Every once in a while, a reader will ask which of my characters is my favorite. Usually, I come up with an answer based on the whim of the moment. But really, no matter what I say, it’s a lie. I don’t have a favorite character. As an author, I can’t afford to.

If you’re like me, then your story ideas will almost always originate with a character. An intriguing person comes knocking at the door to your imagination, and you’re instantly swept away by the wind (sometimes a breeze, sometimes a gale) that blows through the door when you open up.

You’re fascinated, you’re enthralled, you’re curious, you’re obsessed. It’s a lot like falling in love, really. During the mad rush of the early creative stages, you’re taken up by this one character (or sometimes two), to the exclusion of every other character.

But when the time comes to sit down at your desk and put pen to paper, you have to put aside your overwhelming fondness for this person—and be willing to love every other character, even the antagonist, just as much.

Why Writers Can’t Afford to Judge Their Characters

Your feelings for your characters will inevitably trickle through your words and ooze up between the lines. Readers will know if you dislike a certain character. They will look at the words you write about your villain, and they will see you are judging him, even from his own POV. And in that instant, your story’s verisimilitude implodes.

In many respects, an author is an actor. When you write from a character’s POV, you must become that character—and that means that if you fail to love him, you will fail to understand him and, as a result, end up looking down your nose and sermonizing.

Renowned short story writer Anton Chekhov said it succinctly:

The artist should not be the judge of his characters and their conversations, but only an unbiased observer.

Loving your main characters is usually an easy enough business, since main characters tend to be lovable sorts in general. But sometimes stories demand that even the protagonists are less than likable (classic literature is full of characters such as Scarlet O’Hara and Rodion Raskolnikov). The only way to convince readers to care about what happens to these people—despite their crimes–is if the author himself cares.

The Author’s Foremost Job: Empathy

Get under each character’s skin. Figure out why they do what they do. If you’re not willing to accept their reasons and admit you understand them, you probably don’t know these characters well enough to be writing about them. No character is black and white—not the hero and certainly not the villain. Sometimes the hero and the villain are the same person, except for the fact that each took a single step in a different direction.

Once you’ve figured out and accepted your characters—all of them—don’t be afraid to take an emphatic narrative stance toward them. Don’t waffle, and don’t apologize. It’s not your job to shake a finger at their naughtiness.

Chekhov again:

Let the jury judge them [the characters]; it’s my job simply to show what sort of people they are.

Love your characters enough to understand them, enough to forgive them, enough to accept them. If you don’t, why should your readers believe in them?

Wordplayers, tell me your opinions! Have you ever had trouble loving any of your characters? Tell me in the comments!

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