How to Write a Relatable Character

Characters are what drive a story. Not the plot, but the characters. The failings and triumphs of a character are what cause us to jump out of our seats or throw a book across the room. We devour books when we relate to the people in them. We are fundamentally invested in people.

So why do we create characters in an artificial way? Why do we force them to fit into the mold of the plot without considering their emotions and feelings?

Often, writing guides suggest we create the perfect character for a story. A knight that is perfectly equipped for the battle ahead, or an adventurer that knows no fear. The only problem is, that doesn't exist in life. Too often we end up with two-dimensional characters that fit a perfect mold. Those characters are unrelatable. When we are born into this world, we have to learn and grow in order to reach our potential, so shouldn't a novel be the same?

Part of being human is being able to relate to others around us. We want to learn about others because we want to feel assured that our own struggles will pass, or to give us hope for the future. The best characters in the world are often not perfect for their story. They have to grow, change and evolve in order to reach their potential. We like these characters the best because we see their imperfections, and parts of ourselves, in them.

Here are my suggestions for how you can create characters that speak to your reader.

Humanize your characters

How do you come up with a good character in a story? First of all, you have to start seeing your character as a real person. So many stories with an interesting premise fall short with characters that fit into an outdated or clichéd mold (like the "quirky" girl that works in the bookstore, or a brooding teenage protagonist). To avoid "typecasting" your protagonists, you need to be able to humanize your characters.

Writers usually do this by highlighting the flaws a character has. This, of course, can also be clichèd too, so once again you have to see your characters as a real human. Go beyond outlining personality traits and instead focus on creating a compelling character.

How many people do you know that really act like your character? It's useful to reflect on the people you know in your life, or people through history, to see how they would act in different situations.

For instance, in medieval society infidelity was banned socially, but syphilis was rampant and brothels were popular. As a historical fiction writer, you might want to write your characters to fit into the societal mold of the time, but in reality, people acted starkly different.

Don't fall into the trap of creating a character that fits into a societal mold. Developing characters in fiction is all about getting to know your characters by seeing the human-ness within them. 

See how your characters react

Creating characters for a novel means understanding their internal and external motivations in order to have a compelling story.

Many writing guides tell you to outline all the personality traits and detail your character's arc before you start writing, but I don't think that's necessary. If you want to write a good book character then you have to treat your characters like real people. And how do you get to know people? By listening to them and observing them.

I think of this like a "getting to know you" exercise crossed with a scientific experiment. I call it the "people watching" approach.

Drop your character into a scene and see how they react. Do they recoil at fear? Do they leap forward into the unknown? I have found in my experience that creating a good character is about highlighting universal wants, desires, needs, and challenges. This goes beyond a character profile to discover exactly what the character's goal is.

There are some universal truths that all humans experience. Everyone struggles to be accepted. Everyone wants to be loved. Humans are notoriously bad at facing the unknown, but some people are able to push past it with bravery. People are unique, but we also face similar shared experiences.

Find out about your character's feelings by testing them in a few different situations and see what they do. Once you have that, you can dig a little deeper and find out why they do it. This is the cornerstone of authentic character development.

Perhaps your character seem brave but underneath they are afraid of the pressure because they feel a duty to their country. Or perhaps they are anxious about change because they don't want to let anyone down. Coming up with a good character means finding the raw, human threads that underpin our very human existence.

Build the plot around your characters

If you have an awesome premise for a book, but it's not in line with your characters, then readers won't find it believable. Don't make the mistake of trying to fit your characters into a predefined idea you have for your book. It's like your parents choosing your life for you. Would you like the life they would choose for you? Or would you prefer to choose your own route in life?

At this point, you might be thinking: "but characters aren't real people." In which case, it's time to go back to the first step and build characters that are real people. 

Taking the "people watching" approach means following your characters around and see what they do. You might know for instance that a castle features in your story, but how your characters get there and why it's important is up to them. It's amazing what you can discover when you let your characters lead the story. In my opinion, this is what makes a good character in a story.

The other benefit of this approach is that everything you write will sound and feel believable. That's because you're no longer writing about what your character "should" do, but are merely observing what they actually are doing.

From there, the character will face trials and tribulations and grow from them, or meet other characters along the way and forge friendships. Nothing is stilted, everything is interconnected and flowing, just like in life.

There's no set checklist for your characters

Creating a good book character comes down to how well you can understand yourself and others. People often take actions that are not in line with their internal values and from this drama ensues. In real life, this is frustrating but in a book, it could be the premise for a great story.

The more you understand why you make certain decisions or actions, the better you will be able to write believable characters. Read some psychology books or take a course on Eastern philosophy. By understanding ourselves better we can observe the thoughts and actions that lead to the results of our lives and transfer these into our novels.

I would encourage all writers to move away from a "checklist" approach to writing characters. When you're writing, don't think about "who is my character's foil" and "what is their unique tone of voice." Get out of your head and just see what happens!

In saying that, perhaps this checklist will help you to explore your character's inner world in more depth:

• What is your character's past? Write about how they came to be how they are in the present moment of your story.

• Which moments in their life challenged them the most? Understand what they struggle most with.

• What was their relationship with their parents like? A healthy or unhealthy relationship with initial caregivers shapes a person for the rest of their life.

• What are their proudest moments? You can further understand what gives them joy.

• What do they hope to accomplish in their life? Everyone has aspirations for their life, it's what makes us human.

• What are they most afraid of? Our fears determine how we see and approach life.

• What do they value most in the world? Their values will determine their morals and actions.

You'll notice that these are often the questions asked in a therapist's office. To create characters that are like people, it's best to discover who they are from a human perspective.

If you follow this guide, by the time you get to edit your story you'll see that you tick off the boxes writing guides want you to, but in a way that feels real, authentic, and honest.

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