B&A: Any tips on creating a good main character?

I always struggle when trying to create a main character, or any sort of character, really. They either come out too perfect or too flawed. I can never find the balance, and my characters always come out really unlikable.





Help? Any tips for me?





Thanks in advance!B%26amp;A: Any tips on creating a good main character?
Not, that I'm an expert or anything (because I'm defiantly not), but I think you might be trying too hard. Don't think about whether or not your character is a Mary-Sue or anything. And don't think about if he/she is likable or too flawed or any of those things. Just view your character as a character. Honestly, I think people are taking the whole Mary-Sue thing too far. Yeah, it's important not to have a Mary-Sue character, but now it's to the point where we're drilling it into writers minds so that it's all they think about when creating their character, which just messes them up even more.





It doesn't matter if your character is likable or not. There are a lot of characters I dislike, but it's a matter of whether or not you can relate to them. I've been able to relate to a lot of characters that I don't necessarily like.





But really, the best advice I can give you is to not even think about it. Just do it. I highly doubt that JK Rowling sat there for hours counting all of Harry's good traits and bad traits. I bet that a lot of Harry's traits, JK didn't even really think about, she just unconsciously created them. So make your characters' big major traits, and then little ones will just pop up everywhere without you putting much thought into it.





I hope the advice I'm giving you is good. The more I think about it, the more I think I'm leading you in the wrong direction... Oh well. If I'm wrong, then I'll get TD and you can ignore this:)B%26amp;A: Any tips on creating a good main character?
I usually have a corrupt family, a flaw in appearance, and if it's a fantasy, they're not that great at magic and get better. Or if it's like a school based book, or something, like an average student with B's and C's with an occasional A...





But other than that, I try make my main character happy and interesting, for readers. I know it's really difficult, because you can't make it too good or too bad.
What Kelly said is right. You have to be true to your characters. Just write however they want to be written. Don't think too much on it. The best thing to do is to keep writing. As you write, you're characters will grow and start to show their characteristics. And it's okay if a character is unlikeable. Being a main character doesn't mean everyone has to to like him/her. Or even that he/she has to be good. It's all about how your story makes them grow as people. And again, just write. Have a general direction and go for it. Don't plan too much. Sometimes it's hard to create a character because it's not their time to be in the story yet or to be revealed fully in the story. Work with what you have and it will get better. Good luck :)
first write down a list of all the character qualities possible then put an x through the qualities you dont want this character to have


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