3 Tips for Creating INSTANTLY LIKABLE Characters

Want to write characters that your audience will instantly connect with? Use these 3 practical tips.

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Credit to SkyDilen for my video intro.

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[OystersEntertainment]

A great tip I’ve heard, is by an author who showed me that to write a likeable and conflicted character, they need to have a desire, something they think will bring them true happiness but they have a fear that stops them from going after it.
Their desire and fear come from a lie the character believes about themselves or the world. It’s a great way to create a conflicted character.

[potatomanboooi]

to make likable characters i was taught by my teacher to give the character a motivation that ties into the characters ideologies even if it is a lie.instead of decisions that just make sense or decisions that just justifies actions.the character needs a motive for change wrong or right not a reason to kill a person he hates

[nikitaaverin]

The best compliment was from a creative (female), who read this script of mine (I am male) and was like "You nailed the female characters!!!"

Observe and understand the connections in-between characters. And project that to short, snappy dialogue. Or long sighs or such. Depending on the scene.

[kostasl]

2 more thing I would add to the list are:
4. Do not make your character a moral machine. A character that is constructed as a opinion device feels more like an AI generated voice; realistic enough but blunt and fake.
5. Don't make stagnant characters. Likable characters that don't change become boring.

I character that I sure wish I had come up with is Aizen-taichou from the Bleach manga. In my opinion, one of the best villains? in storytelling. Sociopathy, intellect and style. At some points he was written a bit cheesy but his themes and motives are one of a kind.

[susanscott]

In my experience, a great way to create warmth in a character is to give them a sense of humour.

[rowan]

I accidentally used this technique, but I did it to give myself closure. I have a lot of childhood trauma, but I never fought back against those who gave it to me, and it’s too late now because I haven’t had contact with them in years. My protagonist is a pacifist, but just by calling one of the people who gave _her_ trauma an asshole, she gave me immense inner peace.

[danjones]

All your videos are awesome, not too long, to the point, focused on a specific, and interesting topic, well presented. It's top class. It helps me with my first script. Would you consider reviewing early script drafts for a fee? :)

[bedStudios]

That’s some good advice, I’m writing a story of a clone who is disliked because he had major problems in the breeding tube and was almost terminated. But then is thus disliked by his creators and the people he has to work with because he was a big neusance to his cloners. He has high blood pressure which is undesired costing more money for the cloners.

[Conserpov]

#1 is very bad if misused. Many writers, instead of doing it right - _"establish a likeable character, then use this sympathy trick to make them more relatable"_ - go for _"just make a loser character, this will totally make them relatable!"_

And without #3 nothing will work. It's same as making your character _interesting._ Interesting character is one that has something that can rouse interest. Literally.

[jkta]

Characters I envy and wish I could be for a day: any of the leads in "Person of Interest."

[rogerbarkley]

Really like the point about Envy, that's a really interesting point

[kingbeauregard]

Envy, or admire?

I think just about every guy admires and respects a lot of things about Batman, mostly his ability to come out on top no matter what you throw at him. That doesn't mean that we want his life; we just admire things about him.

[RaptorLacrosseTraining]

To answer your audience question: Amos Burton from the expanse. There’s something about a fearless brave homocidal psychopath desperately trying to use his evil talents for good. And he doesn’t trust himself because he knows he’s evil so he relies on the moral judgment of james holden and naomi instead. Such a masterly written character

[tiarailic]

So true that part about envy. Have to say James Bond is one of my envy characters 😊

[WriterBrandonMcNulty]

Who is one character you envy and wish you could be for a day? Let us know!

[troyhinrich]

Oddly enough, ENVY doesn't seem to be the right word. Rather the audience needs to ADMIRE a character that the writer wants to be likable. So, give them something to admire.

[tremokratis]

I think u need to make separate videos of these three. Make an in depth tips and advice how to sympathize and empathize character

[TheBluenyt]

Cool! Now I really need to add a characters motivation and goals so that they won't be too bland. 😎👍

[alexschmidt]

If I could be a character for just one day? Phil from Groundhog Day

[PlainsPup]

I should say, that sounds more like jealousy than envy. Jealousy means you want to be like someone else. Envy means you wish tragedy to befall them. Jealousy can have a good aspect. Envy is just all bad. Sounds you’re suggesting to make characters so cool that the reader / viewer is jealous of them.