Sympathetic character: 10 writing methods that may curiosity readers
Remember a time when you tried hard to get someone to like you. Have you tried to get them to relate to you or do you want to spend more time with you? It is similar with the main character in your book. Readers quit books when they care what happens to the protagonist. To do this, you need to develop a personable character.
When writing a book, ask readers to invite your character into their homes, hangouts, and lives. It's important to create a protagonist that your reader will want to spend time with and who cares enough about them to find out what is happening to them.
Without this vital concern, tension cannot be sustained. And without tension, the reader will lose interest in your story. I talked about it at length in my post on tension.
Today, let's talk about how you can get your readers to like – if not love – your characters so that you can keep the tension in your book.
A good example of this
One of the first stories I ever wrote was Adalet (free on Amazon). Before posting, I shared it here at The Write Practice's workshop and got some tough but educational feedback. The first two paragraphs drew the reader into the world of stories, using the details I discussed in my post on engaging the reader.
However, I failed on the second essential point – to ensure that my reader can empathize with my protagonist.
Adalet is a decent person who risks his life for a good cause. But she is a tireless liar. I knew if readers gave her a chance, got to know her and understood why she did what she did, they would be on their side.
But readers don't patiently wait for a reason to like and care about your character over the course of a story. If you don't create a personable character right away, you've lost him.
My Adalet not only lied, but also did unpleasant and incomprehensible things. Their reasons are revealed layer by layer, but few readers would hold the course long enough to discover them.
It took readers time to realize that she could be a personable character. Time that I couldn't afford.
Everything revolves around the reader
I had a problem. To fix the problem, I thought of something my mentor, Dean Wesley Smith, always drives to my home – on the other side of my words are readers. As I watched the opening scenes of Adalet and took the place of the reader, I asked:
- Do I want Adalet enough to want to spend the time of a story with her?
- Does she stir enough empathy in me that I care what happens to her?
- Is there something about her that makes me by her side?
- Is she likeable or is she an unsympathetic character?
I've seen plenty of reasons to be curious about what she was doing, and some of that can take a reader away. However, to keep a reader moving forward through your story, you need more. You have to give your reader a reason to invest in your hero's outcome. If they do, they'll be rooting so they can get what they want before the act ends.
First, you need to ground your reader in the head of your point of view character. This draws the reader deep into the world of your story. Then you need to get them to take care of what happens to your character.
In making your characters likable, you're giving your reader compelling reasons to keep browsing to find out what happens.
To solve my problem with Adalet, I used some of the techniques that we will discuss in this article. First, let's look at how to create a strong connection between your reader and your main character – tips to help make your protagonist personable.
The connection of signs
Your two main goals when starting a story are:
- Firmly ground your reader in attitude and point of view, and
- Create an emotional connection between the reader and your main character that is strong enough that your reader cares about what happens to them
The smooth answer here is to create a personable character, and nine out of ten, that's a good way to go. But by the tenth time, you may have to create a character who is not personable, but still fascinating and intriguing enough that readers will want to spend time getting to know them.
A character with an edge.
Despite certain repulsive qualities, your reader needs to form some kind of bond with them. This means that readers have something to admire or relate to in the figure. Think of Walter White in Breaking Bad or Michael Corleone in The Godfather. They're not exactly good guys, but they start with reasons to do the bad things that they do.
Remember that fictional characters – like real people and onions – have layers. If you can portray these levels well, your reader will find something to connect with.
Who doesn't fall in love with the rugged, golden-hearted Curmudgeon? His behavior is crispy and mean to all outward appearances and reveals undreamt-of depths of goodness or honor. Or the smug know-it-all who has come to terms with the realization that he really doesn't know everything.
Presentation, combined with actions, reveals character.
This article discusses ten techniques you can choose from to get your reader into the cheer and stand by your character through to the last page.
10 writing techniques to create likeable characters
There are tips that authors can use to develop a personable character. In particular, I think there are ten techniques that do this best, each of which I explain in detail using the examples below.
