A clever plot can get attention, but a likable protagonist keeps people reading. And honestly, I hadn’t given character traits much thought the first time I sat down to write a feature length movie. I guess I had just thought that if we follow them around long enough to understand their pain and their flaw, we will see what they want, and we’ll just want them to succeed. In reality, it’s not quite that simple.
How many times have you not watched a movie or read a book and found that despite all the action or drama going on around your character, you simply don’t care if they fail? It is true that we need a flaw and a wound, but we also need positive character traits.
That does not mean your hero has to be pleasant, morally perfect, or easy to live with. Some of the most memorable protagonists are selfish, damaged, difficult, obsessive, or deeply flawed. What matters is that the audience finds a reason to emotionally invest in them.
At this point, you’re probably thinking that all of this is common knowledge in the world of writing, but this is actually where a lot of stories quietly fail. The idea may be original, and the premise might be super exciting. Still, if the audience does not care what happens to your protagonist, the story loses its emotional engine.
The good news is that making a protagonist likable is not magic. It can be approached systematically. In this fourth instalment of our 25-day story-building series, we are going to use a simple method that we call UNFOLDING. It gives you a focused character traits list with nine traits that help an audience connect with a protagonist, and your hero does not need all nine. As a practical rule, aim for at least five character traits that the audience can clearly see in action.
These ideas are inspired by the character work of Eric Edson, especially the principle that audiences need reasons to root for the hero. Edson researched movies that were successful at the box office and created a character traits list, which we base our list on. The UNFOLDING acronym simply packages those ideas in a way that is easier to remember and apply while building a story. In story writing, character traits are not just labels in a character profile. They are qualities the audience understands because the character proves them through behavior, choices, and sacrifice.
The Rule Before the Traits
Before we go through the traits, there is one important rule:
You don’t tell the audience your protagonist has these qualities. You prove them through action. While this is also common knowledge, we tend to get to know our characters so well that we simply know their traits. Sometimes, that translates to forgetting to show their important character traits to the audience through the actions that define them. That is why character traits in a story need to be treated as visible evidence, not private knowledge.
If your hero is kind, show that kindness through a motivated action. If they are brave, show them taking a risk. If they are diligent, you might show them dusting off and trying again after failing at something. Readers and viewers do not connect just because we’re giving a person enough screen time or pages in a book. They connect because they see evidence of those universally likable character traits.
We might view character traits in a story in the same way we view the character traits of other human beings in our daily lives. If someone says to you that they always work hard, you might or might not believe them. But if you actually see them working hard day after day, that’s what is going to convince you that this is a hard-working person. Think of character traits as promises. If you decide that your protagonist is brave, but they never take a meaningful risk, the trait does not exist in the story. That means your promise is broken. And if you think of your character as kind, but they never help anyone when it costs them, your idea of a kind character does not translate to audience empathy.
Still, you have to start somewhere. So choosing the character traits that feel right will get you started. Now write these character traits down on little post-it notes and put them on your wall. Then, as the story unfolds, you look for scenes where those traits can be demonstrated naturally through your story. Then tick them off one by one until you have at least five. The earlier, the better. Once you’ve hit five strong character traits, you have most likely already convinced your audience that this is a protagonist worth rooting for.
If you prefer to write in coffee shops or otherwise on the go, the free version of StorySteps also includes a function for tracking where character traits are displayed in the story. It helps you make sure you are not merely talking about your protagonist’s qualities in your notes, but actually showing them in specific story moments. You can use it to connect a trait to a scene or sequence where the audience sees the character prove that quality through action.
Now let’s look at the UNFOLDING character traits list.
Track where your character traits are actually shown
StorySteps lets you connect each character trait to the specific scenes or sequences where your audience sees that quality in action.
The UNFOLDING Character Traits List
U: Unfair Injury
The first item on this character traits list is not really a character trait in the ordinary sense. It is a story situation that makes the audience emotionally lean toward the protagonist.
