Writing Characters Readers Connect With Part One

Have you ever gotten a rejection letter that goes something like the following?

I loved your story premise, but I just didn’t connect with the characters as much as I’d like to.

What does this mean? Sometimes it simply means the story didn’t resonate with that particular agent or reader, but if it happens repeatedly, a diagnosis of your manuscript to ferret out trouble areas may be in order.

Connect Me, Please

After I began to pursue novel writing, I took all the classes and assembled a few early readers. To my surprise, readers couldn’t connect emotionally with my characters. This puzzled me because with my shorter works, I’d often been told emotional connection was my greatest strength. I sweated it out and worked harder at showing, only to receive more of the same feedback.

My difficulty started when I began editing out what I thought was telling. Instead of fully exploring my character by using all the words, I focused on showing. I thought I was doing the right thing. Only after additional study about the craft of novel writing and editing did I realize my mistake.

Exposition and telling is not a bad thing, as long as I remember to use them in moderation. 

Up Close and Personal

I used to think my readers should intuit what was going on in my character’s head by their physical reactions. This works about as well as it does when trying to interpret a stranger’s reactions in real life. Sometimes I guess right. Other times I may have a vague idea, but having a point of reference would make all the difference in the world. 

If I see a person crying at the bus stop, let’s call him Bill, and learn Bill just left his grandpa in the hospital, that’s sad, and I feel bad for Bill. If I find out Bill and Grandpa planned a long-delayed trip to Ireland to search for a sibling he was separated from, well that might make me a bit teary-eyed, because I can relate to lost opportunities and sick relatives. If it turns out the trip was put off because Grandpa gave a kidney to Bill, (or the long-lost relative!) that adds another layer. Now a self-sacrificing person has lost a much desired opportunity. 

The more I know about the relationships, history, values, sacrifices, and so on, the more I feel a kinship to the characters and the more I become invested in their journey. 

Using all the methods of writing to flesh out the character will show us what makes them tick. Dribble in crumbs of history, beliefs, dreams, values, poignant memories, internal thoughts, feelings, reactions, interactions with other characters or the story world, whatever the moment calls for that fits with the scene. 

Get It On the Page

Just like actual people, rounded characters have things like values, deep feelings, goals, desires, past relationships, experiences that impacted them, and an assortment of other things that form who they are as a person. These are the things that make story people relatable and understandable. Without a history, characters are flat, like a cardboard cutout with no dimension or nuance of being.

When asked to describe one of my main characters, I stated that she was a child who knew she was treasured and the Apple of her father’s eye.

I thought it was on the page. Really I did. Until I was challenged to find and underline specific examples.

I ran into the same problem with my character’s inner feelings, time and again. It’s not always enough to describe or show them upset. I needed to explain WHY they were upset and do it in the shortest, clearest possible way. Which leads to another roadblock to a round character.

Give It To Me Straight

Fishing for clues can be fun, but not when a character is confusing or unknown. It’s best to be clear, specific, and as vivid as possible. 

But won’t withholding information add mystery? Not always. There’s a difference between building tension and leaving clues for the plot and withholding needed information about the character. If a reader doesn’t understand the character motivations or connect on some level, they will stop reading.

What If It’s Plot Driven?

Do I need a round character if my work is plot driven? 

Yes. 

Without an interesting character that the reader can somehow empathize with, the best story idea in the world won’t capture interest for long. Some would say plot is how a character reacts to the events in a story, and those reactions come from who that character is. Now we are back at the need for a round, relatable character again! See how that works?

Do you struggle with creating round characters? Have any tips to share? Leave a comment.

Come back next time for more of my thoughts on how to create emotional connection.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.