Here's the last tip I mentioned in "Be Clueless, Write Awesome:"
If the reader doesn't care about the characters, he won't care what happens to them. End of story.
It doesn't matter how many brilliant twists unfold in your masterpiece- all just more stuff nobody will read. Unless your characters make an impression- fast. Which begs the question.
How?
A few incredibly simple tools have worked wonders for me.
But first, one important distinction.
I've seen this advice over and over- that readers must 'like' the protagonist, that having a relatable lead character is mandatory.
Wrong.
Readers do not have to like your cha