My number-one goal as an author is to create a compelling character, one so amazing that readers will talk about him/her long after they have finished the book.
So what makes for a compelling character? Look around you at the books you read, the shows you watch. Which characters draw you in the most? Which ones have you hooked and coming back time and again?
Take an especially close look at the “unusual” characters who hook you. Hannibal Lecter fromSilence of the Lambs. Jax from Sons of Anarchy. The Godfather. Reacher from the Lee Child novels. Sayid from Lost.
They Are a Cut Above the Rest
These are characters who don’t fit the norm. They are people who make questionable decisions yet still manage to resonate with readers and viewers (like the man who pretends to be Jack Sommersby in Sommersby). They are multi-dimensional characters who often have dark sides that are tempered by strong moral compasses, flickers of conscience and/or incredibly interesting personas (like Hannibal Lecter).
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