Every book is driven by at least one main character, a singular hero
or heroine who propels the plot. Often, the main character has to face a
challenge or foe, obstacles they must overcome in order to get to the
happy (or tragic) ending. But if that character doesn't reach out and
grab your audience, readers may not stick with your story all the way to
its end. The main character is the driving force of your book, so make
it great.
Characteristics
Who
is this person? What motivates them? What are their hopes and dreams?
If you don't know, your readers don't know. Readers want a character
they can identify with, a three-dimensional character who has their own
independent thoughts, wishes and yes, even problems. Identify and know
the characteristics of your main characters, who they are as a person.
Nervous habits, likes and dislikes, opinions -- these are the things
that make a person real, and the same stuff makes characters real to
readers.
No one is perfect, not even in books. If you
want to craft a main character that others can believe in, you've got to
give them flaws -- or at least one major flaw. Readers are all real
people, and like real people they make mistakes and bad decisions. Your
character should have some flaws, too, and shouldn't always do
everything right. Some of the most lovable literary characters are very
flawed, but people embrace them because they can relate.
Appearance
What
does your character look like? Tell your audience in detail what they
might see if they look at your character. You want your main character
to jump off the page, and that means giving them a physical appearance
so readers can "see" them within their own minds. A character that your
readers can envision is a real, relatable character that will jump off
the page.
Physical flaws are important, too. Ask one
hundred people if they dislike something about their appearance, and one
hundred people will say yes. What doesn't your character like about
his/her appearance? Perhaps they have pale skin, a cleft chin they hate,
wide shoulders or 15 extra pounds hanging around their hips. Why would a
reader, who has all the normal hang-ups that come with being human,
read a story about a physically perfect human being? That's not
relatable, and it's not very realistic unless there's a good reason for
it (they're a vampire, they've had plastic surgery, etc.).
Character Writing
The
key to writing a believable, relatable main character is in having a
clear idea of who that character is. Make sure you know the person
you're writing about, even if they're someone you've made up in your
head. If the character feels real to you, it's more likely to feel real
to your audience. A great main character can make any plot shine and
stand out above all those other books out there.