Characters: good guys

Last month I talked about creating bad characters, so this month it's time for the strong and virtuous. The same techniques can be used as in making a bad character but this time the emphasis is different.

First impressions. As with the bad guys, you might not start here. You might have other characters talk about him first, to add to tension, delay his entrance. First impressions may be wrong: the brute may turn out to be a sweetie, or the slob may end up as a hero.

Attitudes. Don’t have to be totally ‘good’ but must include a generosity of spirit.

Actions. What does he do that changes world for better, or helps others?

How do others see the character?. If a baddie insults your hero, the reader can be so indignant they will more readily identify with the character.

How does your good guy react to situations? Not selfishly, except in minor ways. When it comes to the crunch, the good characters do the right thing.

Good guys don’t whine. Their obsessions, if they have any, are appealing.

Making a good character attractive. See my last post about making a bad character attractive, because the same techniques apply. Above all - never let your hero or heroine be smug or self-absorbed!

Good characters care. They relate, they share. They lead, they act, they dream, they do something about it! They have big aims. They do not give up, however tempting that might seem. If they appear to give up, they still go on, later. They are not passive. If they are victims, they fight back later. They do not lack courage, however much they might be afraid and know how hopeless a situation is.

We are in their heads, identifying with their thoughts, fears, secrets and aims. We share their inner conflicts as they choose what to do. They have quirky/appealing personal habits (even small vices). We laugh with them and sometimes at them but never for long. They have possible catchphrases or predictable responses that are appealing, so the reader can anticipate how they will react and get a kick out of that. At the same time, they are not entirely predictable. They have hidden depths, maybe hidden dangers. They are bigger than they seem.

If all else fails and you feel a character is not appealing enough and you want him or her to be, then make that character suffer. Suffering will hopefully engage the reader’s pity, unless you’ve made the character so rotten that the readers are all cheering their heads off.

If you want to see my characters in action - both bad and good - have a look at my books.

Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com