10 Tips On How To Make Your Main Character NOT Boring

So, you're sitting there at your computer, staring at the screen. On the screen is your newly typed-up little project, and you like it, yes, but... there's something wrong. All you can think is 'Man, my main character is boring...' Well, friend, I'm here to help. Mainly because I realize that I have cheaped out, so to speak, on giving writing tips on this blog (which is suppose to be a writing blog anyways), and never really done a writing tips post of any kind. So I went and researched carefully, looked at what was a stronger point in my own writing, and then looked at what subjects in writing aren't as often covered by other people. So, by process of elimination by one or more of those three factors, I ended up choosing the topic of MCS (Main Character Studies). ;) But, I do find that the main character being boring or predictable is highly becoming a problem in the fiction world today. And while I generally don't stick my nose into the ridiculous issues of the fiction world, today I'll make an exception. So let's dig right in. ;) (P.S. Right about now I should be doing Beautiful People, but I am on unofficial hiatus, and so only publish selectively in my current state. And, as this BP centers around talking about you - why on earth would I want to do something so boring for a whole post, haha?! This is one of the many reasons why I don't write in In Greater Hands, btw, because the heroine is self-based, which is just boring to write, I mean.)

Tip #1: Have more than one POV

Now, I find that when my MC is the only point of view, that MC tends to be boring, typical, predictable, and even bores me so that I don't want to write the story. While you may only have one big MC, you can still have more than one POV, and it really refreshes the scene. For instance, when I compare writing In Greater Hands to writing Alomina, I almost always will want to write the latter first, because the MC does not bore me. Why is this? Because, unlike with Leta (my sole MC) from In Greater Hands, I take a break from Alomina (my MC in the so-titled novel) every so often, that's why! With other POVs, you can really get more perspective on your MC, making them better thought-out, and helping to get an idea of what other characters in the story think of him/her. Not only this, but your other characters get better coverage too this way. When you're stuck in one head constantly, you just kind-of tend to naturally go over the same sentiments and thoughts in that head over and over again - unless there is new perspective. And then readers will get bored if the one head you're staying in is unrefreshed. Having one POV is not a bad thing, but it makes it harder to avoid making the person a) just like yourself, or b) the same exact MC you've been writing in every project. So a creative MC deserves a bigger chance - give them some POV friends. :)

Tip #2: Don't just give them fears - give them hopes!

Another thing I've noticed about popular MCs today in fiction is that all they think about is what bad thing could happen, or what shouldn't happen, and they never have any considerable amount of hope. The most hope you get out of them is 'I hope this bad thing doesn't happen'! And it's unrealistic, unpoetic, and inhuman. Every person has fears, yes, but every person also has hopes! Even the most Negative Nancy character has some hopes, and I'm finding a lot of so-called 'cheery' characters that don't even have any! There are far too many gray characters in fiction, and I think a majority of them are MCs. The fiction world needs hopeful, bright, beautiful characters who will find hope in there somewhere, and actually trust both themselves and their comrades. They need to have some kind of optimism within them, or else readers will just pass them up boredly as an Eeyore character.

Tip #3: Know what they look like

Seriously, if you can't even pinpoint what rough hair color your MC has, then I think you need to sit down and think. If you only see them with no face, no hair, no eyes, and no particular look at all, then that's how the readers will see them. It bugs me SO MUCH in books when the main character isn't described even once. Even if somebody else than the MC does it, just pleeeeeeeeeeeease describe them. And I always love it when the MC does get described. Ani from The Goose Girl is a prime example, as her looks are even relevant to the story (very much!). Percy Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel is also a very good example. Whereas Taran from The Prydain Chronicles, I am rather ashamed to say, was not even described in detail until the third-to-last book (however, nonetheless, just from the sheer brilliance of the character himself, I still loved him). Just note some characteristic features. No need to be a verbal DaVinci. ;) For example (and please don't be offended if it seems like I'm trying to one-up anyone with this example or just talk about my own writing), in my own book, In Greater Hands, my character Vic Vance is almost always described with three (debatably four) characteristic features:

Leta expected to see the face of one of the secret sergeants pop into view, or the commanding countenance of Lady Lecta, but instead she saw the recently-familiar lime-green eyes and swept-back dark-brown hair of someone else entirely.

***

"Come on, please!" Leta let loose a desperate sigh. "He's really tall - like six foot seven or something - his hair looks like he stood behind a wind-jet, he's got lime-ish green eyes - have you seen him?!"

***

Suddenly Katanya's eye caught upon something in the mirror. A very tall, dark-haired figure, getting slowly closer and closer. He had a pistol.

"No!", Katanya shouted. She kicked the girl down and pointed her gun at the doorway. The man did not cower, and his bright green eyes seemed to be scrutinizing her. Who in the world was he?

***

"Where are you?!", Tsonja shouted. "Gospodin Vance, I cannot help you unless I know where you are!"

Then Bertie gestured to Tsonja silently.

"What... what is it...?", asked Tsonja almost fearfully.

