We're told to hook the reader with the protagonist within 5 pages by showing them as likeable, or doing something heroic, or being funny, or one of a number of other things.
Which is fine, but what do we do with the character for the other 295 pages?
Here's an idea which also has some personality analysis behind it.
There's this thing called Myers-Briggs® Personality Type which authors sometimes use to give their characters a constellation of related traits.
But did you know that, when that personality feels threatened or frustrated, the Opposing Role -- the exact opposite -- can show up as a defender? Makes us more interesting as people (and a little scary) -- and it can do the same for your character!
Give them a set of related characteristics, but also give them one or two exact opposites. Now you not only have the nut on the guitar, you have the bridge and can have fun with the string between! (In other words, it gives your character depth and resonance.)
Example: Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is extremely smart and driven. Yet he's dumb about his cocaine use and suffers bouts of ennui, the exact opposite.
The cool thing about this technique is you can also use it to pep up your character's physical description. My vampire lawyer Julian is tall, dark, and handsome - and graceful. But instead of having the expected slim, artistic hands, his are square and competent (which draws the heroine Nixie in spite of his stuffy lawyerliness). The contrast can draw in the reader, too!
Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing
wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular
order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.
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