Develop Memorable Characters Your Readers Will Want to Spend Time With

I want you to think in terms of a movie and the actors who play in them (we all see a movie now and then, even if it’s from the comfort of our living room), and imagine this:

You see a trailer/commercial for a new movie. It looks like something you’ll enjoy, so you invest twenty bucks (maybe less, maybe more) and an evening of your time.

The outcome: The director did fine with what he/she had to work with. The plot was unique and could have been interesting if only the dialogue and acting would have been believable. If only you would have felt some kind of connection with the characters.

An hour in, you’re bored, your popcorn (or snack of choice) and drink are a memory, and you’ve already determined this movie will not be.

Maybe you stay with it until the end, and that’s only because you know you aren’t getting that twenty bucks back, and your evening is already shot. Or maybe you salvage what’s left of your evening by going home (or staying put if you’re already there) and turning on reruns of one of your favorite sitcoms. Either way, I doubt you’ll be recommending this movie to your friends.

Now, think about all the books you’ve read and ask yourself: Which are your favorites and why? Think about the stories you’ve read and ask yourself: Which have been the most memorable and why?

I’ll bet the answer to both those questions has a lot to do with, if not the main character, a prominent one.

The plot is, of course, important as well, but if at least one of the prominent characters doesn’t pull at you, you’re more than likely going to put that book down before reaching the end, and you’re not going to be recommending it as a “must read” to your pals.

So, how do you create a memorable and believable character your readers will want to get to know?

Let’s start with your PROTAGONIST.

Male Main Character:

A sleazy Santa with ulterior motives does not a hero make. And no half-discerning reader is going to follow a cowardly Rudolph from the first page to the last. When creating your hero, keep these three major points in mind:

First and foremost, your protagonist must be relatable and believable. That is unless your main male character is a superhero, in which case, have at it and go all out. Then again, even Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark and all the other well-known superhero alter egos had flaws and vulnerabilities that we lowly humans could relate to.

Create a larger-than-life hero, and you risk leaving your reader without a way to connect. And without a connection, why should Robbie Reader care if Atticus Finch wins his case and saves poor Tom or not?

Second, all memorable heroes possess strength, and I’m not referring to muscle mass here. I’m talking about strength of character. Whether it’s a strength of will, consciousness, resolve, or some other characteristic will depend upon your storyline. But along with that humanistic vulnerability referenced above should lie a strength of character that makes your male protagonist a man every other man wants to be like and every woman wishes she knew.

Third, your male protagonist should be well-rounded as he has a huge task ahead of him, and that is to keep the story moving. And to succeed, through whatever form of conflict you write into your storyline, your protagonist will need to portray some essence of curiosity, along with duty, empathy and self-preservation.

Female Main Character:

What do Mrs. Claus and Wonder Woman have in common? Why, they both like the color red and leather boots, of course.

Disclaimer: I stole that answer from fellow writer Dominick DeLeone, so kudos to him for a quick and witty response. But the correct answer (in this case) is that both are superheroes.

So, what makes an excellent heroine?

As with all characters, and not to repeat myself, but as I said above, your characters, whether on the front lines or in the trenches, must always be both believable and relatable. Focus on one, and the other will follow.

To accomplish this feat when creating your female lead, remember that flawless beauty isn’t necessarily perfection.

Every human being has a blemish or two, even Mrs. Claus, who I’m told is known to eat a few too many of her famous sugar cookies every year. And if Wonder Woman loses or breaks one of those bracelets? Talk about a temper. So, whether you’re creating her inner or outer beauty, don’t forget to add a few warts.

Remember, too, that although your typical fairytale has been known to feature a damsel in distress, even Rapunzel was brave enough to let down her hair.

Too subtle? All right, what I mean is, it’s okay for your heroine to show her feminine side, as long as you make sure to let her best features shine. And by best features, I’m talking about her tenacity and courage. Because you should keep in mind, my comrades, not even the most forgiving reader can tolerate over two hundred pages of nothing but tears, tantrums and theatrics.

Your Villain:

No one likes a wimpy Grinch. But a villain they can truly hate? Now, that makes a good story a great one.

So, what makes a great villain? To help answer this question, start by making a list of your top three favorites. You know, those villains we love to hate, then follow up with a list of what three things made these specific villains particularly worthy of your scorn.

One of my top three? Hans Gruber in Die Hard. Or Elliott Marston in Quigley Down Under. Oh, wait. Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series!

All right, so all three characters were played by Alan Rickman, one of the best villains of all time. But the point is, what made these characters so despicably believable?

How about that sneer Alan Rickman had down pat and the scorn for the good guys in his tone of voice? Neither one is particularly easy to get across to your readers, but for a good writer, it is absolutely doable. After all, body language and tone are both parts of creating a believable character, no matter the role that character plays.

And I, for one, feel the idea that a villain must have a reason for being evil is a myth. Bad is bad no matter the childhood or the ancestry, so don’t get hung up on inventing your villain’s backstory unless it’s part of the storyline.

Hostility toward your protagonist is also essential, but an explanation for that hostility isn’t necessary for it to come across as real. After all, I don’t recall ever hearing why Hans Gruber chose a life of crime other than pure greed.

And this brings us to our villain’s true goal, and he/she really must have one.

Also, remember that for your character to be believable, it’s essential to point out those qualities, or in this case, the flaws, that a vast majority of your readers can identify with. Whether it’s something we see in ourselves or someone we know, characteristics like jealousy, spitefulness, or a need for one-upmanship run rampant in the human race. And, unfortunately, there’s also a lot of mental illness and pure evil out there.

Lastly, a great villain is both clever and cagey and should be a worthy opponent for your hero/heroine. That is unless you’re going for humor rather than drama, in which case, a bumbling fool who still gets the job done can be a big hoot.  

With all your characters, whether a main character, primary or supporting, keep in mind the following tips:

Make your characters real. I can’t stress this enough. Give your readers something to connect to. Your readers should either see something in themselves in the character or something that reminds them of someone they know. And I’m not talking about a physical trait. No one’s perfect, and your characters shouldn’t be either. So, what’s your character’s flaw?

Also, what’s your character’s motivation? We all have one for everything we do, whether it’s simply eating because we’re hungry or getting dressed because, hey, going around naked in public is illegal. (At least, in most places.) So, be sure your characters have a purpose for being in the story in the first place and that their motivation is clear, even if that motivation makes no logical sense at all.

And just as important, draw on your character’s emotions, and you’ll draw on the readers’ emotions as well. Whether you’re creating a sympathetic character, one to be admired, or one to be reviled, make sure you give your readers what they need to see your characters as you see them.

As one final note, be sure to also check out my blog post "20 Things You Need to Know About Your Main Character."

Happy Writing!