We've all read books whose main character is memorable and also ones where we cannot relate to the main character at all. Readers should be drawn to a character and feel something. If the character appears to be onstage as you sit in the audience far away, he/she is not very realistic. You know it's all make-believe.
But, if you are drawn into the story and begin to care about the main character, you're going to feel like you are part of the story as you read. You experience what that character is experiencing. When I read a an Inspector Gamache book by Louise Penny, I feel as if I am walking in his shoes throughout the book.
Ms Penny has done a magnificent job in creating her Chief Inspector, as well as the supporting characters who appear in most every book in the series. I have vivid mental pictures of each of them, and I know which ones with whom I'd like to share a cup of coffee and a croissant, as well as the ones I'd circle around rather than socialize with them. I can picture each one physically as well as their character traits.
Think about some of the classics you've read. The main character pops into your mind immediately when you see the title. Books like Gone With the Wind, Tom Sawyer, A Gentleman in Moscow, To Kill a Mockingbird all have memorable characters, ones who come to mind the moment you see the title of the book.
A few things to help develop a main character:
A. Name him/her--even when that character is the narrator, the name needs to be given in some way
B. Physical description--it can come in bits and pieces as the story moves on; it's not necessary to spend three paragraphs with a blow by blow description
C. Make use of backstory sprinkled throughout. It's not necessary to devote an entire chapter to the character's past, although I have seen it done.
D. Make your character human--make him/her vulnerable and even flawed in some way. What better way to gain a bit of sympathy from the reader? Every main character doesn't need to be a Hollywood star with perfect features, svelte bodies, and a perfect personality.
E. Give the character some outstanding qualities, as well. Make him/her a bit of a hero when you can, even if it comes late in the story.
F. Show, don't tell. It works in writing a story, and it works when developing a character. Show me, and I'll have a real picture in my mind of the character.
G. Show growth in your character. Hopefully, he/she is not the very same person at the end of the story as we met in the beginning.
Some writers will give a secondary character some trait that sets them aside from others. It can be a gesture he/she often does, or a way of approaching people with a signed statement like "Hiya, kid' Use it but do so sparingly. Too much of anything gets tiresome.
The main character, or protagonist, is important, but so is your cast of supporting characters. Have fun giving them personality traits that stand out. Make them loveable or sleazy, as the story predicts.
Outlining writers make full character sketches once they have a story idea in place. Pantsters, those who write without an outline (by the seat of their pants) develop a character as they write the story. They can always go back and change this or that when doing an edit.
When you read, pay attention to the way a character is developed. Use a search engine to find articles on making a character sketch or on creating memorable characters.
As an aside, when I read a book and then see a movie made from it, I am almost always disappointed in the characters. I've already created a picture in my mind of each one and am not always happy with how Hollywood portrays them. It's part of why I prefer books to movies. I do like movies, just not ones that are made from good books I've read and enjoyed. There are a few exceptions, but I
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