Writing: How to Create Relatable Characters / Sympathetic Characters

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.

CJ,

Once Upon a Writing Block

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Writing Plan: Character Development

The single most important story element that keeps readers engaged is the main character. On that basis, the protagonist should be developed into an understandable, relatable and if possible, likable character. To a lesser extent, this is often true for other key characters like the antagonist.

Character Development

One of the earliest stages of planning a well developed character involves highlighting the different dimensions of a character. However, it is worth saying that, while writers want to create characters that are as fully developed as possible, only dimensions that can support the theme and demonstrate the character arc need to be revealed.

The most common dimensions used in character development include the following.

• Character Flaws: Character flaws are generally considered to be the basis for the most powerful character arcs. They often involve issues like fears, unethical viewpoints, an inability to overcome bad experiences and other internal conflicts. Creating flaws that directly impede a character's ability to achieve her goals are particularly compelling. Besides, imperfect people are generally more intriguing and therefore make more relatable characters. They require some change.

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• Character Idiosyncrasies & Mannerisms: Character Idiosyncrasies add intrigue and even humour to otherwise dull, overly predictable characters. 

Example: In the Wallace & Gromit movie The Curse of the Were Rabbit, the vicious antagonistic dog carried a little pink purse with a dainty clip.

Example: In Amadeus, Mozart's silly laughter helped to highlight what Salieri saw as Mozart's irreverent use a divine gift of talent. Salieri saw it as God's laughter at him. To Salieri, God was mocking him despite his (Salieri's) reverence, lifelong sacrifice and pacts with God to develop at least a fraction of that talent. Although its repetition was a reminder of the reason that Salieri wanted to kill Mozart, it characterizes Mozart as silly and unworthy of a great gift.

• Character Background: This may involve some demographic details as the following. 

- Education

- Occupation, Socioeconomic background 

Example: In My Fair Lady, the fact that Professors Higgins and Pickerin are highly educated linguists who have friends in high places provides the contrast required to understand their contemptuous behaviour towards Eliza Doolittle, a poor 'common flower girl' whose uneducated speech makes a lady from the high society faint. 

• Physical appearance: Physical appearance should be given with vivid descriptors that engage the readers' senses to create a character that is tangible, visible, audible and so on. Use  descriptors that are unique to characters, ie are unusual. 

Example: Rumplestiltskin had unusually long hair.

Example: Austin Powers was short and had a very hairy chest and bad teeth. 

• General Temperament:
• Culture & Key Points of View: Politics, Religion, Values

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• Likes, Dislikes & Hobbies:
• Goals: It is very important to highlight the character's hopes & dreams. This allows readers to understand the basis for characters' actions and measure characters' progress.
• Ghost: The character’s ghost, ie some mysterious baggage in the past gives characters depth and develops suspense that creates questions (a suspense device) in the minds of readers.

What's Next?

After this character development stage, consider these steps in the following order.

• Write a Synopsis
• Draft a Broad Story Structure / Outline

However, before moving on, consider the following aspects of character development while tackling the action points in this post.

• How to Build the Character Arc
• How to Create Relatable Characters / Sympathetic Characters

Additionally, by this character development stage of your writing plan, you should have already completed the following steps.

• Identify your Theme

CJ,

Once Upon a Writing Block

Writing Plan: Character Arc

Previously, I discussed the story's theme. The next step will be to consider the main and other key characters whose lives will illustrate that theme.

Key characters should change or, best of all, be transformed. In other words, by the end of the story, characters should be very different to their earlier selves. This is particularly the case for the main character. (Other less developed characters may also experience this evolution). This change or transformation is called the character arc. Readers enjoy seeing a character’s evolution through experiences. 

• Character Arc example: In Empire of the Sun, the main character becomes transformed. In the beginning, he is a very sheltered and care-free child from the privileged expatriate classes. However, at the end of the war, he is a more mature and independent young man with a broader perspective on life.
• Character Arc example with detailed review and description: Bliss (1985) 

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Which aspect of your character should change? The most powerful character arcs tend to involve overcoming issues like fears, past trauma, personal flaws, guilt, lack of ethics, errors in thinking and so on. For instance, if you use personal flaws in developing a character arc, you should clearly show that character’s flaws in his or her earlier self. Doing this ensures that subsequent changes can really stand out to an appreciable extent. In that case, take extra time to highlight only the flaws that are relevant to your character's arc and the story's theme. 

• Character Arc Example: In the beginning of My Fair Lady, Professor Higgins, is a snobbish, well respected linguist. Despite his initial contempt for Eliza, a poor 'common flower girl' whose uneducated speech is intolerable to him, he falls in love and can not live without her in the end. Similarly, Eliza is also transformed from being a shy poor girl. She emerges as a powerful character within Professor Higgins' world. In the end, she gives him an ultimatum while earning the support of his family and friends.

• Character Arc Example: In the beginning of Rain Man, Cruise's character is ruthless. He kidnaps his brother because he is upset for not receiving money in his father's will. However, by the end, a sense of family motivates  him instead. 

Build A Relatable Character Arc

When I discussed how to create relatable characters, I spoke about getting readers to understand a character's situational and emotional point of view (POV). Consider the Diary of Ann Frank in which Ann matures considerably by the end of her diary. Although you may not be writing a diary, consider how each character's personal diary might sound and then share not only their actions but also, (if applicable) show how this emotional response (feelings, self perception and so on) changes over time.

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Build a Realistic Character Arc 

As suggested previously, note your character arcs by listing the contrasting earlier and later responses that are relevant to your theme or themes. 

However, be mindful of the need to build a believable character arc. For instance, major changes should not occur more quickly than they can in real life. If you make this error, you run the risk of losing the reader's trust as readers may find your story line and characters over simplified. A better approach will be to show gradual changes in your characters.

For instance, I created a three-column table headed self 1 (before change), self 2 (in transition) and self 3 (after change). 

What's Next?

Now that you know about the character arc, complete it along with the following step(s).

• Character Development

However, before tackling any aspect of the character development which includes the character arc, be clear about the following step(s). This is important since character development will be more meaningful if done within the context of the theme. For instance, if you were writing Set It Off, whose theme may be seen as dealing with how institutional discrimination (specifically, racism and sexism) can push victims deeper into a vicious cycle of marginalization, you should highlight relevant aspects of the protagonists before their change, ie the fact that they started out toeing the line of 'the system'. However, by the end of your arc, you will note that they have become criminals determined to 'take back from the system by force'. You will also note their painful emotional responses like hopeless (that will have been evoked by instances of discrimination and ensuing hardships).

• Write a Theme for your Story

After dealing with character development issues (that include the character arc), use the following steps in your writing plan.

• Write a Synopsis
• Identify your Literary Genre
• Broad (not detailed Story Structure / Outline

CJ,

Once Upon a Writing Block