You know what’s NOT a great idea? Putting dinosaurs in a Transformer movie. But why, you ask, do dinosaurs show up in a Transformer’s move? Probably because someone was sitting in a meeting, looking at the script and said…”I dunno, something is missing…”
It’s not the dinosaurs. It’s the fact that yes, even on page 98 of the script, we still don’t really care about the main characters.
Now, I know that the entire movie is about the possible annihilation of the human race, and yes, that is something I should probably care about. But it’s all about the CHARACTERS. If they aren’t sympathetic, then don’t bother holding my seat while I run out for popcorn, and maybe slip into a different movie.
So, Step One: Make us CARE about the characters from the first page.
Put your character in an everyday situation we might all find ourselves in. Stuck in traffic with your boss, late for a presentation. Kids fighting in the back seat. The chaos of packing for vacation. Kids running by your blanket at the beach and kicking sand into your book. Whatever. We need to relate to your character through everyday moments.
Give your character and undeserved misfortune. A few of the above examples portray this, but others might be a flat tire. Coffee spilled on their new shirt. A boyfriend breaking up with them. Undeserved misfortune always grabs a piece of our heart.
Make your character quirky – in a cool way. There’s nerdy, there’s OCD, and there’s QUIRKY. Quirky is to accentuate their good, or even sweetly peculiar qualities in a way that makes us like them. Take Doc Brown in Back to the Future. Our first meeting of him is him wearing his crazy goggles. Or Russell, the ardent boy scout in UP, who is so enthusiastic about doing a good deed, he ends up on the adventure with Carl. I used this technique in my PJ Sugar series – dressing PJ in a hotdog costume just about the time she needs to apprehend a bail jumper. What about your character is endearingly quirky? Use that to bond them to the audience.
Add in a Boyscout Moment. You know this moment – it’s the moment your hero proves he’s a great guy, even if we haven’t seen it by doing something nice at the beginning of the story. Gets the neighbor’s paper, opens the door for coworkers, buys coffee for a friend – something small but chivalrous that proves his good heart.
Step Two: Make us root for your character in every scene by making him sympathetic!
Sure, we can start a book with a great character, but sometimes people turn nasty in the middle of stress – which is what your character is under. We’ll forgive him for snapping at the girl, or refusing to help someone if we like him, overall, and realize it’s for a good reason. That means setting up the story right, and then asking, before every scene:
– Does my reader understand why my character is doing this? Is my reader rooting for him?
– You might need to create more sympathy. Take a look at your scene.
– Is your character in a relatable situation?
– Can you give him some undeserved misfortune?
– How about reviving his quirky side?
– Mabye, simply, add in a boyscout moment.
– Most of all, at the beginning of every scene, ask: Does my reader like my character enough to root for his/her success, even if they make a bad decision in this scene?
Instead of watching Transformers 4 (well, you can watch it if you want – there ARE dinosaurs, after all), I encourage you to pick up The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Walter Mitty is an unappreciated negative assets manager at Life Magazine who’s always wanted to live a life of adventure. And he does – in his mind. He is immediately sympathetic because although he lives a “boring” life, he often daydreams (and this is the quirky part) of him saving the day. To the point that others have noticed and think he’s weird. Add to that, in the beginning, he has coffee spilled on him, a little undeserved misfortune, and his sister has baked him a pineapple upside down cake for his birthday, which he brings into the office to share.
Lots of likeability.
As the movie plays out, he continues his quirky, misfortunate, boy scout moments, from helping his mother move, adding his profile to an online dating site, travelling to Iceland (or maybe it was Greenland), jumping into shark-infested waters, and the list continues. In the end, it’s because he is so likeable that he saves the day. And, although the adventure is a little unbelievable, despite being exiting (even without dinosaurs!) we stay with him. Because, we wish we were him. Or at least, wish we were his friend.
Make sure we like your character enough to root for him.
Now, Go! Write something Brilliant!
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