Marilyn's Musings

What Makes Characters Interesting? Characters’ appearances don’t make them interesting . A physical deformity or tic can catch a reader’s attention initially, but appearance alone won’t sustain the interest of readers. The importance of the appearance of a character is more important in visual fiction, i.e. movies, than written fiction. Certainly, many beautiful/ handsome second-rate actors have had successful careers. Characters’ actions make them memorable , especially if their actions are the result of being in conflict with the norms of their worlds.  Many authors make the mistake of making their character too predictable (stereotyping). Real people are a blend of weird contradictions. An example is action hero, Indiana Jones, faced all types of killers calmly but was terrified by snakes. I think most villains should do one kind action, like save a dog, during the course of a story. Similarly, heroes and heroines shouldn’t always be angelic.  The desires...