One of the most important–and perhaps toughest– aspects of writing good fiction is crafting characters that have a life of their own, that feel believable as people in the world they inhabit, and that genuinely can catch and hold the interest of readers.

So what IS reader interest in a character? Well, we all want readers to care what happens to our characters. We want readers to connect with them on some basic, human level, even if their personalities are very, very different.

Just as important as what” reader interest in a character” is, though, is what it isn’t. And it isn’t these three things.

1. YOUR READERS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER(S)

Can the way you tell a story about an intriguing, interesting character raise questions about that character’s motivation or background that you only resolve toward the end of a story?

Definitely: please don’t think I’m saying otherwise.