Extras: For Writers: Rooting Interests
- We care about characters we feel sorry for (empathy)
- We like characters with humanistic traits
- We like to admire the character
Most importantly, we like someone with a mix from all three of these categories.
Empathy:
- undeserved mistreatment
- undeserved misfortune (bad luck)
- physical or mental handicap
- frustration or humiliation (embarrassment)
- a moment of weakness
- abandoned
- betrayal
- telling the truth but not being believed
- exclusion and rejection (not one of the group)
- loneliness and neglect
- feeling guilty when one’s mistake causes pain
- represses pain
- life endangerment
Humanistic traits:
- lets down his defenses in a private moment
- (bonus pts if someone invades his privacy and humiliates him)
- helps less fortunate
- relates to children
- children like character
- patting the dog & dog likes character
- change of heart
- comes to aid of a friend
- risk life for another
- sacrifices themself
- cares for just cause (dies for a just cause)
- ethical or moral & responsible
- dependable, loyal
- loves other people
- generous, caring act, compassion, altruistic
Admiration traits:
- Power and charisma
- Self-confident
- Courage (mental and physical)
- Passionate
- Attractive
- Skilled (competent)
- Thoughtful & wise
- Witty & clever
- Sense of humor
- Playful
- Physical and athletic
- Wounded and continues on
- Unique way of living
- Underdog who tries hard
- Active rather than passive
- Surrounded by admirers
