The world sees millions of books coming to life every year, yet, only half of them live long enough to captivate us all. Therefore, aspiring authors find themselves under significant pressure to produce stories with characters whose personalities are worth reading about.
All good books are character driven. Eye-catching book covers, professional editing, and a bold marketing strategy might seem like the holy trinity of six-figure sales, but even the most endearing stories might sink into the depths of forgettable books just because they had, well, forgettable characters.
Because you see, if the reader does not care if your hero dies or not, they will not read the book. Period.
Never-before-seen characters are hard to create, especially when you have already fried your brains out with the plot and setting of your story; but it is them the ones who will, eventually, take your readers to that emotional rollercoaster they are all so eager to ride. As writers, understanding the character's personality; from his desires to his motives, needs, and fears, makes a whole difference between writing great characters and not-so-great ones.
Showing positive attributes is important, it will make your readers admire your characters and root for them because they are doing what they are supposed to, but by showing negative attributes as well, you will be able to humanize them. Therefore, readers will be able to relate them.
You will need to show your reader that there is a reason why your character is the way they are. He/she has a real life, with his own sets of fears and dreams that will affect the way they react to adversity, for better or for worse.
To build great characters, you need to understand people’s psychology and learn where does their behavior come from. Sure, some people are naturally arrogant, but could it be that there is a more significant issue underneath their arrogance? Explore those fields and don't settle for the obvious.
It is the writer's responsibility too put extra effort in creating characters that will blow your readers' mind and remind them that, as in real life, each individual is unique and a world on his or her own.
Happy Writing!
