Tuesday Book Chat | What Makes A Character Likeable?

Posted byJenny Blake @ausjenny 10 Comments on Tuesday Book Chat | What Makes A Character Likeable?

Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.

Today’s question is:

What makes a character likeable?

We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.

Let’s chat!

For me I like a relatable character. When I can’t relate like in some historicals with rich spoilt brats as the heroine I struggle. I often want to reach in and slap them. But if the same book instead has a strong heroine who can do things for herself I will like her more. I also don’t like heroines who are needy and feel self entitled. The same goes for hero’s who are rude, arrogant and treat women like they can’t do anything. I like a hero who is vulnerable.

Your turn.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation in a comment on this post or in a comment on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group

And don’t forget: if you’d like to participate in our weekly Book Chat by posting the question and your answer on your blog, drop us an email via our Contact page and we’ll send you the list of questions for 2020.

Author

  • Jenny Blake @ausjenny

    Jenny Blake (Ausjenny) is a cricket fanatic who loves reading although not reading as much as she use to. She loves to be able to help promote good Christian books and support authors. In her spare time she is enjoying the company of her two cats, enjoys jigsaws and watching cricket.

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Published by Jenny Blake @ausjenny

Jenny Blake (Ausjenny) is a cricket fanatic who loves reading although not reading as much as she use to. She loves to be able to help promote good Christian books and support authors. In her spare time she is enjoying the company of her two cats, enjoys jigsaws and watching cricket.

10 replies on “Tuesday Book Chat | What Makes A Character Likeable?”

  1. My first novel (Forgiven) has a character who asks for a transfer to Judea (he’s Roman military) so he can get his older brother, who’s already in Galilee, killed and then blame it on a Jewish zealot. He wants to be the new oldest son.
    My husband said I could make him more likeable if I had him pick up an injured bunny on his trip from the coast and cradle it as he rides. Then, that night, he would turn the bunny into rabbit stew.

    1. Your husband has a warped sense of humour. I think he could be a character I would like to see something happen to unless he changes.
      I remember Carla Capshaw had a character I would have like see a more fitting ending due to what he had done but it was a LIH and she couldn’t end him like he deserved.

      1. He’s the model for the best parts of my heroes: smart, kind, funny, loves God, and extremely helpful with suggestions for his writer wife. Some of them are even good suggestions.

        1. My suggestions was for him to be hung, drawn and quartered but was told that was to violent for a LIH book.

          1. That wasn’t a standard Roman punishment. Check out my Crime and Punishment article at carolashby.com to find out what they really would have done to him. The legally specified punishment for patricide is quite amazing.

      2. I have her 3 novels (Gladiator, Protector, Champion). Wonderful stories, and they are rereleasing them in 2-packs with a Western US story companion. Two are already out. But they have “boring” western front covers instead of interesting Roman ones.
        So, was it the uncle? I’ve cast one uncle villain and another uncle not-quite villain in the one I’m releasing in December. Uncles have such great potential for failing to do as they ought for ones in their charge.

  2. My first book had a character who many beta readers found unlikable. I couldn’t figure it out until I realised that I didn’t like her either!! I went through this great exercise to sort it out: I imagined I was stuck in a lift with her. I asked her to tell me about herself and this whole story of her childhood came out. I found myself almost crying and I had to apologise to her, my fictional character, for being so judgmental!! After that I wrote what I’d found out – why she was the way she was – into the story.
    It was a very interesting exercise.

    1. Sounds like a good idea to work out characters. (I hope next weeks question is what makes a character unlikeable). Some its an instant connection others it takes time. More than once I wanted to reach in and slap a character or knock some sense into them. (I have even told an author this but it was needed for the character and the storyline)

  3. Hi Jenny, For me, likeable characters need relatable flaws and a depth of character that makes them seem like real people. Plus, they need to be well motivated in the story and make decisions that are believable and fit their character. If they’re too nice, they risk being boring.

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