Characters · Tip 13 of 82 · 5 min read
Creating Characters Readers Love
Give your hero a want, a worry and a weird little habit, and readers will cheer for them.
Think about your favourite book character. Why do you like them? Probably because they feel real, almost like a friend. You can make characters like that too!
Give them something they want
Every great character wants something. It can be big (to save the kingdom) or small (to win the school spelling bee). Wanting something makes your character move, and that makes a story.
Give them something they're scared of
Nobody is brave about everything. A knight who is scared of the dark, or a dragon who is afraid of mice, is much more interesting than one who is never afraid.
Give them a little quirk
A quirk is a small, special habit that makes your character different. Maybe they hum when they're nervous, or collect bottle caps, or always wear odd socks.
Okay 😐
Sam was a boy. He was nice and he had brown hair.
Wow! 🤩
Sam was ten, had brown hair that stuck up like a hedgehog, and hummed the same song whenever he was nervous. He wanted, more than anything, to be picked for the football team, even though he was terrified of the ball.
See the difference? In the second one, you already know what Sam wants, what he's scared of, and something funny about him. You want to find out what happens!
Character card checklist
- Name and age
- What they look like (just one or two special details)
- What they want most of all
- What they're scared of
- One quirk or habit