People are complex. That’s why it’s so much fun, and a lot of hard work, to create believable and interesting characters. Just look at the people in your lives. Don’t they come with different issues and baggage, joy and pain? In order for readers to fall in love with my characters, they need to ring true.

Any time I start plotting a new series, I come up with my cast of characters first. I’ll focus on romance today since I’ve submitted a new proposal to my editor and am waiting to hear from her, so I’m in creation mode. Developing characters includes finding out what makes them tick and what will make a reader turn the pages of the book.

In romance novels, we love to fall in love with our characters and cheer for them throughout the story. In the beginning, both the hero and heroine are at a place in their lives where they either don’t realize they need that special someone in their lives, or they don’t want to date anyone at all. So how do I decide how they will feel?

First, I need to uncover what has brought them pain in their lives. I need to know the character’s motivation before I can really dig deep. For instance, in my book, Always the One, the hero lost the love of his life when he was a teenager. Her family just up and moved away in the middle of the night. He’s never forgotten her or the future they’d planned together, so he doesn’t commit to any other woman because in his heart, he hopes to find his true love again, no matter how impossible it seems.

Once I’ve established that pain or hurt, I figure out how my character has created a life around that pain. How that pain has become so meshed with their identity.

To continue in Always the One, the hero finds a clue to his true love’s whereabouts. He goes to her, hoping against hope that this time, the lead is correct. He finds the woman, who has a new life far away from him. But just as the hero is elated to find her, she blames him for her family’s misfortune and doesn’t want him around. Is there any way these two can find common ground?

Throwing this couple together, with their past haunting them, makes for lots of tension. But it also cries out for a resolution. These two people know there is something missing in their lives. The question is, will they put aside the hurt from the past to walk together toward a future? Face some hard truths about themselves? Do they put aside what they thought they knew or felt about themselves and have the courage to make changes so they can enjoy a life of happiness?

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Every one of us faces a crossroad sometime in our lives and we must make meaningful decisions. This is why my characters have to be sympathetic and truthful, because a reader will see right through them otherwise. If you can relate to a character in some way, it brings a connection from author to reader.

Throughout the story, the characters need time and personal growth to adjust their attitudes, which draws in a reader. We get invested in the characters, wanting the best for them. But will the best happen? Can they open their hearts to love? We read more to find out.

Discovering who these characters will be and how they will deal with opposition is the first step in plotting my story. It’s not a fast process, not if I want compelling characters in my book. Setting the foundation, with my character’s motivations and goals, allows me to then build the remainder of the story. It’s a fun process, but I feel kind of bad when I bring anguish to my characters. It’s necessary in order to give that satisfying ending.

You can probably think of a favorite novel off the top of your head because the characters resonated with you long after you closed the book. This is why authors take a lot of time and purpose in creating folks you’ll care enough to read about and remember. Authors always have the reader in mind, even when we’re busy creating the story.  

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HER SURPRISE HOMETOWN MATCH, available now. For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter.