What's up with the MC always having some tragic background story? Views on this.

[Raymann]

I am talking about fantasy novels, minus slice of life.

Oh... No, he was an orphan. Oh....No he was disabled. Oh... No, he relinquished his loved one. Oh... No, he was poor. Oh... No he was an employee in a black company. Oh... No, he
(something tragic in the back in past)

Why cannot we have an MC without a tragic past?

Is there any way to write a normal MC, which doesn't lose against the cliched usual tragic MC in appeal.?

 

[Cipiteca396]

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DarkAndTroubledPast

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDb22nlVXGgcljcdyDk80bBDXGyeZjZ5e

Watch all those.

But the short answer is that if the character doesn't have a troubled past, they don't have a reason to leave their comfy life and go on adventures.

That's not to say you can't have a MC without a tragic past though. That just means the tragedy will occur onscreen.

 

[ThrillingHuman]

That's your bias
And that's life

 

[ManwX]

then why would he even bother with adventures if he has a comfy life bruh? I feel like bits because without a reason its hard to justify the mc being proactive for a goal. He already achieved success life and living normally. it becomes a slice-of-life thing.

 

[J_Chemist]

The tragedy/hardship gives the MC reason. Normal people with basic, boring, easy lives typically don't try to unsettle themselves from it. MC's with baggage are the opposite - they seek better, know what it means to be at zero, and they are more willing to give everything to ensure they never go back.

Not saying you can't have an MC that's all sunshine and rainbows from start to finish. There are plenty of stories like that. But an MC who always has it is, always has the answer given to them, and never truly struggles isn't someone I would want as the face of my story. They're someone who hasn't learned the hard way and is likely either too blind or inexperienced with life's true nature.

 

[Succubiome]

I think most people have at least one tragedy in their past, so someone with tragedy in their past of some kind is generally going to have broader appeal than someone who had a perfect life with no issues, unless that itself is the fantasy... and if that is the fantasy, it's usually slice of life.

I do think that someone who's lived a perfect life until that point encountering tragedy for the first time and not knowing how to deal with it can be interesting, though. Even if it's not their own.

 

[forli]

-It makes them more sympathetic (this is the obvious one).

-It gives them motivation. A character goes into action because there's something they wish to change, making it so that there's something wrong about their lives so far makes it easier to understand why they would want change and take risks to achieve it.

-It sells the idea that the character takes certain things more seriously. Readers can easily understand why a monster attack is a big deal for the protagonist if their parents were killed by a monster.

-It gives them something to overcome. Like just getting over their sadness to something more concrete like if the character has to deal with fire after having been traumatized my a fire in the past.

Honestly, there are certain tropes that people joke about being everywhere making certain authors want to avoid them. But then it turns out that there was a good reason the trope is so common and avoiding it just made the story worse. I feel like this is one of those tropes.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Is there any way to write a normal MC, which doesn't lose against the cliched usual tragic MC in appeal.?

Oh, now that's a different question.

The thing is, you don't need to focus on the past at all to write a good story. You can have a normal person, with a normal life, or someone with a perfect life who's got no complaints. There are tons of tropes for characters who've never experienced tragedy, and never will either.

All that matters is making the MC appealing in this moment, as the reader meets and continues to spend time in their head.

If you genuinely don't know how to create an interesting character, then you might want to read or watch some romcoms, teen dramas, or things like that- things with very low stakes. The characters aren't dying or experiencing tragedy, but they still have interesting stories to tell. Take those stories as an example, and apply them to your fantasy characters.

Failing that, just force a non tragic character to go on adventures all Hobbit style.

 

[Corty]

Heh, none of mine has that. Both my MCs in my fantasy stories had a loving family.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I prefer a dark and troubled present than a past.

Like, now, problem, go solve it.

But I do understand why a shitty past is useful. Makes people sympathetic to the underdog.

 

[J_Chemist]

Heh, none of mine has that. Both my MCs in my fantasy stories had a loving family.

Disgusting.

 

[Corty]

Disgusting.

They even have a group of friends working together. And in one, the Emperor didn't try to kill the talented MC; instead, he made sure she married his son.

 

[J_Chemist]

They even have a group of friends working together. And in one, the Emperor didn't try to kill the talented MC; instead, he made sure she married his son.

Excuse me? Hi, yes. I'd like to request an exorcism. There is heresy around these parts.

 

[Ellieporter]

You talking about 90% of Murim/Jianghu/Xianxia/Wuxia MC's?

 

[NotaNuffian]

You talking about 90% of Murim/Jianghu/Xianxia/Wuxia MC's?

It seems that baggages are common.

 

[Ellieporter]

It seems that baggages are common.

It is actually. Are there any MC's who wanted to learn martial arts just bc they want to and isnt an orphan transmigrator/isekaid/regressor/reincarnator?

 

[NotaNuffian]

It is actually. Are there any MC's who wanted to learn martial arts just bc they want to and isnt an orphan transmigrator/isekaid/regressor/reincarnator?

There are.

Then they get to enjoy the package of new troubles.

 

[J_Chemist]

It seems that baggages are common.

If the flight desk doesn't charge my MC extra for additional baggage accommodation, then I'm throwing them back into the suffering. Back into the subway with them until they get into a few more trainwrecks, I say!

 

[NotaNuffian]

If the flight desk doesn't charge my MC extra for additional baggage accommodation, then I'm throwing them back into the suffering. Back into the subway with them until they get into a few more trainwrecks, I say!

I pity your written children.

 

[Rhaps]

Psychological trauma is one of the best spice in story writing. And the easiest way of giving this spice is tragic backstory~