Every character is their own hero.

This is a blatant ripoff of another person's blog post, but it was so true I had to share it.

Every character in your novel thinks the story is about them.

Think about this, Star Wars style.

Han knows he's the hero. The macho man who charges in, gun in hand, to save the day and the girl? Even if he's only in it for the paycheck, he's the hero.

Chewie knows he's the hero. The soft-spoken powerhouse who is a great, supportive friend? Oh, yeah.

Leia knows she's the hero. The plucky gal leading a rebellion, with no time for friends or love because she's so driven?

Darth Vader thinks he's the hero. The tragic figure who loses his wife in his fight to restore order to the galaxy.

Palpatine thinks he's the hero. A thinking/philosopher who has put away an outdated form of government to put in a new one that is more powerful and more unified, with no senseless debate.

Jabba knows he's the hero. He knows it. He's just trying to survive in this world, and have some fun along the way.