When writing, characters can be interesting. (Obviously when the book is already published they should be interesting, but while actually writing them.)
For the basic main character, at least what I try to do, is
(1) Give them a past
A characters past can be as small as remembering a sunset or as big as the main plot. For at least two of my more recent stories the past was important. Plus, I think if they have a past it can help launch them into their goal, which leads me to...
(2) Give them a goal. I've wrote (and even read) some stories where the main character didn't have a goal... or at least it I didn't know what the goal was even after finishing the book...
If you don't give your characters a goal, what is the point of the story? What should make the reader keep reading?
The goal doesn't have to be saving the world, but he still needs one...
Last but not least....
(3) A somewhat happy ending.
It's okay if the main guy doesn't get the girl, as long as there is some piece of hope that maybe they'll end up together someday. But don't just kill off a character you've been spending the entire novel getting people to care about just to kill them off.... just because. They need a little bit of happiness...
Lots of good points. ^ ^ Especially the happy ending one. I can't stand it when the main character is killed off. I've only seen two instances where it worked for the main character to be killed off. Other than that, when you spend a whole book with them, it's just a disappointment when they don't end up happy. :(
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I'm glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by! :-)
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