A mind-blowing plot invaded your brain, and you're ready to write, but who's the star of the show?

Your characters are the hook that will keep readers reading.

You want to lure readers in and leave them thinking about your characters long after the story ends. This is torture; Sweet, sweet torture.

Give your character these three qualities to captivate readers:

• Internal motivation

• An obstacle

• Redeemable qualities

Here's the tea:

What does your character desire more than anything?

Your character's internal motivation drives the entire plot.

If your character wants to find love, everything they do is an effort to get them closer to achieving that goal. When you don't know what happens next, think about what lengths your character go to on their quest to find princess charming.

What does your character have to overcome to get what they want?

Something must stand in their way, or there is no story.

The obstacle can be tangible. The evil stepfather prevents your protagonist from attending the ball to meet princess charming. Or it can be invisible. A misbelief about one's self stops most people from following their dreams. Perhaps your character thinks they're unworthy of love. They'll have to overcome that get what they desire.

Why should we like your character?

Your characters can be badass, evil, snarky, or covered in reptilian scales, and we will still love them if you give them a redeemable quality.

Make other characters care about them. Give them an aspirational quality, like being heroic, kind, or brave. Give readers a reason to root for them — and they will.