Let’s face it. Some of the villains are actually cooking up the world while your protagonist is just… standing there in the chaos acting helpless.

For this episode, we’ll be discussing the anatomy of creating the perfect main character your reader will wanna follow around forever. Let’s get into it!

1. Know What They Want (and Make It Burn)

Your character should want something so badly it keeps them up at night.

This isn’t “oh they want peace in the world” vague — no. We’re talking specific, personal, desperate.

Famous Examples:

Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) is motivated to protect her sister.

Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables) wants to prove her worth.

Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings) wants to destroy the ONE ring.

2. Let Them Be Messy

Perfect protagonists are the fastest way to kill a story. If your hero always says the right thing, wins the right fight, and outshines everyone else? Congrats — you’ve written a sermon, not a story.

Give your hero:

A temper

A selfish instinct

A secret they’re ashamed of

A bad decision they don’t apologize for (yet)

Readers don’t fall in love with perfection. They fall for people trying — failing — and getting back up.

3. Build Internal Conflict That Hurts (In a Good Way)

The best stories aren’t about “good vs evil.” They’re about what happens when someone is pulled in two directions and doesn’t know which way is right.

Ask yourself:

What’s the lie they believe about themselves?

What do they think they have to do to earn love, respect, survival?

What do they fear they’ll become if they let go?

4. Give Them a Contradiction

A cruel warrior who secretly writes poetry.

A rule-follower who hides one huge rebellion.

A confident leader who panics when alone.

These contradictions reveal tension inside your character, parts they don’t understand about themselves yet. That’s gold for both drama and development.

5. Don’t Rush the Revelation

Lastly, while writing a likeable character that the readers will feel for, it all comes down to vulnerability. It is more powerful when it’s earned, so don’t drop a traumatic backstory in chapter one and expect people to feel something. Let the character peel back layers over time.

Build trust with the reader just like in real life:

Give them glimpses

Let them notice inconsistencies

Slowly reveal what’s underneath

When a character finally opens up after holding everything in, it matters.

Last Minute Don’ts!

Avoid writing cardboard cutout, clichéd characters, or use tropes that are overused in writing. (E.g. “The chosen one character”, “Damsel in distress, fairytale princess character”, “Wise old man”..)

Not giving them any goals or motivations in life

Overcrowding with too many minor characters

When describing characters, don’t list their every attribute and descriptions as if you are describing them for a police sketch. When you introduce a new character, just mention a few distinguishing features that are essential to that character. Readers like to imagine the rest themselves.