Start: [[2025-08-01]] Published: [[2025-08-01]] Updated: > [!done] Green – No Spoilers [[Lisa Cron]] advocates a character-driven approach to story development, so it’s no surprise that after exploring the [[A. What if -- Intro]], she recommends diving deeper into the character arc of the protagonist. It’s worth reading her reasoning on why the protagonist is so important—and why there’s always exactly one. Not two, not many—always one. She argues from a neuroscience perspective: The evolutionary reason we humans are so captivated by stories is that they let us simulate dangerous situations in a safe way—so we can prepare for the real world. That includes physical threats but more importantly: social ones. For humans, it’s vital to anticipate how others might think and act—and the best way to do that is to immerse ourselves in a character’s inner world. Lisa cites empirical findings showing that when we read a story, our brains actually *experience* the events alongside the protagonist. And that only works if there *is* a clear protagonist. From an AuDHD perspective, I find this particularly fascinating. It explains why I—as well as many other masking autistic people—have always been an obsessive reader: stories gave me something autism makes inherently difficult—access to other people’s motives. For novel development, the challenge now is to be precise and objective. So far, [[Peter Pankratius Pek - Old Version]] is still very close to me as a character—and while I want to preserve some of that, I also want to use this next step to craft a distinct, coherent character of his own. One I can explore and judge more clearly, without personal bias. Let’s begin with [[Step 1 – Character Sketch Before the Fall]]. ![[Links & License#^c7e67d]]