Making Characters Believable

The story whirring inside your head may be incredible. Your grasp of language and word-choice may be eloquent and gripping. But if you overlook one important element, your book will not hold the interest of a reader. It took me a while to get a grip on this element, and I most likely still have a ways to go. But the most important element to include in your writing is that your main character must be authentic.

Don't make the mistake of thinking you must give a complete physical description, similar to a police lineup. A few clear physical hints are good, but it goes beyond that. The reader must connect with your hero right from the start and that is far more difficult to achieve than it looks. Why is it that we instantly bond with some people, but others remain strangers at a distance? Watch television interviews with either celebrities or average Joe's. Why is that sometimes we're laughing right along with the person, and other times we snarl a bit?

It usually comes down to the likability of the person and that can translate a hundred ways. What makes a person likable?

Often it is their flaws. We all have them and it's nice to read about a character who has them too. They can't be TOO flawed, or they wan't be likable enough to be the heroes. Even a villain can be successfully used as a main character when he's seen as a whole person. When we know and understand the reasons he does what he does. We may not agree with him, but we keep reading to see what else he will do.

Heroes cannot be boring. Your normal, everyday life may be boring, but who would want to pay $12.99 to read about it? Even boring people can have fascinating events that propel them to react out of character and then the person is no longer boring. It is acceptable to portray your hero as an average guy, but put him immediately into a situation where he must do things an average guy wouldn't do. That action makes him above average, and therefore, interesting.

One of the mistakes I made early on--and tend to keep making--is to create a dull character who is a victim of her circumstances. Bad things keep happening to her and forcing her into situations where she does not wish to go. That is all right to a point. However, I tend to habitually make her too passive. I am learning to give her some spunk right off the bat. She should make a choice that puts her in harm's way, rather than have it always fall on top of her. We admire people who do courageous things, even if it's not the right thing. People who act, rather than re-act. And that action---in a good book--is what causes all the trouble.

See if you can create a character who is flawed, but likable, and have him/her jump into a situation for a good reason, that creates problems. Once you have a likable character, then you have the makings of a good book.
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