1. Give your character a hidden wound
When a reader sees that your character is grappling with a secret flaw – or a troubling mind that cannot be laid to rest – it expresses compassion within them. As well as moments of weakness, loneliness or vulnerability.
Another aspect is having a character who has made mistakes in the past and now regrets them. We've all been in this situation, so it's easy to identify and sympathize with.
In Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca, the second woman Maxim de Winter fights against her own vulnerability and the spirit of her predecessor and collects feelings of sympathy and a lot of tension. Here is a short excerpt:
“I knew then that he had mistaken my silence for tiredness, and it hadn't crossed his mind. I feared this arrival in Manderley as much as I had theoretically longed for it. Now the moment had come when I wished it would be delayed. I wanted to stay in an inn on the side of the road and stay there in a coffee room by the impersonal fire. I wanted to be a traveler on the street, a bride in love with her husband. This is not the first time I have come to Manderley, Maxim de Winter's wife. "
As we read this, our hearts go to the shy girl who has to walk in the shadow of the splendid Rebecca. We feel sympathy for the orphaned paid companion who is suddenly occupied as the lady of the manor, a role for which she is ill-prepared and which terrifies her.
As the story unfolds and justifies its horror, our compassion grows in proportion to the tension, and with increasing concern and curiosity we read on to see what happens.
We all have hidden wounds, whether scarred or still healing, and reading about someone struggling with the same kind of emotions resonates and makes us interested in that character.
2. How your character treats others is important
It's always a good idea to show readers how your protagonist interacts with others. When we see someone behaving with kindness and consideration, it creates similar feelings in us. Doing so will give your character at least one redeeming trait, show that they are not a villain, and ask readers to give them a try.
When your character's friendliness is expanded to include children, animals, or the elderly, our appreciation for that character increases. This is because in our culture:
- Children represent innocence. We instinctively like and care for someone who relates to children, plays with them, likes them and is liked in return.
- We value those who treat animals well, and something in our nature convinces us that animals are good judges of character.
- A character who spends time in genuine concern for an elderly person's well-being deserves our warmth and respect.
Think of Dr. Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense and how he treats his child patient with respect and genuine concern. Or like Dr. Alan Grant protects and cares for the two children at risk in Jurassic Park.
If your character authentically cares for children and treats them well, we will authentically like and care for that character.
Similarly, if your character pats the dog and the dog responds with affection, this is noted in our book as an agreement.
A good example is when the prickly character Melvin takes care of his neighbor's dog in As Good As It Gets. The dog even forgives Melvin for throwing it in the garbage chute to demonstrate that he spied on Melvin's true nature – the ones he hides beneath the harsh exterior.
Likewise, in a world where the elderly are so often marginalized and viewed as incapable of valuable contributions, a character who takes time to serve and elevate an elderly person will score points in the Earn the “Compassion” column.
Think of the relationship that develops between Hoke and the older woman he serves in Driving Miss Daisy. Or the love and respect that Laura shows her blind and aging mother in Sleeping With The Enemy. Or how Dan Torrance, in his role as a hospice nurse, uses his glow to bring his older, dying patients to Dr. Sleep comfort.
In a way, each of us feels the approach of old age and can appreciate and admire a character who invests time and effort in caring for the elderly.
Regardless of who your protagonist is helping, writers who show how their main character treats others with courtesy, respect, and sincere affection will encourage readers to care about that character and what happens to them.
Get bonus points as behavior turns to children, pets, and aging.
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How your character treats others will determine whether we like them. Especially when that "other" is a child, an animal or an elderly person.
3. Characters who make sacrifices
The human answer is to help others through difficult times. When your reader sees your character go out of their way to help someone in need, they can't help but like that character. And when that help requires a sacrifice on their part, that affection will cement itself in respect and concern for the character's own good.
If your character helps others, especially at their own expense, it will create attraction and support for that character.
Think of Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive, who jeopardizes himself several times to help the injured. In the midst of a terrible bus / train wreck, he walks the narrow edge of danger to save the life of a prison guard and later risks exposure while detailing the man's injuries to an ambulance crew.
In another scene, he saves a dying child, drawing the attention of a suspicious emergency doctor who almost catches himself.
