What’s one of the biggest reasons you keep reading when you pick up a new book? Think about it for a moment. For me, it’s characters who are interesting, multi-dimensional, unpredictable…and likeable. Yet this is an element many of us struggle to achieve. One of the most common phrases in rejection letters is “I just didn’t connect with the character(s).”
So, what does that mean to us, as fiction writers? It means we must draw our readers into the story with the very first sentences, and to get them invested in the characters well before the end of the first chapter, maybe by the end of the first page. This is a tall order—especially when we read our favorite authors and marvel at how easy they make it look.
I don’t know about you, but I can see my characters vividly in my mind’s eye, and am truly astonished when my critique partners don’t fall in love with the characters. Passionately! As an author, it is incumbent upon me to portray those characters with all the tools at my disposal. I’d like to share a technique that is simple, yet extremely effective.
Rooting factors. Yes, as in rah-rah, go hero/ine! These are characteristics that show your hero or heroine in an endearing light. Details that allow the reader to bond with them…to root for them. What you’re after is any trait that is positive, but especially universal ones like humanity, vulnerability, generosity, etc.
As Blake Snyder says in Save the Cat, an excellent resource on screenwriting, the opening scene is critical. We must give the reader a reason to like our hero or heroine, even if (or especially if) they have rough edges or have a lot of growing to do through the book. In Snyder’s example, the character swerves from his purpose (which can be dark or suspenseful or comic) in order to do a good deed…i.e., save the cat from certain calamity. This demonstrates our hero’s kind side, and when he goes on to shock or distress us with his struggles, we recognize that he is a good person who has been forced into an untenable situation. And we root for him!
This is what keeps readers turning the pages, this ‘liking’ the characters. Go to your favorite novel. Right now. Open it up and analyze the first chapter for characteristics that are likable (and therefore create a bond with the reader). Chances are, you’ll find a fairly long list.
Be careful to salt these rooting factors in carefully. They must be organic to the story and the writing. This should never be a laundry list. “The heroine was feisty, yet compassionate, and she was bluntly honest without being cruel, and her moral compass never wavered.” No. Work the rooting factors into the normal activities of the character’s world. Use dialogue and action to show why the character deserves the reader’s investment.
This is a particularly effective technique for characters who may not be all that likable at the beginning of the story, those who have a long way to go before they learn their life lesson or earn their reward. They have legitimate flaws. That’s what makes them interesting. But they also have some innate goodness that allows the potential of redemption. Here’s a secret regarding the villain: the most compelling villains have some good traits, too. After all, the worst part about villains is that we can see ourselves in them.
Here’s an example from my current work in progress. I have a potentially difficult task. My heroine has just been released from prison and is looking for a job. In the first sentence, she demonstrates a deep level of respect for her fellow man when she murmurs “Excuse me” to a pedestrian who bumps into her. And she does so without regard to the discomfort, even anxiety, the other person’s proximity causes her—which demonstrates her vulnerability and humanity. What’s not to like about our heroine, right off the bat? A page later, she picks up a plastic bag out of concern that small animals might get trapped in it. Her prison history, while central to the story, is not revealed until the end of the chapter. And by the time the reader gets there, hopefully s/he is so invested in the character that they are willing (and eager) to read further.
Here’s your homework assignment: Reread the first chapter of your current work. Can you ramp up rooting factors for your characters? See what you can do, and if it improves the work. It has mine, and it took me four years too long to figure out. I hope it’s not as long for you!
Leslie Lynch
Leslie Lynch writes women's fiction, giving voice to characters who struggle to find healing for their brokenness – and discover unconventional solutions to life’s unexpected twists. She is an occasional contributor to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’s weekly paper, The Criterion. She can be found at www.leslielynch.com and is on facebook and Twitter@Leslie_Lynch_
Jennifer, you’ve nailed it, for my heroines! My critique partners say my heroine tends to come across as a victim. No, I say! She is vulnerable yet strong, and insightful! But when I step back and look at the writing through their eyes, I can see that she sure seems like…you guessed it: a victim. Thank God for that extra pair of eyes on our work!
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At this point I’m pushing through, just getting the words down, but I know my hero comes across as a jerk early in the book. I need to go back and at least hint at some appealing character traits in the beginning. I didn’t realize this until a friend read the first few pages to help me out in a class I was taking and asked, “Um, you know your hero’s a jerk, right?” 😉
LOL – I tend to write characters who are whiners. It sounds like “wry observations” and “soulful reflection” to me, but apparently it’s just whiny. ;- ).
Angie, you made me laugh out loud! I think we all try so hard to make our heroes and heroines so cool, and the guys as maybe alpha male types, that we forget that we need to have reasons to LIKE them! That was a huge problem in my first manuscript, and when I go back now to read that attempt, I cringe. Thank God for revisions. 😉
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