Can we stop acting like every story needs a hero? I overheard something that changed my view

I was at a coffee shop downtown last Thursday and heard two writers arguing at the next table. One kept saying every good story needs a strong main character who drives the plot. The other said that's just some rule from a textbook, not real life. I've been thinking about it since. My favorite books are the ones where nobody really wins or loses, just people bumping into things. Like that short story collection I read about a guy who spends twenty pages deciding what to order at a diner. No big climax, no hero moment, just this quiet decision that says more about him than any fight scene could. I get why people want heroes, but I'm tired of feeling like my own writing has to fit that mold. Has anyone else tried writing something without a clear main character and had it work?

2 comments

2 Comments

norathomas19d ago

Good luck finding a hero when even your coffee order takes twenty pages to decide.

elizabeth90019d agoMost Upvoted

Five full minutes of my life wasted just to get a basic latte with oat milk. Then another three minutes to figure out if I want the extra shot or not. I swear, if I ever meet the person who invented the "splash of oat milk costs extra" menu section, I'm having words.