He didn't have to do these things. His interests have been better served by leaving these unfortunate victims to their fate, but our respect for him skyrockets when he risks his own safety for strangers.
Showing that your character is doing selfless acts to help others is a powerful way to get reader support and ensure your readers care.
4. A victim of undeserved misfortune
As humans, we are wired to have compassion for the victims, especially when their misfortune is undeserved. Readers immediately feel empathy for such a character and often identify with the victim by feeling their pain in some way.
This is a great way to put the reader in a solid support position behind your protagonist.
There are a hundred different methods of doing this. The list can include bullying and brutality, prejudice, abuse, abandonment, rejection, poverty, false accusations, physical or mental disability, death of a loved one, or any other type of devastating loss.
An example of how it has been done successfully is that we go to the cinema again.
In Sleeping With The Enemy, Laura is the victim of a controlling and abusive husband. We sense her inherent goodness, see her efforts to please, and our empathy goes to her as she struggles, trapped in a nightmare relationship.
While every aspect of their victimization is exposed – the hard-fisted control, the way he manipulates, hurts, and threatens them – watching them escape is increasingly important to us, and we invest in watching it happen .
Undeserved misfortunes create empathy for most readers. It's in our nature.
5. A misunderstood character
Few things wake us up in heated defense of a character than to see him misunderstood when we know he is right. The frustration, outrage, and helplessness can be felt.
In the film Flight Plan, the protagonist, a woman named Kyle Pratt, gets on a plane with her young daughter while she accompanies her husband's body back to the United States for the funeral. Soon after, the daughter disappears and no one believes Kyle when she says her daughter is missing.
The plot thickens, the danger grows, and in the final third of the film Kyle begins to wonder if she's gone mad. However, we stand behind her every step of the way, longing for her justification, and it feels so good when it comes down to it.
We all know what it's like to be misunderstood, and incorporating that into your character is a powerful way to get your reader to care about what's happening.
6. An outsider
It's hard not to love a good underdog story. In one way or another, we can all relate to the oppressed character rising up against insurmountable adversity.
Making your character the underdog is an extremely effective way of securing your reader's compassion and taking care of them.
One of my favorite examples is The Shawshank Redemption.
Andy Dufresne is an innocent man who was jailed for the murder of his wife and her lover. That alone captures our compassion, but that's just the beginning. To make your character an underdog you really need to stack the odds against him.
While in prison, Andy suffers from pain, humiliation, loneliness, despair and many other bad things, which gives him every reason to sink down and never get up. But he shows us his strength and determination to overcome the setbacks in his life. He also shares his occasional gusts of wind with his fellow inmates and wins their support. And our.
The darker it gets for Andy, the more we rally behind him and thirst for victory. A well-written underdog story arouses the reader's liking like no other. So put these in your toolbox and don't forget to use them when prompted.
If you'd like to see a more detailed breakdown of the underdog history in The Shawshank Redemption, click here.
7. Very competent
A character who excels in some skills inspires our admiration and sympathy, whether enthusiastically or reluctantly given.
Do not you believe me? Ever seen an episode of House?
Dr. House is not a warm or fluffy character, but he deserves our reluctant respect and we care about him more and more as the series progresses.
How about James Bond? Indiana Jones? These guys are clearly the best at their chosen arenas. We can't help but like them and care about what happens to them.
This is because the character creates trust. We love to sit back and watch a smooth operator at work who really knows his stuff. A pro of superlatives is a joy to see in action and when we know a character can deliver, they deserve our admiration and we want them to succeed.
Here's one of my personal favorites – Patrick Jane in The Mentalist.
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Readers finish books that are driven by personable characters. Consider one (or more!) Of these 10 key writing techniques to help you create your own.
He's mastered his observation skills so well and it's great fun to see him put his skills to the test. I like his interesting character and I care so much about what happens to him that I've seen every episode of the series. Twice.
By making your character great at something, you can gain reader support and care.
8. Go against type
Most of us don't like to step out of our comfort zones, and we admire and care for a character who is ready to stretch their necks for a good cause. In addition, this type of character arouses our interest and compassion even when the character is pushed out of their safe space rather than voluntarily venturing out.