Bertie lifted some debris. A scratched up face was revealed, with coffee-colored hair almost violently swept back in its messy fashion. One lime-green eye was slightly open, the other closed. It was Vance.

Vance smiled a bit. "Thanks...", he murmured, both eyes closing now.

Bertie frantically dug the rock away, and Tsonja joined him, trying to uncover the tall form from the crushing debris.

***

You see? I always note

-Vance's eyes; they are specifically lime-green, but depending on the POV, they may be interpreted as other shades of green.

-Vance's height; Vance is exactly six foot six and three quarters, making height a particularly noticeable trait of his.

-Vance's hair; it's very messily swept back. To put it in Leta's words, it looks like he stood behind a wind jet. It's also very dark-brown, almost (uncreamed) coffee-colored.

And the reason why I gave examples of my own work was because I don't know if I'd be infringing on copyrights by posting a published book's excerpts. I admit that the third one is a bit on the cheesy side, but hey, it's still first draft. :P So just remember their main traits look-wise. Get creative with it! It doesn't have to be their hair or their eyes, it could be a scar, something they always wear, or a certain expression they make often (for instance, were I to describe Rhett Butler after this fashion, I would note that sarcastically-amused face he always does at Scarlett, his dark eyes, and his firm profile). Always describe your character to some extent in the actual story, and know what they look like even more exactly and beyond that.

Tip #4: Background, background, background
Background. Give them as much background as is needed, and preferably a lot (except in the case where they are supposed to be a very commonplace/simple/inexperienced character, in which case a little less background is totally fine). Know where they're from. Know what they've done. Know their grandmother's first name, just to be really thorough (fyi, you do not have to put the information of their grandmother's first name in the book, though, lol). Know what they're proud of and what they regret. Know what has been on their mind and what they've forgotten by now. Know what's important to them and what's not. What was the last thing they worried about? What were they doing right before the story began? Who was the last person they were with? What kind of a mood were they in?
You need to know both the immediate background (that happening right before the story, or directly relevant to the story), and the hidden background (things which happened a long time before, or will only become relevant to the story). You need to research your characters.
Tip #5: Physical reactions
Okay, if you're taking all the physical reactions for your MC from a website or dictionary of some sort, then something's slightly wrong here. While I am all for website and dictionary aid, as well as variety in reactions, I believe that a character should have a sort-of consistency in how they react to different emotions/moods/messages/people/etc. For instance, blushing when they feel as though they are getting too much attention (if your character is an introvert). Or laughing when they succeed at something (if your character is a more playful sort). Generally, this shouldn't be a problem, because the writer himself/herself will have their own 'programmed' physical responses to things, which will leak into their characters (whether directly or indirectly). However, with the rise of the writing sites and emotion dictionaries, it's getting harder and harder to find a consistent character in a MC when it comes to physical reactions.

Tip #6 Give them a theme song
What? No, I'm not joking! I'm serious! Give them a theme song! If they have a romance, it could be a romantic theme for them - for instance, Percy and Celeise from Alomina have as a romantic theme the song Remember When It Rained by Josh Groban. Or, if the character has some kind-of a serious past conflict, then it could be off of that - for instance, the usage of the song Solitaire by Andy Williams for my character Lan from The Pain Of A Memory, or the instrumental use of The Stag by Patrick Doyle for Montefore from Alomina (again, I apologize if it seems like I'm trying to one-up anyone at all by using examples from my own works, but not only do I have very little a notion of copyright violations, but I don't really know many authors who give their characters theme-songs and publicize it). Any theme song works. Just let it incorporate their character. I always wanted to use Unexpected Song by Sarah Brightman for my title heroine in Alomina, but the style didn't quite fit her. The words - almost perfectly fitting. But the style didn't match her character, so I moved on (now she has two themes, one of which was a different Sarah Brightman song). Or the song My Way by Il Divo or Frank Sinatra (both versions are okay) for Alagna from her self-titled story. I wanted to use it, but the words didn't fit. So, again, give your character a theme, but one that matched their character well. I personally suggest the genres of 30's/40's pop and classical crossover, as they have the most applicable and varying settings, but whatever genre fits your character is the one you should choose.
Tip #7 Make up phrases
Okay, so what sticks in a reader's memory better than that one thing that the character is always saying. Mammy from Gone With The Wind is constantly saying "It ain't fittin'" about various things (I apologize if I am infringing on copyright or anything, but I couldn't resist referencing that, especially Mammy). My own character Vic Vance has a habit of calling Leta, the MC, 'Miss Leta'. And everybody's heard good old Sherlock Holmes' infamous "Elementary, my dear Watson". So make up a phrase or two. Take one from your own personal dialogue habits if you need to. Just examine the things you say, and think if there's a particular characteristic term or phrase you use often. Or - with permission - use one from someone else. Or just make one up out of the blue! You never realize how often people actually have characteristic phrases until you write and you start looking for them.

