5 Ways to Make Your Protagonist More Likable (Take the Character Test!)

Not sure if readers will heart your protagonist as much as you do? (FYI, they won’t. No one will ever love your protagonist as much as you do because THEY ARE YOUR CHILD.)

Still, why not take a moment to take this sweet little test I’ve prepared for writers? It will help determine if your character is:

1. Interesting and likable (YAY).
2. Could use a dash of awesomesauce.
3. BOOORRRRRIIINGGGG or a total turn-off.

Answer these questions honestly. This test will only help you, your novel, and your protagonist in the end!:

1. Does your protagonist have serious flaws?

• A) Flaws up the Wazoo!
• B) No. Why should he have flaws?
• C) I think like one or two.

2. Does your protagonist win every battle or get himself out of every bind?

• A) Every time! He’s a hero after all!
• B) No, he fails hard sometimes.
• C) Lemme think about this one…

3. Is your protagonist’s motive believable? 

• A) 110% believable
• B) If I’m being honest, no. I’m not even sure what a good motive is.
• C) Does wanting his pen back from that guy who borrowed it count as a good motive?

4. Does your protagonist fall under any of these tropes?

• A) Strong, young female character who kicks butt with a weapon but is somehow also clumsy and shy.
• B) A pouty (hot) male character with weighty responsibilities but no desire to fulfill his duties.
• C) An orphan kid who doesn’t know who they are (or who their parents were) and gets a magical “chosen one” journey plopped onto their lap.

5. Does your protagonist’s goal change over time? 

• A) No, why should it change? He has one goal and he’s out to achieve it.
• B) Yeah, his desires change, so should his goal.
• C) Now you’ve really lost me.

First of all, if you answered C to any or all of these questions, that’s fine. You’re in the right place. So take a deep breath and wipe the sweat off your brow.

But let’s talk about your answers to these questions by discussing why each topic is so important for your protagonist’s likability rating.

If you answered: A) Flaws up the wazoo!

Great! Flaws are a vital aspect of character-crafting. But what exactly are his flaws?

Being forgetful, clumsy, goofy, shy, a nail-biter, a busy-body, being habitually late, or any other quirk doesn’t count as a flaw. Yes, they personalize his identity but they are by no means flaws.

So what is a good character flaw? Flaws are heavy. Flaws are more than just annoyances. Being a liar, a narcissist, a person with a short fuse or a violent temper, a clepto, a selfish person, a prideful or arrogant person, a person who refuses to see their faults all counts as serious flaws.

Think deeper. There are much more flaws out there. Don’t be afraid to make your character imperfect.

If you answered: B) No, why should he have flaws?

Plain and simple: flaws make your protagonist relatable. No one can relate to a perfect human specimen and frankly, no one wants to. Now you’re probably thinking “Won’t that make him less likable, Rae?” No, precious porcupine, it won’t.

Flaws give us a reason to invest in his journey. Readers will hope he’ll face his flaws, learn how to deal with them, or beat them.

If you answered: A) Every time! He’s a hero after all!

Then, Houston, we have a problem. Your protagonist is not a hero because he wins every battle. Your protagonist is a hero because he fails but keeps fighting despite. Protagonists that win every battle are called video game heroes and that’s not what you’re creating here, you perky Italian plumber, you.

Your protagonist should fail sometimes or have no idea how to get out of a bind. Why? Because no one has all the answers. He should even make mistakes that wind up hurting someone or delaying his quest. Why? Because we’ve all made stupid mistakes before.

This gives your reader the idea that your protagonist isn’t a glittery, infallible unicorn. He’ll be seen as human, a character we can sympathize with. And your story will be that much more believable.

If you answered: B) No he fails hard sometimes.

Then good job, bromigo 😉 We’re squared up here.

If you answered: A) 110% believable.

That’s great! But let’s dissect his motive to be certain. Your protagonist goes on a difficult journey that may threaten his very life. What motive is so profoundly personal that it makes him stare Death in the face and accept his challenge? Will we, the readers, believe it?

Readers won’t believe in a character willing to face death just because he’s a good person. More must be at stake for him personally in order for him to get involved.

If you answered B) If I’m being honest- no. I’m not even sure what a good motive is.

I always tell writers to consider Katniss Everdeen’s motive for entering the Hunger Games. What if Gale had been called to the Hunger Games instead of Prim? Would Katniss throwing herself into battle for him have been as believable to us, the readers? Romantic love is a great motive, but picking love between sisters was that much better a choice for Katniss’ character. Prim was all she truly had left in the world. Katniss would do anything for her sister and we believed it when she did.

Wanting to “bring world peace” or even “overturn a dictatorship” are good motives, but they aren’t personal enough. If we’re going to believe that they’re willing to possibly face death for their mission then their motive has to be much more personal.

Look. The tropes I mentioned have all been done before. So sure, it’s ok to do them again, but do you really want to? Do you really want to create a copy-and-paste character because it seems like that’s what popular in the storytelling world?

What’s the matter with these tropes? Sure they’re great but at this point, they’ve been exhausted.

You have the power to create a character we’ve never seen before. You don’t have to follow the industry standard because that’s what’s seemingly popular right now. I guarantee that if you ask any other reader if they’d like to hear a story featuring one of these character tropes, they’ll gag. So try new identities- I beg you!

If you answered: A) No, why should it change? He has one goal and he’s out to achieve it.

Having one goal and achieving it means your protagonist hasn’t grown. It also means- yep you guessed it- he’s basically Link out to save Hyrule. Growth is vital for your protagonist. His goal at first may be selfish or narrow- fulfilling only his needs at the time. But his journey forces your protagonist to see outside of his box, face his flaws, and decide to make a choice that’ll benefit the greater good.

 So if he sacrifices his personal goal for the greater good, changes his goal, or puts someone else’s goal ahead of his own, readers will adore this character.

If you answered: B) Yeah. His desires change, so should his goal.

Then, again, be sure his goal is changing in such a way that we see him grow as a person.

So how’d you do?

If you think your protagonist doesn’t have a chance in heck to be likable, then apply these tips to your character and he will not only be likable but completely adored by your readers.

Don’t lose heart. You came here for a reason- to see if your protagonist needed tweaking. That means you’re doing something great: you’re learning and you’re improving as a writer. So go you.

Tell me in the comments section below about your WIP protagonist. Feel free to share his journey, his flaws, his goals, etc. There’s no judgment here- only celebration.

And if you have more questions about what it takes to create an awesome character, then check out the fresh course I’m creating for new writers like you!: