I'm finding it really difficult to make my characters instantly relateable, instantly identifiable and real and someone the reader wants to care about. I'm not sure how to write in a strong emotional kind of way that connects the reader to the character. I'm thinking maybe it's just this book. Maybe it's time I just finally leave Home alone. Put it aside and work on Enemies instead. It's a much stronger book with more interesting characters. But Home has become a kind of addiction. I don't know if I'm capable of setting it aside.
So for those writers out there, how do you make your characters identifiable? How do you make the readers care about them and what they're going through? Because I'm not sure I'm doing it right. I should probably be doing research on my favorite characters and try to dissect why I care about them so much, but I'm tired right now and frankly, it's easier to whine about the flaws in my writing than it is to fix them.
Some characters for thought, Katniss from the Hunger Games, Dennis Hartraft from Honored Enemy, Faythe Sanders from Stray, Katsa from Graceling and Kahlan and Richard from The Sword of Truth. Why do I care about these characters? What makes them so real? And how can I apply that to me writing?
More food for thought: Writing a HolyCowAwesome Story
http://romanceuniversity.org/2011/07/04/writing-a-holycowawesome-story-part-1-c-j-redwine/
http://romanceuniversity.org/2011/08/01/query-101-with-c-j-redwine/
The biggest problem I noted with the characters in ADV is what I saw as inconsistencies. I think you wrote their reactions and actions as how you would have acted at 14 or 15, but teenagers are hormonal and irrational, so I felt that Aroya's reactions were irrational. She'd go from sarcastic and snarky to giggling and pranking on the same page. I think her personality didn't come through as strongly as it could because of this.
ReplyDeleteI think what makes Katniss so compelling is that she has a very consistent personality, even in situations when it makes her look like a jerk. She is definitely a flawed character.
I agree. It's something that's been bothering me. I may come back to it sometime, strip it down and re-write it, but not right now. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd that's what makes her so wonderful. :)