot of fantasy stories in limited have scenes with villains conspiring, etc.

The only time when your protagonist would have to be in every scene is if you were in first person POV with only one person and that person was the main character. Otherwise, you're allowed a bit more freedom.

Dave.C.Robinson said:

Every scene should have a protagonist but that doesn't need to be the MC.

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Who was the protagonist in the scene onboard the Death Star when Vader, Tarkin and the commanders of the Imperial Fleet were gloating about the power of their new space station?

dclary said:

Who was the protagonist in the scene onboard the Death Star when Vader, Tarkin and the commanders of the Imperial Fleet were gloating about the power of their new space station?

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Well, presumably it was Vader. He was the hero of his own story. I like to look at villains that way. I think it makes them more dynamic to see them as, at least, believing that they are the good guy, and the protagonists are the evil ones.

I don't think the protag needs to be in every scene, but every scene needs to advance the protag's story in some way, even if it's just making things worse for them. Someone should be driving the plot.

I think you run into trouble when you start showing scenes that are driven by premise, not story. Stuff that is there more for world building and cool situations than showing the story unfold.

DwayneA said:

Does the story's main protagonist have to be in every scene?

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God no. I think the story might get tedious if this were a strict rule.

In my first serial, since she was the POV character, my MC appeared in every scene, I believe (even in the very first chapter, which was the single chapter not from her POV). In my current serial, which is in multiple third person, she goes missing for about ten chapters, and that's just one of numerous times she's not in the scenes.

So no, your MC doesn't always have to be on hand (unless they're the POV character, I guess).

Deni said:

Well, presumably it was Vader. He was the hero of his own story. I like to look at villains that way. I think it makes them more dynamic to see them as, at least, believing that they are the good guy, and the protagonists are the evil ones.

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He was the dark lord of the sith. Murderer of millions. He single-handedly destroyed the galaxy's peacekeeping legion, and brought chaos to every planet within his reach.

And he thought he was the good guy?


I disagree fully, and the greatest villains of all time had no illusions that they weren't anything but evil.

Hans Gruber knew he was a villain. Jason Vorheez and Freddy Krueger never once believed they were the good guys. Heath Ledger's Joker may have thought himself his own hero, but he knew very specifically that his anarchy fetish was a pathway to destruction. He was no savior, he was a destroyer, and he knew it.

"I don't murder children."
"I do, when I have to. I'm a monster."
--Malcolm Reynolds and the Operative, Serenity.

Even in this, when the operative believed that everything he did was for the good of the alliance, he had no doubt in his mind that he was a villain. His job was to commit atrocities, in the name of good.

dclary said:

I disagree fully, and the greatest villains of all time had no illusions that they weren't anything but evil.

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I think this is a matter of perspective. You can tell a lot about a person by whether they prefer the Joker or Lex Luthor. People are pretty opinionated about it.

I myself prefer sympathetic antagonists, anti-villains, and villains that are almost anti-heroes (where you could switch the story's perspective and have an anti-hero). Mr. Evil E. McEvilly doesn't hold my interest, at all.

It's individual preferences for fiction, IMO.