Recommendations Smart MC

[CadmarLegend]

Yes. The title says it all. I'm hoping to get inspiration on how to make my MC seem smart, so reading up on others' MCs is a good path to tread.

 

[Deleted member 45782]

Idk. Maybe its just me, I like smart characters but maybe not the sassy, sarcastic, humorous mc I see in YA a lot (I saw some on Wattpad like that in my short time there). It's supposed make them seem all badass and defying authority that can be troublesome in their stories (say corrupt power, adults that are oblivious/absent/dumber than the mc, etc.) but sometimes if its not done in a good way, it just make the characters sound bitchy and rude. There's more than one way to show a character is smart besides just being sarcastic and rude as their main personality trait. And not every smart character protagonist or hero is also undoubtedly the humorous funny one, though most people like to read those characters.

Then again, I haven't read YA in awhile now like couple years. Maybe its changed.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

There are different types of intelligence that are helpful in different scenarios, so making them seem smart is simply a matter of having them handle the current situation well.

 

[Deleted member 45782]

There are different types of intelligence that are helpful in different scenarios, so making them seem smart is simply a matter of having them handle the current situation well.

Agree. And not all of them have to be snarky and sarcastic. :)

 

[BenJepheneT]

It's a side tangent, but I want to talk a little about "smart" characters. Just a little.

Most people consider smart characters only in the intelligent aspect, but never on an emotional level. Most "smart" characters I see just end up being immature know-it-alls that end up getting everything they don't deserve simply by the virtue of having deeper knowledge or, worse, everyone else being a dumbass. In truth, these guys are the repressed, arrogant snobs in real life who are the kind to unironically go "I don't need friends, they disappoint me".

Do keep in mind that I'm only mentioning a certain fringe of the troupe. I'm not here to hammer the whole fucking troupe. Kira from Death Note is a great example of the antithesis. He's smart, yes, but he's so high up his own ego he ends up becoming his own foil. It's just that most amateur authors out there end up dismissing the latter. That's not to serve as a jab towards the content of the author's own character; it's just that they end up writing characters that are simply unpleasant to read.

Smart isn't just intelligent. Smart is also knowing when to hold back, and be the bigger man, instead of making everything go their way just because they can. Those kinds of characters aren't smart, their simply manipulative bullies undeservedly rewarded by a world that betrayed its own realistic integrity.

 

[TheTrinary]

Agree. And not all of them have to be snarky and sarcastic. :)

uh oh

 

[Deleted member 45782]

uh oh

It's alright if they are. They are fun to read a lot too, because humor and just something we sorta want to see ourselves do, bc not all of us have sarcastic backbone and rebellious nature. It just sometimes doesn't get done that well, so what ends up is a character that could've been badass sounds like it's been trying too hard and sorta sound ugh...rolls-eyes-kind of thing. Some do it to show the character looks cool and smart but they could overdo it and the character just sounds like a brat..


If it's done good, it's great! Many really good stories have that. If not done well, it's a different issue.

 

[morhamza]

I find that it matters what type of smart your character is. Intelligence isn't always evident in people, and it can be circumstantial. Someone who barely knows how to read is intelligent in a crowd that can't read at all.

I mention type because that also matters in determining character traits. High IQ low EQ type characters are probably the most common archetype. They are easy to write, and their traits don't require nuanced writing. They are the types that won't shut up about how smart they are. The type extras heap praise on. However, low IQ high EQ types are more difficult, because their intelligence isn't very obvious. A common trope I see for such characters is to make them manipulative, or overly kind.

Also, what realm does the intelligence fall into? It is important to know this to create limitations as a way to avoid writing a know-it-all. A brilliant astrophysicist can't be a mad nuclear scientist or brilliant botanist. A brilliant mage shouldn't be just as brilliant a warrior. A lot of writing these days is wish fulfilment, but one has to be careful not to go too far. However, if within the context of the story and your world a character can be a know-it-all, by all means, create one. Just don't fall into the trap of making them know everything simply because.

 

[Deleted member 45782]

I find that it matters what type of smart your character is. Intelligence isn't always evident in people, and it can be circumstantial. Someone who barely knows how to read is intelligent in a crowd that can't read at all.

I mention type because that also matters in determining character traits. High IQ low EQ type characters are probably the most common archetype. They are easy to write, and their traits don't require nuanced writing. They are the types that won't shut up about how smart they are. The type extras heap praise on. However, low IQ high EQ types are more difficult, because their intelligence isn't very obvious. A common trope I see for such characters is to make them manipulative, or overly kind.

Also, what realm does the intelligence fall into? It is important to know this to create limitations as a way to avoid writing a know-it-all. A brilliant astrophysicist can't be a mad nuclear scientist or brilliant botanist. A brilliant mage shouldn't be just as brilliant a warrior. A lot of writing these days is wish fulfilment, but one has to be careful not to go too far. However, if within the context of the story and your world a character can be a know-it-all, by all means, create one. Just don't fall into the trap of making them know everything simply because.

Well said. ?

 

[skillet]

um! the folks above me have a very interesting discourse going on! but I (a lover of smart mc/heroines) have a couple recs for you so!

from NU:
Okoborehime to Entaku no Kishi - it looks shoujo but it reall isn't and is SO WORTH IT. Read it because it is so refreshing to see a logical female mc who has to deal with hard situations in smart, intelligent, well-planned and well-executed ways.
The Probability I Can Kill My Wife Without Being Found Out - this is male mc (which I thought you might want haha) and a oneshot (= quick read). He's kind of portrayed as the intelligent sort, so you might get some ideas for your own character(s).
His Majesty Wants to Read the New Release! - a lot of crazy (funny lol) but powerful-- and more importantly smart-- characters are also showcased here and they'll probably make good reference. Also, it's just really, really well written, so :D
Gomen ne, Onii-sama - female mc again, but I remember her making tough choices and coming across as smart, so worth a try too

from SH (sorry I haven't read much here yet!):
Though it's not a central idea to the plot, Fantasia's female mc also feels intelligent but in a harmless sort of way. Could be good reference :)
I also always found the mc of I will try my best to remain a mob character to be smart (smarter than most shoujos at least lol), so like above it's like a relative kind of smartness. Like, the street smart kind, almost. I'll leave it here as a rec for that reason then hehe
and I lowkey feel so embarrassed whenever I do this, but I did write my story by shouting "I WANT SMART CHARACTERS DOING SMART THINGS PLEASE", so I guess if you don't mind female mc's as long as they're shown as 'smart'............

 

[Kilolo]

what kind of smart you talking about anyway, book smart? nerd smart? street smart? or maybe as smart as asian parents expected to be?