Bleeding Beauties

Likable Protagonists

Have you ever been in a situation in which you find your story weird but have no clue whatsoever of the reason behind it?

One huge possibility in the answer of the problem is that the characters are just...unrealistic.

But why?

Often, characters that are considered good share a common trait: they

attract. Readers get so attached to them that they just couldn't help but want to know what is happening to the character, and at the same time, readers anticipate the same anxieties, joy, and pain as the characters themselves do.

So how exactly do these characters succeed in attaching themselves to innocent readers?

By getting to know them.

When the writer provides bits and pieces of background tales throughout the story, it allows the reader to know more about the character as they go along.

In the meantime, they begin to understand the motivations behind the characters' actions, the emotions characters' experience, making the feelings even more so real and relatable.

Also, knowing what a character likes, dislikes, whom he/she loves, hates, favorite song, morals of life...does a fabulous job in understanding a character.

However, not every character has to be described in depth, but the richer the backgrounds of each character, the better and easier it becomes when writing, especially for the main characters.

As for minor characters, do a basic outline enough to support the story, and also, the amount of detail to put in for each of them depends on you!

And of course, before letting the readers get to know your characters, you have to learn about them yourself first, in order to know their next move, their next words, or their next reactions.

I'm going to try to give 2 examples here to show the difference anyone can make by merely knowing their characters:

(excerpt one: he's a total stranger to me)

Rick stared at the castle, unable to avert his sight as he looked upon its glorious form. In he followed the guard as he glance at the portraits on either sides of the hallway, overwhelmed by the beauty of the place, as he trudged in the massive doors towards the next chamber that could change his life.

(excerpt two: he's my BFF)

Rickstood gaping as he glanced upon the castle he had longed to visit for so ages,he couldn't believe that he was finally here. As he followed the guard insidethrough the gateway, his stomach flipped with anxiety at the thought of beingin such a luxurious standing, he hadn't been in such a royal place in hisentire life, considering  (excerpt one: he's a total stranger to me)

Rick stared at the castle, unable to avert his sight as he looked upon its glorious form. In he followed the guard as he glance at the portraits on either sides of the hallway, overwhelmed by the beauty of the place, as he trudged in the massive doors towards the next chamber that could change his life.

(excerpt two: he's my BFF)

Rick stood gaping as he glanced upon the castle he had longed to visit for so ages, he couldn't believe that he was finally here. As he followed the guard inside through the gateway, his stomach flipped with anxiety at the thought of being in such a luxurious standing, he hadn't been in such a royal place in his entire life, considering his social status as a squire for the local landlord. He couldn't help but flinch with every step he took as he tread on the lush carpet that he probably couldn't afford even using his entire livestock. As he admired the beauty of the castle interior, he couldn't help but feel the weight of his families expectations on his shoulders as he entered the massive doors to start his new life here in hopes of sustaining his family.

As mentioned, I had to know a lot about Rick here to be able to understand the reasons behind his reactions and motives. Knowing that Rick was of poverty served really well when writing of how he acted when entering a royal castle.

One of the key reasons to why a character doesn't seem realistic is that the story of his/her life is just...Too. Perfect.

It's safe to say that it's impossible for someone to not experience any downtimes throughout their entire life. It's just the matter of the significance of the problems they're facing.

Another key is that the characters themselves are too perfect in personality.

No one is perfect, seeing as you can only be perfect if you're a god (even though, according to The Trails of Apollo, gods have their imperfect moments XD See what I mean?)

By saying that no one is perfect it means every character has to have their flaws, however few they might be.

A great advantage of having flaws in the livesof characters and the characters  themselves is that readers are more likely to feel unconsciously sympathetic towards them. A lot of times, it's the flaws that make us love our characters.

The Lightning Thief wouldn't be amazing without Percy Jackson, and The Hunger Games wouldn't be as compelling without the existence of Katniss Everdeen. Characters play a great role in a book and are the core of the entire story. Amazing characters bring alive much of the story plot itself! Know your people and love them so that others can do the same XD

I hope this help chapter turned out to be useful :) 

-Athena S. Y. ( Whitewolf2901 )