They Never Thought They'd Cross That Line...
Balancing Your Protagonist on the Edge of Self
There’s a moment in every powerful story where the reader leans in and thinks, No way... are they really going to do that?
It’s the moment when the universe pushes your protagonist to the edge of who they thought they were, and then pushes them one last time… and your protagonist must decide if they tumble over or throw themselves back.
That moment hits harder when it’s been set up from the beginning. Which brings me to a nice little character-building technique:
Give your protagonist a line they think they’ll never cross.
Then push them toward it inch by inch.
A Line Is More Than a Limit, It’s a Belief
It’s all about how the character perceives themselves at their very core.
It could be:
“I would never kill.”
“I never lie to people I love.”
“I don’t run from a fight.”
“I always put my crew first.”
“I’d rather die than become like them.”
Whatever the line is, it’s not just about behavior. It goes all the way down to core identity. Crossing it doesn’t just change the plot, it changes who the character is. Not crossing it—despite a great cost—is also defining and dramatic.
Which is why a definite red line is so powerful.
Why This Creates Delicious Tension
Once the reader knows what the character “would never do,” they start watching, waiting, wondering what could possibly happen that might make them do it anyway.
It’s begging to happen as much as rain when someone says, “At least it’s not raining.”
This kind of suspense is more powerful than a shapeless wondering about what happens next.
The reader knows exactly what is about to happen: the character will have to decide if they cross that line or not. Which will it be? Will they or won’t they? Arrrrrrgh!
Quick Example 1: Forcing The Issue
Let’s say your main character, Ayla, is a resistance fighter.
From page one, we know: She doesn’t hurt civilians. Ever.
It’s her code, the one thing that makes her (and the Resistance) better than the Evil Warlord.
But then she’s captured and put in a cell with a civilian. And the Evil Warlord tortures that civilian right before her eyes to make her betray the name of a key target. Who, of course, is also a civilian.
In this case, you force your hero to cross her line. She has no choice (unless you come up with a clever second twist). This will change forever what she believes about herself, the Resistance, and war. Ah, the angst.
Quick Example 2: Letting Them Choose
Let’s return to Ayla in captivity, with the same red line. This time, Evil Warlord puts a special lock on her cage: if she forces the door open, some civilians will be automatically killed.
But her Resistance friends are coming for her and walking right into a trap. If she doesn’t warn them, she will lose her entire squad, and perhaps the war against Evil Warlord.
This time, you’re forcing her to choose. It’s true she’ll suffer either way, but now she gets to choose what kind of person she’ll become. And that’s powerful, too.
A Prompt to Try
Ask yourself:
What line does my protagonist believe they’d never cross?
And then:
What kind of pressure would force them to consider it?
You don’t have to make them cross it (though wow, when they do...) But even dancing near the edge can fuel your entire story.
If this post gave you something to chew on, hit the ❤️ and share it with a writer who loves watching their characters squirm.
Because great stories don’t just break rules. They break people—and rebuild them.
See you next week,
Tal Valante Kilim