Creating characters readers care about

A clever plot with a flat character feels like a puzzle. A simple plot with a character we care about feels like a story. The good news is that readers do not need much to start caring.

Give them a want

The fastest way to make a character come alive is to give them something they want badly: to win the race, to be forgiven, to get home before midnight. A want gives the reader something to hope for.

Give them a flaw

Perfect characters are boring and hard to believe. Let yours be stubborn, jealous, impatient or too proud to ask for help. A flaw creates problems, and problems create stories.

Show one specific detail

Instead of describing everything, choose one detail that tells us who they are. A boy who still keeps his bus pass from primary school. A grandmother who irons the newspaper. One sharp detail beats a paragraph of description.

Let them make a choice

Characters become real when they decide something difficult. The moment your character chooses, especially when the choice costs them, is often the heart of your story.

Try it: write a character in three lines: one thing they want, one flaw, and one detail you would only know if you had met them.