So when setting up your protagonist, try to delineate their comfort zone and then force them outside that zone. This encourages an empathetic response from us and motivates us to care about what happens to them, as we have all been there at some point in our own experience.
We remember what it feels like to be exposed and looking for balance in a hostile environment.
My mentor taught me this concept by pointing to a typical example – the hobbit. Hobbits are homebodies. They like to nestle in the Shire, eat an amazing number of meals a day, and stay safe and cozy. You are not an adventurer.
When Bilbo embarks on a dangerous mission, we know it is expanding in an uncomfortable way, and this wins our support and interest.
Don't overlook the value of holding your protagonist against the envelope in order to win readers' sympathy for your character.
9. Sense of humor
Everyone loves to laugh. Even in a tense action movie, we greet those moments of comic relief and hug a character who can make us laugh.
Your protagonist may be aggressive or awkward, but if they're really funny, readers will want to take care of them.
Think of Daniel Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire. He made us laugh, like, and take care of the fate of a family that was clear by the end of the film, despite his quick temper and erratic behavior. His sense of humor convinces us long enough for his other lovable traits to close and seal the deal.
Or check out how Guido Orefice preserved his sense of humor through the most unlikely and challenging circumstances for his child in Life is Beautiful. This determination to find the funny behind the grim, to preserve the innocence and happiness of his young son, steals our hearts and wins our support.
Readers love to hang out with a character who tickles the funny bone and makes them laugh. Such a character invites readers to like them and take care of them.
10. Another character likes your protagonist (and that love is returned)
The love between characters, especially family and friends, creates warm feelings in your reader too. Showing how other characters in the story like and appreciate your protagonist, and how the protagonist responds positively even when reluctant, will allow your reader to return the favor with similar feelings.
In the Hitchcock classic, Rear Window, Lisa is clearly devoted to Jeff, and although he initially suppresses his feelings for her, we see the deeper reality of his love as the story progresses. Jeff's observations of his neighbors, many of whom are struck by isolation and loneliness, seem to temper his resistance to marriage. This enables him to at least partially reciprocate Lisa's feelings.
This exchange of affection increases our sympathy for both of them and increases our concern about what happens to them.
When readers see other characters appreciate, admire, and care for your protagonist, so will they.
Building a strong foundation with a personable character is crucial
Do not try to put all of these techniques into one character, but choose a reasonable combination of some and build them into your point of view character. This allows readers to bond with the character and invest in them emotionally. In this way, they will be drawn into the character's story and world and prepared for an unwavering reading experience.
Regardless of which techniques you choose from this list, developing a personable character is crucial to anchor your readers in your book and keep them informed of what is happening to the protagonist by the end of the story.
You cannot skip this step. A personable character can make or break your book. This is why this post is so important. The strategies it contains can help you avoid mistakes that could prevent your readers from reading further.
Before we get started, let's recap what we've seen so far in this series of articles about the elements of tension.
- You now know why tension is important in any type of story.
- You learned what tension is and why, and how it works to guide a reader through your story.
- You've learned how to start a book to include a reader in your story and your character's point of view so they won't want to drop your book.
- And now you've learned how to get your reader to care about what happens to your protagonist.
You are ready to lay a solid foundation for a great and engaging story driven by suspense. By learning and practicing the principles and concepts in these articles, you will create your author's toolbox.
You are preparing to write your best paper ever!
Don't forget to bookmark this page and look for future articles. Feel free to let us know in the comments how everything is going for you.
Which of the eleven strategies for creating a personable character do you like best? Why? Tell us all about it in the comments!
WORK OUT
Use the character you developed for the book you are writing alongside this series designed in the exercise of the last post. If you haven't created a character yet, do it now!
Then choose a technique from today's article. Now spend fifteen minutes writing three or four paragraphs to win a reader's sympathy and get them to care about your character.
When you're done, you can post your work in the comments and get feedback from the community. Don't forget to give feedback to your co-writers! We learn best by helping one another.
