Things have changed a lot in the literary world. Readers now look for characters that are relatable and real. They want to see a part of themselves or the people around them in the characters they read about. It is no longer about just fulfilling your fantasy and is now more about channeling our experiences into a character and finding a way to relate to them. Since this is something that readers want, authors now try to make it possible for them.

But there are still make authors out there who are unable to make it happen. This is a fine line that you have to tread very carefully. If your readers are not able to connect with the protagonist, you will not be able to make it work. One wrong move and your character can come across as insensitive or immature instead of relatable.

Here are a few things that you can do to make your protagonist as real and believable as possible.

Put Yourself in Their Shoes

We all go through various emotions in a single day. We feel love, affection, happiness, sadness, pity, guilt and shame, to name a few. So why should your protagonist be any different? Instead of showing over the top emotions or none at all, it is best to put yourself in your character’s shoes and notice what you would do. You need to understand your character before you can make it real, understand what is happening to them and what is going in their head. Once you understand them, it will be easier for you to convey their emotions through your words.

Make Their Backstory

Just like a superhero or a villain needs an origin story, your protagonist needs a backstory for your readers to understand why that character is the way it is. The backstory of your character is very crucial to their development; it will help you get a perspective of where their story is going and how you can make it better for the reader. Give the reader reasons why the character is the way it is, what leads it to become this detached or anxious as they are. These are little things that make the reader feel more in tune with the characters they read.

Describe What They Look Like

We all have internet friends that we somehow love, but we all have an image of their features in our mind to support the perspective we have of them. Your readers want to do the same thing, but they need a little assistance from you. You need to describe your character’s appearance, their built, their height and even their voice so that they can imagine what the character looks like. Readers appreciate it when authors paint vivid pictures with their words as it makes it easier for them to relate to the characters in the story.

You should have some of your friends beta-read the story or even chunks of the story to see if it makes sense or if it has the impact you are hoping for. Sometimes it is hard for the author to see where things are going and some fresh eyes can be of immense help.