Tip #8 Try writing them in different scenarios
So in your story, you have an MC who is boring. Try developing them by putting them into totally different situations from what's in the story. So it's an Action/Adventure story. Put them in a café, eating brownies and chatting with a friend. So it's a Sci-Fi. Put them in a romantic date. So it's a Comedy. Put them in a dramatic climax, where their best friend just died, and they have to fight for their life and those of their loved ones. Just shake things up! You don't have to put the scene you write in the actual story, but it helps you to know and develop your own character better. It really does help! A writer friend of mine has been writing a space-setting Action/Adventure for about a year now, and has had to re-start the story twice due to plot issues. But what kept her - and her characters - going was the fact that she kept writing these random scenes with them that developed them wonderfully (frankly, her characters are stunningly memorable, and better than most published books I've read... perhaps it is because she does this?). When she got stuck in the plot, she picked out one of the MCs and wrote his proposal scene. Just out of the blue. And for another guy, a scene where he was just messing around and singing opera goofily (I loved both of those scenes, fyi, but they're not an actual part of the story so much as development exercises). Just write your MC in a totally abnormal situation for them. How would they react when watching Gone With The Wind for the first time? How about if they were suddenly transported to Narnia? What if they had just lived through an earthquake? (And yes, watching Gone With The Wind for the first time is about equal emotional impact as being suddenly transported to another world or living through an earthquake.) ;)


Tip #9 Dress them up
I know this is a bit similar to Tip #3, but I had to include it. What does your MC generally wear? Does he/she dress normally for their time? Or are they rather old-fashioned - or just plain-out weirdly dressed? Or, are they a mix of a lot of things, like hippy- 40's and 50's retro-Victorian-gangster-couture style? (And no, I suppose that's not a thing unless you're me, haha...) :P For example - and if my dear friend Anna would prefer that I didn't use this example, then please let her say so and I will use another one - Carmen Moore from Miss Anna Deubell's novel, Dreaming Reality, is always described as wearing a beanie-cap. I describe Echo Torriven in The Pain Of A Memory as wearing two rings (both of which are actually pretty relevant to the plot). And Robin Hood is always described as wearing a tunic of lincoln green. Really, describing what they wear can help a lot in giving them character. Everybody remembers Sherlock Holmes for his deerstalker hat and cape-coat (even though - bit of trivia for you - he was never actually directly described wearing either of them in the original books. It was only ever implied that he even had a deerstalker hat specifically). Just like Hercule Poirot and his bowties. And my beloved Jim Stevens from The Top-Hat Gang and his tilted fedora.  So give your MC something to wear! Making them wear something can tell us a lot about their character - like how much they care about dressing and making themselves up, and how much regard they have for wherever they're going or whatever they're doing at that time.

Tip #10 Call them names
How would your MC react if given a nickname? What about if they were insulted? What if they had to change their name? Not only do you need to think about the character's real name, but also what other people call them too. Often, there's a lot of power in a name (to quote Cinderella), and writers don't use it to their advantage. Names - and what your MC thinks of theirs - can show a lot about their character. What other people call them can show a lot of what other people think of them. Even when the character is insulted, the insult itself, its basis, and their reaction to it can tell much more than you think. One of my all-time favorite insults is a part in the Oscar-winning African Queen when Humphrey Bogart's character calls the lady a "crazy, song-singin', skinny old maid". And it does say a lot. At that moment, Bogart is drunk, and you can see what's been turning about in his head now that he is openly saying it. He thinks her idea is crazy. He has no idea what to make of her other than what he saw - a singing, frail, middle-aged woman who is unmarried. And her reaction speaks volumes too. She takes it very calmly lying down (the only part that even ruffles her a slight is the "old maid" part, and she doesn't get upset about it, but is only surprised ever-so-slightly). In fact, the only thing she does in reaction is to - come morning - dump all the alcohol off the boat so he doesn't get drunk again. Her calm attitude towards it speaks very much of how steady and hard to ruffle she is, and how determined - no matter what opposition or question - she is to complete her mission. And then there's nicknames. In the movie It Happened One Night (another award winner), Peter half-insultingly, half-affectionate calls Ellie "brat". Why? Because she is a brat. She's been spoiled all her life, and is used to getting her way. Even Peter is doing what she says, though reluctantly. It reveals what he so very openly thinks of her - that she's just plain spoiled. And soon enough, she realizes it too. And eventually, she stops being a brat. See, that's how much a name can tell you! It really does help. Not to mention their real name, which can tell a lot about what whoever named them was like and what they might've hoped or feared for the MC.

Uh... this lady looks almost disturbingly like a friend of mine...

Anyways, that about sums it up. I hope my first real writing tip post wasn't too bad... And reading it over, it's super filled with my boring ramblings... :P Sowwy! Also, I told myself I wouldn't reference too many things, but I think I broke my word to myself. :P
What did you think? Was this helpful at all? Is it too obvious that this is an amateur's post? Is anyone scorning my advice because I am unpublished? (Psst! I do not blame them!) ;) Is anyone thinking that I better just mind my own business and worry about my own MCs? :D Is anyone else now in the mood to write? I totally am! In fact, I'm ending this post now to, you know... ;)