Writing Tip February 27th
33 Ways to Write Stronger Characters (Part 2/3)
To Make:
14. Make them complex. The best characters are those whose actions always surprise readers. Create a character with a complex personality and motivations, then reveal each layer one by one.
15. Make them unique. Don't let your character become just another average Joe. Make them stand out from the rest by giving them a unique goal, motivation, or trait.
16. Make them intelligent. Stupid characters aren't exciting. It's as simple as that. You need a character that can stand up to your story's villain, one whose intelligent and intuition prove to be a powerful force.
17. Make them relatable. If your character is stone-cold, readers will never be able to relate to them. Give your character at least one personality trait, situation, or motivation that readers can connect with on a personal level.
18. Make them fail. If your character succeeds in everything, then there was never much of a plot to your story. Your character needs to face setbacks, to get discouraged and overwhelmed, and sometimes to even fail outright. It is their failure that will make the victory all the sweeter.
19. Make them suffer. Readers need to see who your character is at their worst so that they can love them at their best. That means that you need to be a cruel author and make your character suffer. It's not always easy (though sometimes it can be fun), but it is necessary to take your character through the fire so they can become a stronger person.
20. Make them sweat. Your character's success shouldn't be handed to them on a silver platter. In order to make your character's goal worthwhile, you need to make them work for it. Night and day. Blood and sweat and tears. They need to fight in order to win.