How do you endear a reader to your character?

Why don't they like my character? The trouble we writers have is we know our character. The reader doesn't.

How can you make your character appealing?

  • You show the reader the good side of your character through their actions.
  • --- These can be simple threads you sew into the prose early and often.
  • --- Have your character do something nice.
  • --- --- Snatch a kitten from a high perch and place it beside it's mother.
  • --- --- Stop by the hospital to visit someone they just met - someone who has nobody to visit
  • --- --- Give away hard earned cash to someone in need.
  • The best reactions come when the action is contrary to the personality developed.
  • ---- The rich money hungry millionaire stops to help a single mom pay her bill at the grocery market.
  • ---- The super star athelete drops in on a kid's game and helps them win.
  • ---- The grump stops to befreind a youngster.
  • ---- The kid with allergies to dogs befriends a dog.
  • Another tool is the "fish out of water"
  • --- A person in a foreign country/world who flounders in the new social structure.
  • --- A person who has a character flaw in an environment not suited to that flaw.
  • --- A person placed into a job or situation where they are destined to fail.

These are a few common techniques to garner the affections of the reader for your character. But, be wise in how you sprinkle the technique into the story.