Lesson #10: How to Make Readers Fall for Your Characters

It’s time to wrap things up on our character development course, but before I go, I want to leave you with some inspiration and encouragement.

One of the best ways to inspire yourself is to observe and dissect the work of great authors. If you understand the method to their madness, you can work to emulate it. So, let’s break down some famous beloved characters and see if we can learn a few more tips.

Scout Finch

The widely beloved protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s charm bubbles up from her wild personality. She is rowdy and unruly, and frequently gets into fights with boys at school (and wins). But instead of coming off as a brat, she is the heart of the story. Why? Her rowdy streak actually spawns from her refusal to take flak from anybody.

Tip #1: A personality trait can have layers. Ask why your character behaves a certain way.

We resist her aunt’s pleas for her to become “a proper lady” because we know that means she would have to give up that headstrong, independent nature. Scout is also endearing because the story is told from her perspective. We see her learn and grow, and we see her wrestle with the horrible implications of the unfair trial of Tom Robinson. We care for that little spitfire, so her pain and confusion hits us harder.

Tip #2: Ask yourself if making your readers view the story solely from one character’s perspective might allow them to experience the story on a more personal level.

Dr. John Watson

What makes Dr. Watson the perfect partner for Sherlock Holmes? He is older, at least in the original story, and as a result, he is calmer. His military background gives him discipline (and other skills that frequently come in handy), and he’s very intelligent, as evidenced by his ability to keep up with Holmes.

Tip #3: Don’t make your lead characters too similar, but make sure their talents balance and complement each other.

Watson is the perfect sounding board for Holmes, he’s incredibly loyal, and in some adaptions, he is the only thing keeping Holmes’ eccentricities from destroying him.

One of the biggest factors as to why he is so beloved is that, though smart and skilled, he is an everyman when compared to Holmes. Holmes is almost inhuman in his deductive power: he is always right, always ahead, and Watson has to scurry along behind him. Watson asks the questions we’re all dying to know, and is always just as amazed as we are when the truth comes out. We identify with him, and so we love him.

Tip #4: If you have a superhuman lead, balance them with a character with whom readers can identify.

It’s all about writing characters who feel alive. Only then can readers come to love or hate them. Remember that people are complex — not every hero needs to be a prince/princess, not every villain has to be rotten to the core, and if you put a bit of yourself and a bit of something you admire or hate into every character, you will breathe life into your paper-and-ink darlings. You will make your readers love them as much as you do.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this course. I’m a ghostwriter who specializes in fantasy, mystery and YA. If you want to learn first-hand how to turn your characters and ideas into a novel, drop me a request on my Reedsy profile!

Happy writing,

Hannah

Missed a few lessons? Catch up with the ebook version of this course!

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Brought to you by Hannah Sandoval

Hannah Sandoval is a freelance ghostwriter and copy editor who has worked on over two dozen manuscripts, and a published author herself. Her guilty pleasures are Rocky Road ice cream and crime TV shows. If you would like to connect with her to discuss assistance with your manuscript or character outlines, check out her Reedsy profile.​

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