Few issues tempt readers to put a book down as much as a protagonist they don’t care about.

You can’t afford to turn readers away like that. They need to be able to rejoice with your protagonist’s successes, cry over his losses, and get their stomachs tied up in knots as he faces precarious situations.

This goal, however, is often one of the hardest for authors to accomplish. How can you craft characters that readers of all stripes and backgrounds connect with? We originally published this article series in December 2019 to address that challenge. Peruse the individual posts below or download the whole e-book to hear our advice.