Creating characters that leave an
impression on the reader whether it is a good or bad impression is what every
author strives for, but getting readers to care about the characters is not an
easy task. The author must give the reader a reason to care about what happens
to the character. Otherwise, the character meets his or her demise on page
eighty-nine and the reader turns the page without giving it a second thought.
Characters should leave an impression on the reader to the point that
they question themselves. Would I have
done the same thing under those circumstances? What would I have done differently? The question that emerges is,
“How can a writer go about making the reader
care?”
I will use a non-literary
example—the goal is after all to make your characters realistic. First, I must
ask… do you know who Caylee Anthony and Elizabeth Smart are? It is safe to say
that most of us do. Why is that? The media and law enforcement play a crucial
role in making the public aware of when a child goes missing. An Amber Alert is issued; local news
stations and their affiliates show pictures of the missing child. On some
occasions, parents and law enforcement make a plea to the public in the hopes
that the child will be returned unharmed. They also keep the public informed
when there are new developments in the case.
Whether we intend to or not, viewers begin to care about finding said
child, even when they are in another state. It is important to mention that we all
respond to the same situation in different ways. As a writer, you have to ask yourself,
why should readers care? Once you
have found the answer, write a story with that in mind.
Write as if the character was fighting for air and the only way he/she
could make it to the surface is for you
to make them believable—so believable that the reader has no choice but to
invest in their journey. It should illicit emotions that are reserved for
inopportune moments; make them connect on the slightest level in a way that
they can relate to, whether it is love, hate, abandonment, abuse, or fear. We
are all affected by something. All you have to do is find the common ground.
Mila A. Ballentine is an award winning,
best-selling mystery writer who enjoys writing Historical, Crime, Paranormal,
and Science Fiction mysteries for a general audience. When she is not writing,
Mila enjoys learning about other cultures, traveling, and doing anything that
allows her to put her creative energy to use.
