Creating a realistic, yet highly likable protagonist seems a given,
but from the scripts I read as a consultant, I wonder if
anyone's paying attention.

As a former Hollywood studio executive turned Manhattan
based consultant and screenwriting judge, I'm constantly
amazed at the lack of attention
given to this very crucial element in script construction.

Protagonists need to be likable for several reasons.

First, in order for any story to work, an audience will
have to relate strongly to the central character and "bond"
with them in a dramatic way. Merely creating a "nice" or
"pleasant" character doesn't cut it. The protagonist needs to
exhibit very special, very unique, and very universal qualities in
order to carry the story.

In short, a lead character has to be an almost superhuman,
god/goddess like character whom an audience will admire and
want to emulate. Think about qualities you admire in someone 
you know in real life or read about in history.

In fact, make your own personal list of qualities that make you
feel a given person is special.

My personal list goes something like this:

· Has great sense of humor
· Positive and upbeat
· Fearless and heroic in the face of danger
· Stays calm when others panic
· Open minded
· Willing to go the extra mile to achieve desires
· Treats everyone with dignity
· Can make mistakes, but is never deterred from his/her goal

Now think about characters you admire in film.

We don't have to talk action-adventure here.

Any film will do. For the sake of argument,
consider "You've Got Mail." Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) is sympathetic as the small
bookstore owner, but why?

She's a fighter, she's funny, she's vulnerable to a point yet in the end knows
when certain elements in her life are no longer working and no longer worth
fighting for (first, the boyfriend then the store).

Though Joe Fox III (Tom Hanks) comes off as arrogant at times
(i.e. the classic scene when he scoops all the caviar from the buffet
table for himself, symbolizing how his family's bookstore conglomerate scoops up little
bookstores like Kathleen's), the author succeeded in making us like him despite his selfishness.

And the reason is because he embodies many of the qualities listed above.

As an audience, we look up to our film protagonists, and expect them to
exhibit the qualities we most admire in others and hope to acquire for ourselves.

We like them to be strong, honest, just, but human all the same, with
occasional moments of doubt but the self-confidence
and drive to emerge victorious. Film heroes in the truest sense never
kiss up to anyone, and march to the tune of their own drummer.

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As author, it's your job to shape your protagonist into the kind of
hero Hollywood will embrace and major screen stars will fight one
another to play. A unique story idea is one thing, but the most powerful
element in any script is the strength and liability of the central character.

Tips for A Great Protagonist

1. In the first ten pages (preferably the first five), give an audience a
strong reason to bond with your character.

2. Make your protagonist an "everywoman," but with universally approved,
positive qualities that people all over the world can relate to and root on.

3. As a screenplay is a quest, give your protagonist a calling. What must he or
she accomplish by story's end?  What are the negative implications if they are unable to
achieve their goal?

4. Create an obstacle character whose strength is seemingly greater than your
protagonist, and find clever ways for your protagonist to overcome this character.

5. End the story with the protagonist having achieved his or her goal -- but at a
cost. Nothing gained without effort and sacrifice is worth much.