Main characters, for a long time, have been a literary staple. They get a lot just on face value. Even if a main character is pretty evil, he's still a protagonist. Even if a main character is a loser, he's still a hero. And even if a main character is the worst character in a whole novel, he still gets the most page time.
Ideally, main characters would be the best characters. Fun to read about, enjoyable to spend time with. Not whiny, or so irritating that your eye starts twitching after three pages. As a writer, you don't want to sit down at your laptop and open up Word and be like, "oh my head... I have to write about her again." You don't want an MC to be something you're stuck with.
Maybe, in fact, you don't want to have an MC at all.
How often do you hear, "The minor characters were so much more interesting"? Or, "I wish such-and-such had gotten more screen/page time"? Quite a bit, in my experience. (My experience is very cultured and longstanding. I've been around for a while.)
I'm going to use Harry Potter as an example in this post, because it conveys my point well. First, look at Harry The Character. No one likes him. Seriously. He's this guy who has no hobbies except sitting on a flying stick and trying to catch a tiny golden sphere (don't get me wrong, great hobby. I do it all the time, myself). As has been noted before, his friends do everything for him and he just happens to luckily pull a sword out of a hat occasionally (love it when that happens). Also, what's up with the shortness*? And the distinct lack of contact lenses? He's also a little too angsty and righteous. I'd probably go crazy if I had an obligation to write seven books about Harry The Character.
Now let's look at JKR's minor characters (by which I mean Not Harry). Luna Lovegood. Neville Longbottom. Bellatrix Lestrange. Rubius Hagrid. Narcissa Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart. Severus Snape. I could keep going forever, if only because the names are so sinfully pretty. Either way, JKR's minor characters are so engaging and glamourous--- and Harry is so pointedly the opposite of that--- that I can honestly say I'd rather read a book about Petunia Dursley than Harry The Character.
Take now, for instance, Jodi Picoult (of course I'm not biased because she's my personal hero). She's all about perspective. Read any one of her books, and it's difficult to put your finger on a solid "main character." She rotates POVs, and allows you to reach into a character's head and see a scene from different viewpoints. Most characters get equal page time, and they're all able to share the fullest extent of their opinions, their stories, and their desires.
The thing is, when you try to write a whole book from one single person's perspective, you lose a lot. Readers get annoyed at the main character, because they're so ranty or whingy. Or they get annoyed at the other characters, because they're not allowed to see their point of view. There's so much dimension that can be added to a story simply by switching POVs back and forth. So try it. Have multiple main characters. Write one chapter as Frances and one as Craig. You might find that you like someone else a lot better than your "main character." You might find that you pick up a whole new plot thread, or realize that everything ties together in a way you hadn't seen. Again, in my varied and prestigious experience, you never know what can happen.
I once saw it phrased that too often, minor characters are treated like they're just events in the main character's lives. You shouldn't be writing a scene based wholly on how it will result for your FMC or MMC. You should write each character as though they're a human being, driven by needs and wants that are just as potent as a main character's. When they interact with your MC, they shouldn't be simply reacting; doing and saying what's most convenient for your Harry. You may have created a character simply for purposes of reacting to your MC's actions--- a policeman, a teacher, a sister--- but remember that each character is a person. Each character has a past, and each character wants a future. Write accordingly.
Daily Prompt: Choose one of the scenarios below, and write about it from three different POVs (or more, if you like). Suggestions for the POVs are listed, but feel free to improvise. Always save your work. Post your story or excerpt of <1000 words below.
A bank robbery (the robber, the bank teller, a bystander at the ATM, a police officer, a bank manager)
A wedding (the bride, the groom, the priest, the bridesmaid/best man, the bride/groom's mom/dad)
An oral report (the student presenting it, the teacher, the students watching it)
Christmas Eve (a young child, a parent, Santa Claus, an atheist, a department store worker, an elf)
A grandma's death (the coroner, the grandma's adult child, a grandchild, a spouse, the grandma)
*disclaimer: most short people are very cool. Most of my best friends are below average height. But Harry The Character/Daniel Radcliffe can't pull it off.
