Ways to Make Characters Loveable (Part One)

 Likability is a necessity for main characters--the reader's got to at least tolerate him/her since they're the person they're going to be going through the story with. Fandoms are a mass of people who adore a book/TV/movie series, and a majority of that adoration is for the characters.
    Here are a few things I've noticed that tend to make characters really likeable:
    -Heroic qualities. Depending on the type of person the protagonist is, his/her actions should at least be somewhat noble. Even if the protagonist's an anti-hero, they could have some sort of soft spot for certain people/situations/beliefs that make them do nice things occasionally. I can think of many a story where the protagonist is a thief who likes stealing from unsuspecting people, but sometimes gives what they take to others with severe need. It doesn't justify their thievery, but it does make them less selfish and more likeable.
    -Pets (dogs, cats, birds, lizards, etc.). Some people adore animals. And though a puppy or a charming parrot in a novel isn't bound to make just anyone's heart melt, it could show a softer side of the protagonist, and therefore make him/her more sympathetic to a reader who likes animals. Plus, the animal itself could also be a really cool minor character or sidekick. There's a very interesting character in Jackaby by William Ritter who happens to be a duck!
    -Romance. Who doesn't want to fall in love? And when the couple in the story is right for each other, it's very possible for readers to get excited about them getting together. And when a particularly compatible pair who have been oblivious to each other for most of the story finally notice the other person, it's like you want to punch the air and shout "yes!" right?
    -Humor. Laughing is fun! As long as the humor is appropriate for the genre, it can make the reading adventure even more enjoyable. Funny people in real life are very likeable, and fictional characters who make people laugh on multiple occasions are liked and welcomed into scenes. That doesn't mean a "funny" character is one who's always making wisecracks or slipping on banana peels, but maybe they could just say something hilarious every once in a while. The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer has lots of pulses of humor from various characters, giving it lots of humor without (at least in my opinion) forever labeling one particular character as the "funny sidekick."
    -Happiness. Along similar lines of the humor, a character who's happy is a character lots of people would like to be around. Think of the Eleventh Doctor from Doctor Who--not only is he funny, but he's constantly happy and it's contagious. It can make the viewer of the show grin with anticipation as he yanks his fellow characters into his TARDIS for another adventure.
    -Underdog. When a character's an underdog with a disadvantage, it can make their stories even more inspiring and interesting to people. Having to overcome multiple obstacles to achieve a dream is interesting, and it sweetens the moment when the protagonist attains their goal. Rocky is a movie that comes to mind, and a book series that could also be considered an underdog story is the Selection series by Kiera Cass.
    Do characters in your current project have any of these traits? Do any of your favorite characters in novels/movies/TV shows have them? :)

Mark 16:6--He Is Risen!

 

"But he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.'"

Mark 16: 6 (NKJ)

    The tomb is empty! He is risen!
    What does this mean? It means that Jesus Christ came back from the dead. And what does that mean? It means that Jesus is who He said He is--the Son of God--and that His sacrifice on the cross has atoned for all of our sins. It means that God's plan to redeem humanity has succeeded, and that we can now be forgiven and have a personal relationship with Him!
    How good it is to remember what the Lord has done! Not only did He die for us, but He rose again and came back. He's showed us His incredible love in both the day He went to the cross and the morning He went out of the tomb.
    He is risen! What a wonderful reason to rejoice!

Joy: The Serious Business Of Heaven

"Joy is the serious business of heaven."

~C.S. Lewis

    God is joyful! Which is a delightful thing to remember on any day. He's not frowning up in heaven, but smiling, delighting in righteousness.
    Psalm 16:11 says that His presence is "full of joy." And in John 15: 11, Christ shows His disciples how to have His kind of joy, joy that is "full." And Galatians 5:22 states that one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy.
    And Nehemiah 8: 10 proclaims that "the joy of the LORD is your strength." God, who never changes, is joyful, and He wants us to be joyful too! Isn't it wonderful to have such a great God? :)

The Color Green



    "St Patrick's Day" can bring to mind four leaf clovers, leprechauns, and the grassy hills of Ireland. All of which are green.
    I know this is a little belated to be related to St Patrick's Day, but green is still a very common color in the natural world. So here are a couple objects that can be used to describe tones of the lovely color:
    -Grass            -Emerald         -Christmas Tree
    -Lily Pad        -Tree frog       -Cucumber 
    -Lime             -Moss              -Mediterranean
    -Jade              -Ivy                  -Olive  
    -Pine              -Lettuce
    Have you ever used any of these descriptors in your manuscript/poem?

John 15:5

 

"'I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.'"

John 15:5 (NKJ)

Ideas Sure Can Be Elusive

    In one ear and out the other, they say. A great idea suddenly comes, a burst of inspiration, and you realize it's perfect for something you're planning . . . and then you forget. Quite suddenly, maybe after thinking about another subject for just five seconds, and try as hard as you might, the great idea just won't come back. The sliver of inspiration vanishes, and is no more.
    It's so disappointing when that happens, and a little guilt-racking.
    An ideal solution, of course, is to write the idea down or draw a picture depicting it as soon as it comes. Something to indicate the big picture of the idea, if not the details. When paper's not at hand, saying the idea out loud is also helpful--even more helpful when saying it to someone. Maybe repeating it to oneself over and over under their breath.
    Putting up a safeguard like that seems like the best thing to do. Ideas may, in form, just be figments of thought, but they're precious. Losing one, especially for the creative type, is like letting a five dollar bill fall into the gutter. A loss of potential. Ideas must be gripped when they appear, otherwise they could slip away . . .
    Does anyone have any methods other than these for remembering ideas?

Jack London: Keep A Notebook

I've found that composition books are the best kind of journal to use for writing--they're flexible, have lots of lines to write on, and they're inexpensive! :)

"Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up into your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter, and led pencil markings endure longer than memory."

~Jack London

    Writing journals are awesome! It's one of the most valuable tools a writer can have--something to write, sketch, and brainstorm in. A notebook is extremely useful when you want to have something to use as a reference for your story, and you can write short blurbs of fiction inside of it, and it's a nice place to quickly scribble about an interesting fact, location, or story you hear.
    True, you could use your phone or computer to do this, and typing is a lot quicker and easier to edit than handwriting. But writing something down in a book with graphite or ink has its own sort of romantic factor, and there's something about holding a book filled with your own words that's special. Writing journals have their own beauty from the worn-out covers, the word-filled pages, and to the string binding it all together. Don't you agree?
    Do you have a notebook that you carry around with you? Have you personalized it with artwork, quotes, or anything else like that? :)