Let's talk about your protagonist: the one who showed up in your imagination when you were just minding your own business one day, dragged you through draft after draft of an ever-changing plot, trotted through your head when you were trying to sleep and told you everything they were thinking and feeling, and felt like they could be your friend if you met in real life.

But beta readers, agents, and editors aren't as captivated by this character as you are. Instead, they say vague things about your protagonist being passive.

What???