Do your characters have character?

Image by Kristin Shoemaker via Flickr

Part of the fun and excitement of creating a new story is creating the characters. Before I begin writing, I like to iron out as many physical characteristics and personality traits as possible. There’s not many things worse than a heroine with blond hair, blue eyes and no personality.

I want to nail down things like: their strengths and weaknesses. Are they patient, clumsy, hot-tempered, shy, or sassy? Are they adventurous or timid? Do they speak before thinking, or careful with what they say? Do they have a real hatred for Brussel sprouts?

I believe that it’s a good thing for the reader to be able to connect or relate to the character in some way. What is your character’s life experiences that have brought them where they are today? If that is taken into consideration, I believe it is easier to build the character traits. Certainly, the experiences a person faces in life can shape the type of person they become.

I just recently read a romance whose main character, I struggled to like. I’m guessing that, in a romance, the reader is supposed to want the heroine to get the guy, or vice versa. In this case, I wasn’t sure she was right for him. His character was warm, charming, and thoughtful. I can’t really tell you what she was like because her personality bounced from shy to outspoken, from careful to careless, from certain to unsure. I also disliked the fact that she had to be nudged by her friend to make the right decision.

With that said, I also believe it is okay for your characters to make mistakes. This can make them appealing to the reader. After all, nobody’s perfect. However, be careful not to make the reader feel as if the character is deceitful, unreliable or unremorseful.  

On the other hand, too much of a good thing can also be an issue. If your character is always letting people run over him/her because he/she is too nice, the reader might become irritated with them. Hero or heroines in a story should be someone we want to root for. I don’t want to question if they can be trusted, or, in a romance, if the guy/girl could do better.

Oh, and never give the hero or heroine of a romance bad hygiene! Not even the slightest little thing. No, I’ve never encountered this, but I thought I would throw it in for good measure.

Have you ever read a story where you didn’t root for the hero or heroine of the story? What was it about them that you didn’t like?