How to create a character that is attractive because it is 'ordinary'?

A powerful protagonist or unique and impactful characters are factors that make a work popular. On the other hand, there are times when you want to root for a main character because he or she is an ordinary character. Lou Barney, an Oklahoma novelist and multiple award winner, talks about what's so appealing about these ``ordinary characters'' and how you can make them appealing despite being ordinary.

Lou Berney On The Immense Appeal of Ordinary Characters ‹ CrimeReads

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Ever since he was a child, Barney felt that the image of a hero like ``Superman'' who solves everything with invincible abilities was boring, and he wanted to create a life-sized, struggling character like Chief Brody from ``Jaws.'' It seems that he felt that he was an attractive hero. ' Dark Ride ', published by Bernie in 2023, also features an 'ordinary' protagonist who is a lowly paid actor who plays a ghost at an amusement park and takes on a great evil determined to save children. The story depicts a person who stands up against an opponent who has nothing to do with them.

Mr. Barney thinks that ordinary protagonists are attractive, but says, ``It can be difficult to develop an ordinary yet attractive protagonist.'' A good character should have complexity that surprises and surprises. However, if you add an unusual setting or development to the complexity, the character will no longer be ``normal.''

For that reason, Barney points out, ``I think the complexity of the character should be as organic as possible.'' By ``organic,'' Barney refers to the talents, buried emotions, experiences, and current physical and mental damage that come from within the character, rather than the characteristics imposed on the character by the author. As Barney puts it, 'As a reader, I don't like seeing the writer's dirty fingerprints on my work.'

Barney says he always tries to talk to his characters as a way to color them with 'organic' characteristics. For example, if you're thinking of a scene where the main character goes to the beach, you might ask the character, ``Do you think it's reasonable that you've always had a fear of the ocean?'' If the answer is 'It's a little weird,' then we'll have to change that scene. If the answer is 'maybe' or 'I don't know,' Barney will rewrite the scene until he can elicit a clear affirmation or negative.