How to create believable characters readers will care about
Characters are the building blocks of fiction. Even in stories with lots of action, the action has to happen to characters. Phonetically, the word character begins with the word "care." Characters have to care about something for readers to care about the characters, and if readers don't care about your characters, they probably won't care about your plot, either. Learn how to find and create interesting characters that readers will care about. Reveal your characters, use point of view effectively, flesh out your characters, develop a background for them, put the right words in their mouths, give them goals and motivation, and develop them throughout your story. Whether you're a "character-driven" writer or a "plot-driven" writer, you can build great story people for whatever kind of story you write.
Excerpt
Fiction writers usually describe themselves as being either character-driven or plot-driven. This is somewhat related to genre—romance novels tend to be more character-driven while action-adventure stories and thrillers are usually more plot-driven. However, characters and plot are both important in all fiction. Plot evolves from character—characters' responses to situation and events creates the plot, and the actions in the plot must be consistent with the characters. Character-driven stories also have plots; plot-driven stories also have characters. .
This valuable educational tool for students and teachers not only entertains with engaging stories on the lives and events which comprised the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. It also provides important case studies of diversity, multiculturalism, an
