Writing Engaging Characters
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Creating well-rounded and engaging characters can be one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of writing a novel. An engaging and relatable character can capture the reader's imagination, evoke emotions, and keep your target audience invested in the story. Here, I’ll share a guide to crafting engaging characters. From defining what makes a character compelling to avoiding common mistakes, this article covers the essential elements of character development, including how to execute engaging characters for maximum emotional impact.
What Are Engaging Characters?
Engaging characters are those that readers connect with on an emotional level. They have depth, complexity, and relatable qualities that make them memorable. A compelling character can make readers root for them, empathize with them, or even hate them (as is the case with a multi-dimensional antagonist). Often, these characters have a significant role in driving the story forward, influencing secondary characters, and adding conflict and tension to the story structure.
Ingredients of Engaging Characters
One of the essential ingredients for creating engaging characters is a strong motivation. A character's driving force can stem from internal desires (akin to internal conflict) or external pressures (otherwise known as external conflict) or both. A clear objective is necessary for readers to understand what the character wants and how they'll overcome any story obstacles to achieve it. Engaging characters also have a distinct writing voice, unique personality traits, and realistic flaws and misbeliefs that make them feel real. Remember, relatability makes characters more engaging.
Executing Engaging Characters for Maximum Emotional Impact
Maximizing the emotional impact of characters means developing their character arc throughout the story. This means having their motivations evolve or change as they encounter new conflicts and challenges that shape who they are. Keep an eye on character growth and change. Showing character development can draw the reader into the character's journey, making them care more about the project having a satisfying resolution. Dialogue and action are also crucial to highlighting a character's strengths, weaknesses, and inner conflicts. You will want to make sure and follow the advice of show, don’t tell when you render characters on the page, unless you have point of view access to your protagonist and use interiority to flesh out their inner life.
Character and Action Beats Expected of Engaging Characters
Engaging characters have both character beats and action beats that go into expressing them on the page. Character beats are moments of introspection, emotion, or decision-making. Action beats, on the other hand, are external instances of conflict or characters showing who they are and what they want. Both types of beats drive the story and create tension. Using them to create a well-balanced rhythm can make the story feel immersive and exciting.
Common Mistakes Writers Make in Writing Engaging Characters
Aspiring writers can fall into common character-building pitfalls. One of the most common mistakes is using stereotypes and clichés, such as the "chosen one" trope or one-dimensional story villains. Another mistake is giving characters a perfect self, with no depth, and no sense of flaws. Also, not allowing characters to undergo sufficient development hinders reader engagement.
Creating engaging characters is an essential aspect of writing a successful novel. By understanding the ingredients of compelling characters, the importance of character and action beats, and the common mistakes writers make, any aspiring writer can craft multi-dimensional characters and leave a lasting impact on your readers. Incorporate the elements in this guide into your writing, and your engaging characters will become the heart and soul of your story.
Click here to purchase Writing Interiority: Crafting Irresistible Characters, my book on interiority and character creation. Explore your protagonist’s thoughts, feelings, reactions and interpretations, expectations, and inner struggles to create a rich, immersive experience. This guide will empower you to create characters who live and breathe on the page, fostering an unbreakable bond with your audience.