How to Write a Character Readers Will Root For—And Question
Author Trilina Pucci discusses how writers can thread the needle between writing a character readers will support and question.
Duplicity. That’s the short answer.
But the long one’s more fun, because then we get to talk about harnessing the power that two things can be true. The idea in itself is such a manipulation that it’s delicious since you’re selling the face of a character while developing their alter ego. It’s become the very tenant of fiction I uphold when creating heroes like Noah, in One Killer Night (Montlake).
By nature, a romantic male lead is easy to sell. I could blather on and on about his crystal blue eyes or the way he runs his hand through his tousled hair. And forget about the abs, introduce those and it’s heart eyes, but in the end, there has to be something advantageous for the heroine—besides his good looks and washboard stomach—so the reader will root for him.
He has to be protective to her rootlessness or devil-may-care to her structure. Something that feels like he serves a higher purpose for her. All the while he’s the menace. I’ve found that it’s imperative to lean in to both as if each is who he is authentically. It’s the only way to sell it. Because isn’t that the best part about suspicious characters—the game of cat and mouse you and the reader participate in until everyone’s finally in on the secret?
For me, the duality of the character is where the magic exists. His blue eyes are the smoke and mirrors for the fact that she can never read his thoughts. Those abs serve as a distraction every time she wants to know more about him. His easy smile or the fact that he always opens the door, or my favorite bait and switch—he’s actually a good guy. A golden retriever that we all love, but it all serves to counter what’s truly happening right out in the open.
The fun in creating someone wholly good to root for is that the better you make them, the worse they can turn out. What he brings to the table is the meal that’s served while I carefully loosen the nuts and bolts on the table legs.
But trust me, threading that needle between skepticism and favor is precarious. You can never overfeed the reader with too much goodness. That alone would make him too suspicious. The balance is to have the reader stay hungry enough so they’re starving for more swoon, but full enough that they wonder if eating that last bit of cheese was a good idea.
It boils down to serving up a hero while systematically planting red seeds—not flags, just seeds—that once put together make the reader wonder how they never saw “it” coming. Like I said before, it was always right in front of them. It was the mundane way he was always so concerned about locks…but that was just protective, right? Or how he never had any family pictures around, maybe he’s just trying to have a better life than the one he had because he’s so nice and thoughtful. He’s dreamy and patient.
Except…no, he’s the hero. He can’t be the villain.
But two things can be true. Sweet and simple. Until it all adds up.
Truthfully, I didn't invent the concept, I basically followed Taylor Swift's lead. I Easter egg truths from start to finish. All while serving the reader exactly what they want first, someone to root for. It’s in our DNA, we want to be an ally to the longshot, that part of us we see in ourselves. I give them their happily ever after on page one, at least a Polaroid of it that they can hold onto while I chip the first layer away to expose what the picture really looks like.
In the end, every good heroine needs a villain and who better than the love of her life. There’s nothing like rooting for love in the midst of total destruction.
Check out Trilina Pucci's One Killer Night here:
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