An unfair injury means your protagonist is treated unfairly.
This does not have to mean a huge trauma or a tragic backstory. It can be smaller and more immediate. They might get blamed for something they did not do, or someone might mistreat them or take advantage, or something entirely different. Think of a something that might leave you feeling really bad for them if you saw this play out in reality.
The key audience reaction is simple: “That’s not fair.”
Once the audience feels that, they begin to root for the character. The unfairness creates an emotional imbalance. We want to see the character get justice, escape the situation, prove themselves, or at least be seen more clearly than the world currently sees them.
For example, in Lost Boy, we are building the orphan Sam. We show unfair injury in the first scene, where we get a glimpse of the happy life he once had before the orphanage, and we see it ripped away from him as he loses his parents and his uncle is not in a position to provide for him. Then fast forward to ten-year-old Sam, who is being returned to the orphanage by another foster family and treated as if his inability to settle is a personal failing. The adults around him do not fully understand his fear or his sense of abandonment. That gives Sam an unfair injury. The audience does not need to be told to care about him. They can feel the unfairness of his situation.
Case study
What is Lost Boy?
Lost Boy is an original story inspired by classic themes from Peter Pan, developed by StorySteps as an educational case study.
Instead of only explaining story theory, we use Lost Boy to show how structure, character, theme, and plot decisions can be applied while a story is being built.
It is not a finished script, novel, or pitch-ready concept. It is a working story example, with rough edges and evolving ideas, used to demonstrate the creative process in practice.
You can follow the example throughout the series, or download the full treatment below.
Download the Lost Boy treatmentN: Nice
Some character traits are easier to understand than others, and kindness is one of the clearest positive character traits you can give a protagonist.
A nice protagonist shows kindness. This does not mean they are saintly, soft, or incapable of anger. In fact, kindness is often more powerful when it appears in a character who is guarded, wounded, or reluctant. Because then we see the cost of the kind action. Feeding a couple of homeless children proves nothing from the hands of a wealthy prince. But when dirt-poor Aladdin gives away the bread that he just risked his life for in the beginning of the Disney adaptation from 1992, it immediately shows us that he has a heart.
So the key to showing kindness is that it cost them something, even if the cost is small. If a character helps only when it is convenient, the moment may not carry much weight. But if they help while afraid, embarrassed, exhausted, or under pressure, the audience sees who they are.
In Lost Boy, Sam can show this trait when intervenes when the orphanage bullies pick on Sunny, a smaller and more vulnerable child at the orphanage. Sam does not have to become warm and talkative. He can still be guarded, but when he steps in to protect someone weaker, the audience sees that he is not only a mistrustful boy. He is also capable of care. And it cost him because it would be easier to stay out of it for two reasons: Intervening makes Sunny cling to him when he’d rather be left alone. And now he has just upset the orphanage bullies and made himself a target.
F: Funny
Funny is one of those character traits that can make an audience forgive a great deal, but only if it fits the story and the person.
If a character makes us laugh, we forgive a lot. This is why some deeply flawed characters remain watchable or readable. They may be selfish, vain, petty, or morally questionable, but humor gives the audience pleasure in their company. We may not approve of everything they do, but we still want to spend time with them. People are different, but most of us have some friends that we deep down know that won’t be there for us in a time of need, but they’re still fun at parties. And we might often prefer to surround ourselves with people like this instead of kinder people that might not be quite as entertaining.
Think of the characters in Seinfeld. They are often selfish and petty, but they are funny, so we stay with them. Roman Roy in Succession is another example. He is not exactly admirable, but his sharpness and humor make him compelling to watch.
Not every protagonist needs to be funny. Serious stories can work perfectly well without turning the hero into comic relief. But humor is a powerful tool when it fits the character, and it works particularly well if you have a protagonist that needs our forgiveness because they’re simply not nice.
