What character traits draw me in greatly depends on the kind of story I'm reading. Of course anything relatable will instantly make me "favour" that character (in lack of a better way to explain it), but my favourite characters tend to be antagonists, very disturbed main characters, or misunderstood side characters. They're just a lot more interesting than the characters I relate to.
yes, i'm definitely looking for what your favorite characters are - i use the term 'relatable' to mean the literary relatable, the 'everyman' kind of character that's supposed to be an average of the target audience. percy jackson, bella swan, the Straight White Male in most mainstream stories, etc.
Yeah, I find there are very few characters I can actually relate to, so I always need to find other things to hook me.
I guess characters really come second to me when I read. It's not like I ignore them, of course, that would make reading rather pointless, but themes, plot, atmosphere, writing style (and probably other things) are the main things that make me read.
Characters - that's really complicated! Mental strength and self-reliance are important. But then again there are other characters whom I love for the very lack of them. Fighting against the pressure from outside. Being able to change - but not changing because others want one to. Being a good leader - even though I generally fall for the second in command (whom I usually think to be a much better leader). Handicaps, physical and mental, and people living with them, finding a way to work around them and with them. Characters who struggle to get free of the influence of some higher power, whether gods or prophecies or whatever. -- Err, you see, there are too many things I like. It highly depends on the story I'm reading (and sometimes on the gender of the character; I'm much more into strong, cold women then men as characters).
A while ago I sat down and wrote down 101 things I like in fiction. Not sure whether this is going to help, but I find it easier to write down my own ideas than to choose from a number of offered possibilities
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Oh man, I couldn't answer "Which issue would concern you LEAST?" lol! I AM TOO CONCERNED OVER ALL THE THINGS!!! (I should have said Animal Rights, but it pained me too much to choose.)
When I was filling out this poll I was thinking a lot about Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond books and a little about Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint as being really excellent examples of the sort of fiction that really enthralls me. Both are heavily focused on the interaction and development of characters, and both have highly intelligent heroes with somehow dubious morals. I enjoy more typical fantastic quest stories as well, but with those I'm often far more interested in the supporting cast than I am in the focal characters.
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I guess characters really come second to me when I read. It's not like I ignore them, of course, that would make reading rather pointless, but themes, plot, atmosphere, writing style (and probably other things) are the main things that make me read.
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-- Err, you see, there are too many things I like. It highly depends on the story I'm reading (and sometimes on the gender of the character; I'm much more into strong, cold women then men as characters).
A while ago I sat down and wrote down 101 things I like in fiction. Not sure whether this is going to help, but I find it easier to write down my own ideas than to choose from a number of offered possibilities ( ... )
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