What Makes a Good Character in a Story?
Creating a compelling character is one of the most important elements of crafting a successful story. A good character should be well-rounded, have clear goals, and be believable. Here are some tips for creating a great character.
Give Your Character Clear Goals
Characters should almost always have clear goals, even if these goals are not immediately made obvious to the reader. Without goals, characters lack motivation—that is, they have little reason to do anything interesting. For this reason, many writers connect the main character’s goals to the main conflict in the story.
Make Your Character Believable
Your character should be believable and relatable. To do this, you should make sure your character has flaws and weaknesses, just like real people. This will make your character more human and will make it easier for readers to connect with them.
Make Your Character Unique
Your character should be unique and stand out from other characters in the story. To do this, you should give your character unique traits, interests, and motivations. This will make your character more memorable and will make them stand out from the crowd.
Give Your Character Depth
Your character should have depth and complexity. This means that your character should have a rich backstory and motivations that are revealed throughout the story. This will make your character more interesting and will make them more believable.
Make Your Character Consistent
Your character should remain consistent throughout the story. This means that their personality, motivations, and goals should remain the same. If your character changes too much, it can be confusing for readers and can make your character seem unbelievable.
Creating a compelling character is an important part of crafting a successful story. By giving your character clear goals, making them believable, unique, and consistent, and giving them depth, you can create a character that readers will love and remember.