Date

7-21-2026

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Chair

Durrell Nelson

Keywords

character, protagonist, structure

Disciplines

Creative Writing

Abstract

The following thesis proposal seeks to provide the process, reasoning, and vision for my thesis project, “Between the Tracks”. This project both begins and ends with character. What began as an experiment into character creation, has become both a critical analysis of character development techniques, and a creative work where I use the findings from this analysis to create a character-driven screenplay.

First, my artist’s statement will begin by describing my vision and inspiration for this project. I will then delve into my writing process in regards to both the critical paper and the creative piece of the project. I will also provide a look at where I believe my thesis fits within the broader literary world. Finally, I will finish with a discussion of the impact this work has had on me as a literary Christian scholar.

In regards to the critical paper, the ultimate question is this: what is a story without character? One could argue that without character, there is simply no story at all. Screenwriting professors Wilkes and Hughes state, “Without a vibrant character acting as a conduit to lift us from the mundane nature of the everyday in active and interesting ways, you are left with an attempt at a story consisting largely of landscapes and interiors that slowly edges its way to a conclusion” (Wilkes and Hughes 10). Character is often viewed as the most important element of a successful screenplay. As Wilkes and Hughes state, without a great character, there really isn’t a story. This begs the question: how do screenwriters create dynamic protagonists? For the purposes of this study, I will specifically be examining the ways that screenwriters create protagonists within book to film adaptations. I have chosen to examine five screenplays: The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Sherlock Holmes, and Dune. All five of these stories were extremely popular as books and they all possess a singular strong protagonist. Through this examination, I will seek to identify the different techniques screenwriters use to create lasting characters. This study will essentially contain two parts. First, it will be an overview of how an author creates a great protagonist. Second, it will be an examination into how screenwriters specifically bring characters to life within film.

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