For a darker or more guarded protagonist, humor can also appear indirectly. They may not tell jokes, but their dry reactions, awkward honesty, or unusual way of seeing the world can create moments of levity. The important thing is that the humor should feel true to the character, not pasted on.
We do not use this trait for Sam in Lost Boy. We could give Sam funny lines, but it could easily work against the emotional shape of the character at this stage. Sam is guarded, wounded, and suspicious. His defenses are built around mistrust, not charm. If he suddenly became witty or playful too early, it might make the orphanage feel less oppressive and weaken the sense that he has learned to survive by keeping people at a distance. It might also risk diminishing the power of the antagonist, Master Ironhand.
That does not mean Lost Boy cannot have humor. It just means the humor should probably come from other characters, especially Sunny, Peter, or the awkwardness of Sam trying to understand Neverland. Sam may eventually have dry or accidental moments of humor, but “Funny” is not one of the five core character traits we are using to make the audience care about him.
O: Obsessed
When choosing personality traits for characters, writers sometimes avoid obsession because it sounds negative. In story terms, though, obsession can be one of the most useful character traits because it creates momentum.
By obsessed, we mean a character that cares deeply about something. They may have a goal, a dream, a mission, a question, or a wound they cannot stop trying to fix. The obsession alone might not always stand on its own legs, but if we understand why this matters deeply to them, we start rooting for them.
A passive protagonist can drain energy from a story. An obsessed protagonist pulls the story forward. They make choices. They push against obstacles. They may be wrong, misguided, or incomplete in their understanding, but they are emotionally invested, and that’s contagious.
And don’t think in terms of political correctness, because the obsession does not have to be healthy. In fact, many strong stories use obsession as both a strength and a weakness. The character’s deep need drives them forward, but it can also blind them, isolate them, or make them reckless.
In Lost Boy, Sam is obsessed with reuniting with his long-lost uncle. That obsession gives him a clear emotional drive. He is not simply wandering through Neverland because the plot requires it. He is searching for the only family he believes he has left.
L: Loved
Loved is one of the quieter character traits because it is partly shown through how other characters respond to the protagonist.
This is one of the most subconscious traits on the list.
If someone in the story loves, values, or believes in the protagonist, the audience often begins to see the protagonist through that character’s eyes. We assume there must be something worth loving. We become curious about the value this other character sees.
Think about how this works in your life: If you are introduced to someone that you keep hearing great things about, aren’t you a bit more likely to start that relationship with a positive expectation? And think of every job you’ve ever interviewed for. Do they not ask for references, and isn’t the reason behind it obvious? We value people that are approved of or loved by others.
Now you might push back and say that yes, this will give people the benefit of the doubt, but a good reference will only get you in the door. But that’s why we have the other 8 traits. Loved gets you off to a good start. The other four to six character traits that you choose will drive it home.
In Lost Boy, Sunny can help serve this function. He notices Sam. He asks questions. He follows him when others might leave him alone. Over time, Sunny’s belief in Sam helps the audience see that Sam is more than a guarded orphan. He is someone who might become a leader, even if he does not believe it yet.
D: Diligent
Diligence belongs on any useful list of good character traits because effort is one of the simplest ways to earn audience respect.
A diligent protagonist works hard. They may fail or make mistakes. They may be outmatched, inexperienced, or emotionally unready. But they do not collapse at the first obstacle. Effort earns respect.
This is especially important for protagonists who are not naturally powerful. The audience does not need the hero to win immediately. In many cases, we care more when they fail and keep going. Their repeated effort tells us they are serious.
Diligence also helps avoid the problem of a protagonist who feels like they are being carried by the plot. If every solution is handed to them, they may seem passive. If they struggle, adapt, and try again, they become more active and admirable. This also helps set up that All is Lost moment later in the story. If a character keeps stumbling, but always presses on, that moment when they simply give up for a few pages will feel even stronger.
In Lost Boy, Sam does not arrive in Neverland as a natural hero. He is suspicious, defensive, and unprepared. But he will keep trying to rescue others, he won’t give up his quest to find his uncle. This diligence becomes one of the ways he earns audience respect.
