Writing Q&A #164 - Characters with Elizabeth Prybylski eatsleepwrite.net/qa164 Question: I want my main character to be brooding and dark, but Im worried readers will get bored of him and find him uncompelling. How can I portray him as troubled but have him still be likeable enough that readers want to follow him? Having a character be difficult but still sympathetic is a tough balance. However, it is one that can be struck. The key will be to show the characters human side often enough that its clear to the reader that they do have feelings. For example: the movie Shoot Em Up with Clive Owens character sitting on a bench. A pregnant woman runs past looking frantic, and he ignores her in favor of his coffee. However, when a gunman follows the pregnant woman, Clive Owen stands up, swears, and goes stomping begrudgingly after them to save her. Or try to. That action - saving the woman, however much he doesnt want to - shows that the character does have feelings and is a real person. This also displays enough of a sympathetic side that the reader (or viewer, in the case of a movie) can see that there is more to the character than being angry, brooding, and dark. Its these small touches that will not only make your character more sympathetic but also more human. READ THE REST ON eatsleepwrite.net/qa164 Place a book cover ad, post your stories, chapters & poetry on Eat Sleep Write; broaden your readership. Authors.Sharing.Conversations. EatSleepWrite.net/submissions Twitter: @EatSleepWriting Facebook: https://facebook/EatSleepWrite LinkedIn: linkedin/in/adamscull Google+: goo.gl/FEhGAH
Posted on: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 12:54:08 +0000
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