How to Create Relatable Characters (aka Sympathetic Characters)
Developing relatable characters is part of the character development process.
An editor once stressed on how 'relatable' one of my main characters was. Since I had not yet begun to systematically learn about the art of writing, I struggled to figure out what having a 'relatable character' really meant. Understanding his statement became important to me because I wanted to consistently accomplish this writing goal.
My current understanding on the matter is that you must do several things. This includes getting readers to understand a character's point of view (POV) and to empathize emotionally with characters. For instance, if you are writing a novel, illicit empathy not merely by explaining what happened but also by sharing ‘how a character felt’. Your words should emotionally engage readers so that they re-live character experiences as much as possible. This is possible even if the experience and emotions are not part of their personal lives. For instance, writers might use techniques like metaphors, similes and symbols that readers can already understand.
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Even antagonists need to be developed to some extent. Specifically, although you will not get into as much detail, an antagonist’s point of view must be sufficiently clear to make him realistic. In other words, the antagonist should have understandable reasons to feel that his / her view is justifiable. Ultimately, this makes him relatable, even if loath-worthy.
Depending on which support your story's theme, highlight relevant character dimensions to get readers to develop a deeper understanding of the character. See this blog's current list of character dimensions.
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