I: Imperiled
Imperiled is another story-based trait rather than a normal personality label, but it belongs in this character traits list because danger creates audience concern.
An imperiled protagonist is in danger. The danger can be physical, emotional, social, moral, or psychological. Physical danger is the most obvious version. A character might be chased, attacked, trapped, or threatened. But emotional danger can be just as powerful. A character may risk rejection, humiliation, heartbreak, exposure, or the collapse of a belief that has kept them alive.
The danger should connect to what the protagonist cares about. Random danger can create momentary excitement, but meaningful danger creates investment. We care more when something meaningful is at risk. If you wonder if it’s meaningful, think about the stakes of your story, and think about the wound of your protagonist. If this danger is poking at something that matters to your protagonist, it counts.
In Lost Boy, Sam is imperiled in several ways. Neverland is physically dangerous, with pirates, mermaids, crocodiles, and other threats. But he is also emotionally imperiled. If he fails to rescue his uncle, he may lose the only family connection he has left, and his belief in hope may collapse with it.
N: Notable
Notable is one of the character traits that creates admiration. It tells the audience that this person has some form of competence worth respecting.
Notable in this context means your protagonist is skilled at something. Competence is attractive. We admire people who can do something well, even if that skill is small, strange, or morally complicated. A protagonist does not need to be the best in the world. They simply need some ability that makes us respect them.
Think about this in your daily life. If you meet a new person and the first impression you get is a display of something they’re good at, doesn’t it make you admire them just a little? We’re not talking about bragging about a skill or showing off just for the purpose of showing off, because that may in certain contexts be off-putting. But if you see someone pull off a complex task or a feat with ease, does it not trigger a little bit of admiration?
The skill could manifest itself as intelligence, courage under pressure, physical skill, artistic talent, emotional insight, survival instinct, leadership, problem-solving, persistence, or even a very specific practical ability. The skill should reveal something about who they are.
Notability is especially useful when the protagonist is flawed. If your hero is difficult, guarded, or morally gray, competence can give the audience a reason to stay with them. We may not always like their choices, but we respect their ability.
In Lost Boy, we do not use notable as one of Sam’s skills. For Sam, notability might develop gradually, but his journey is simply more powerful if he is unskilled. If he was a skilled swordfighter and a spy that could pull off a rescue mission at the pirate ship with ease, it would counter his need to gather a team, and he would never learn how to trust. It could work in a different version of the story, but then Sam needs a different wound and a different flaw to match the story.
Is your hero lost in the wrong story?
A strong story does not just give the hero random obstacles. The best stories pressure the exact wound, weakness, or false belief the protagonist needs to confront.
G: Gutsy
Gutsy is one of the most important character traits for a protagonist because stories force characters to act under pressure.
A gutsy protagonist takes risks. Courage is magnetic. It may be the single most important trait on this list because stories are built around pressure. At some point, the protagonist has to step forward when it would be easier to stay safe.
Guts does not mean fearlessness. A fearless character can be less interesting because courage requires fear. The audience responds when the character is afraid and acts anyway.
The risk should be real. If the character cannot lose anything, the action does not feel brave. But when they risk safety, pride, comfort, status, belonging, or emotional protection, the audience sees courage when they act in spite of it.
In Lost Boy, Sam is gutsy when he risks escape from the orphanage and later faces the dangers of Neverland. His courage does not mean he suddenly trusts everyone or becomes emotionally healthy overnight. It means that despite fear, suspicion, and pain, he keeps stepping into danger for something that matters.
Applying UNFOLDING to the Lost Boy protagonist
You do not need to force all nine traits onto your hero. In fact, trying to use all of them can make the character feel overdesigned. The goal is not to create a perfect checklist character. The goal is to choose character traits that give the audience enough emotional reasons to care.
A useful starting target is five character traits.
