Creating realistic, never-before-seen characters who take readers on an emotional journey should be the goal of every writer. But this is no easy feat. To better understand a character's motivation, writers must delve into her backstory to uncover desires, motives, needs, and fears. Digging into the past will also reveal which traits will naturally emerge in a character's personality.

Both flaws and positive attributes are needed to forge a well-constructed character, but it is an individual’s strengths that will make her worthy in the reader’s eyes. This is especially important when it comes to the protagonist. Strengths within a protagonist’s personality will help her make difficult decisions, face fear or danger, and find the courage to strive for fulfilment. The desire to grow and achieve happiness is universal, so readers are attracted to characters with these goals. By choosing the right strengths during the character creation process, authors provide a promise for the reader: this hero is someone worth rooting for.

Every character needs some strong positive qualities in order to reach her goals and draw in readers. While the easiest method would be to pick and choose random attributes, doing so will result in a character that lacks authenticity. To avoid this, explore your character’s backstory. Learn as much about the developmental elements from her past as possible. With this kind of information, you’ll be able to create a realistic and well-rounded protagonist armed with the qualities she needs to succeed. Here are a few factors from the past that can greatly influence who your protagonist (or any cast member) will become in the present:

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