Your Character Doesn't Need To Be Relatable

Hot Butter Takes

I get lots of inquiries from other writers about how to make their characters more relatable. But think about this question for a second. Seriously, think back to the last movie you gave five stars. Or the last television episode you thoroughly enjoyed.

Did you relate to the main character(s) in that story—like, actually say to yourself, “Wow, we have so much in common! I relate to them so hard!” Chances are you didn’t.

I absolutely ADORED every single moment of the musical episode of STAR TREK: Strange New Worlds [S2, Ep.9]. Did I relate to any of the characters or their situations? Nerp! Keep reading to find out why I (and many other fans) grew to love these characters even more with this ultra-special episode.

When we break down what a lot of writers mean by relatable, what we’re really talking about is the answer to one or both of these questions:

1. How can I write characters that my audience finds familiar?

And/or

2. How can I make my audience feel the way I want them to feel about my character? (You know, like the creatives behind that ST:SNW episode did)

I could go on and on about Butter Comps for ensuring your character is familiar to your audience.

But I’d argue that solving for question #2 is way more important than the security that comes with Butter Comps for reasons I’ll get into below.

Friendly reminder that our extra special coupon code for premium Substack subscribers goes away at the end of August. So find that coupon code and the simple question you should ask yourself about your character at the start of each chapter after the jump!