For Lost Boy, Sam might begin with these five:
Unfair Injury: He has been returned to the orphanage by a foster family, and the blame is placed on him.
Nice: He protects Sunny, someone weaker than himself.
Obsessed: He has an unyielding determination to find his long-lost uncle.
Imperiled: His journey through Neverland puts him in real physical and emotional danger.
Gutsy: He is willing to risk escape and later risk himself to save others.
That is enough to begin. We do not have to prove every possible likability trait at once. We only need enough evidence for the audience to feel that Sam is worth following.
The next step is to make sure those traits actually appear in the story. This is where many writers accidentally weaken their protagonist. They know the hero is kind, brave, wounded, or diligent, but the audience only sees the plot events, not the private character notes.
So once you choose your character traits, ask: where does the audience see each one? The earlier, the better.
If Sam is nice, where does he protect Sunny? If he is gutsy, where does he take a risk? If he is truly obsessed, where do we see his need to find his uncle shape his choices? If he is unfairly injured, where do we feel the unfairness instead of merely hearing about it?
This is also where a tracking tool can help. In StorySteps, character traits can be connected to the places where they are demonstrated, so you can check whether your protagonist’s defining qualities are actually visible in the outline. That matters because a trait that never appears in action is not really part of the story yet.
Track where your character traits are actually shown
StorySteps lets you connect each character trait to the specific scenes or sequences where your audience sees that quality in action.
A Practical Test for Your Own Hero
Use the UNFOLDING method as a quick diagnostic for your protagonist. It works as a focused character traits list for writers because it does not just ask what the hero is like. It asks what the audience can actually see.
Go through the UNFOLDING character traits list and mark which ones your hero clearly has:
Unfair Injury: Is your hero treated unfairly in a way the audience can feel?
Nice: Do they show kindness through action?
Funny: Do they create humor, charm, or enjoyable contrast?
Obsessed: Do they care deeply about a goal, dream, person, or mission?
Loved: Does someone else believe in them or value them?
Diligent: Do they keep trying after difficulty or failure?
Imperiled: Are they in meaningful danger?
Notable: Are they good at something we can respect?
Gutsy: Do they take risks despite fear?
You might not know the answer to all of these yet if you’re just starting your story. If your protagonist has fewer than five, don’t panic. That does not mean the story is broken. It means you have found a practical development task. Once your character develops, you will be able to find which traits they truly have.
Choose one or two character traits that fit the character naturally, then add scenes or moments that prove them. Don’t add random scenes just to tick a box. Instead, look for places in the existing story where the protagonist can reveal more of who they are through a choice they already need to make.
For example, if your hero needs to escape a dangerous place, that moment might prove they are gutsy. If someone weaker is trapped with them, the same scene might also prove they are nice. For example, even though there’s a limited amount of time to escape, they might prioritize helping that weaker person at the risk of remaining in captivity. If they fail once and try again, it might prove they are diligent. One strong scene can often demonstrate several traits at once.
Wrapping Up
A likable protagonist is not necessarily a nice protagonist. They do not have to be perfect, cheerful, morally clean, or easy to admire in every scene. But the audience does need reasons to care.
The UNFOLDING method gives you the character traits list that can create that connection: Unfair Injury, Nice, Funny, Obsessed, Loved, Diligent, Imperiled, Notable, and Gutsy. Your hero does not need all nine. Start with five strong character traits, then make sure the story proves them through action.
For our Lost Boy case study, Sam begins as a wounded, mistrustful orphan. He is not instantly open, warm, or heroic in the traditional sense. But if we show his unfair treatment, his protectiveness toward Sunny, his obsession with finding his uncle, the danger he faces, and the risks he takes, the audience has a reason to follow him into Neverland.
Once your protagonist is worth caring about, the next major question is this:
How do you introduce them on the very first page?
That is where the Opening Image comes in. In the next article, we will look at how the first image of your story can show the audience your hero’s starting world, emotional state, and what needs to change before the story is over.
