We put character traits in a story to make readers care, but we don’t earn the reader’s attention unless we show them in action.
Attribution: This guide adapts Eric Edson’s audience winning traits from The Story Solution. We reworded the terms as close synonyms to fit the UNFOLDING acronym for memorability. The core insight remains Edson’s.
The importance of character traits in a story
We are often taught that our heroes must be flawed, but rarely do we talk about the positive character traits in a story. While flaws are important, arbitrary traits make outcomes feel arbitrary. Planned character traits align with the story goal and shape choices under pressure, so the audience invests emotionally and cares when good or bad things happen. We need a flawed hero, but we also need a likeable one.
In this article we will cover why the character traits in a story should never be arbitrary, which character traits make us care about our hero, and how and when to present them so readers care.Related: Building characters readers believe in
Traits are just one layer of a compelling protagonist. If you want to go deeper into motivations, wounds, and arcs, explore our intro to character development and learn how to build characters who evolve in meaningful, story-driven ways.
Which character traits make us care:
The UNFOLDING framework
UNFOLDING is a practical checklist for building early empathy. The aim is to show these character traits in your story, not just state them on your character sheet. Brief credit: these audience centering ideas were originally articulated by Eric Edson; we have reworked the labels to fit UNFOLDING for easier recall.
UNFOLDING:
U: Unfair Injury: undeserved harm that aligns us with the hero.
Examples: Harry Potter mistreated by the Dursleys. Cinderella forced into servitude. Peter Parker bullied at school.N: Nice: small prosocial acts with no expected return.
Examples: Samwise shares water and burdens. Amélie performs quiet kindnesses. Paddington helps strangers politely.F: Funny: humor that reveals worldview and timing.
Examples: Tony Stark’s dry wit under stress. Spider Man’s quips while scared.O: Obsessed: focused drive toward a meaningful goal.
Examples: Erin Brockovich refuses to quit the case. Sherlock Holmes pursues truth through fixation.L: Loved: credible others show belief or affection.
Examples: Hagrid’s fierce care for Harry. Ted Lasso supported by his players and staff.D: Diligent: visible work ethic over time.
Examples: Rocky’s training grind. Hermione’s relentless study and preparation.I: Imperiled: specific personal stakes or danger.
Examples: Katniss volunteers to protect Prim. Ripley hunted on the Nostromo.N: Notable: distinct signal or skill that makes us respect the hero.
Examples: Indiana Jones’s hat and whip with practical competence. Sherlock’s violin and observation ritual.G: Gutsy: action despite fear.
Examples: Moana crosses the reef alone. Ripley returns for Newt.
Guideline: aim to introduce at least five of these early. Six or seven character traits in a story is better, but only if you can do it cleanly.
Exercise
Take one scene from your draft. Identify the path of least resistance. Rewrite the moment so the hero chooses against it for a value. Add a visible cost (time, effort, risk, status, or comfort).
1. How to present character traits in a story
Traits must appear in action under pressure. The pressure does not have to be a life or death climax. It only needs to be enough that the hero must choose against the path of least resistance because of a value they hold.
Example: In the opening of Aladdin, he steals bread to survive. He then sees hungry children and gives them the bread. The easy path is to eat it. His choice costs him and therefore proves kindness. If he were a rich king with endless wealth, giving bread would cost nothing and would not reveal kindness at the same level.
Rule of thumb: a trait is demonstrated when the character pays a visible cost for acting in line with it. The cost can be risk, time, effort, status, or comfort.
Exercise
Take one scene from your draft. Identify the path of least resistance. Rewrite the moment so the hero chooses against it for a value. Add a visible cost (time, effort, risk, status, or comfort).
2. When to show the character traits in a story
For your protagonist, show character traits as early as possible in your story. You can often let a single scene carry two or more traits. For instance, an Unfair Injury strikes, putting the hero at a disadvantage. In the same scene the hero still makes a Nice choice at greater cost. One scene, two checks.
Once a trait appears, do not leave it behind. Reinforce it with small beats and let it guide decisions across the story. The hero can evolve and even stray, but the positive baseline needs to exist at the start so readers invest.Exercise
Map your first three sequences. For each, specify at least one trait to show. Combine at least one scene to demonstrate two traits at once. Write one specific beat per scene.
How many traits do we need in a story?
This is not an exact science, but as a rule of thumb, put at least five of the UNFOLDING character traits in a story to ensure your hero is likeable from the start. Most successful films or novels you can count at least five UNFOLDING traits in Act I, and often six or seven. Five should be your goal. More is not always better. Prioritize clarity and cost over quantity.
Exercise
Read a book or watch a movie you love. Then, by the 25% mark, count how many UNFOLDING traits have been shown. What was the visible cost for each? Did they sometimes show more than one in a single scene? If fewer than five, could you have shown more, and would it have added to the character’s depth? If so, how would you go about it?
4. UNFOLDING quick reference with scene ideas
Use these concrete character traits examples to build sequences.
Unfair Injury: a door shuts in their face after they did the work. A boss takes public credit. A landlord raises rent arbitrarily.
Nice: shares a scarce resource without fanfare. Returns a lost item. Defends someone not present.
Funny: self deprecating line that lowers status to ease tension. A wry callback that bonds the team.
Obsessed: misses a party to run one more test. Confronts a mentor for the missing piece.
Loved: a friend covers for them. A neighbor checks in unprompted. A team votes to follow their plan.
Diligent: visible iteration count. Finishes the unglamorous task. Keeps a failure log.
Imperiled: deadline clock everyone else ignores. Credible warning arrives. Hazard only they notice.
Notable: trademark move solves a problem. Recognized by silhouette or sound. Signature tool in play.
Gutsy: volunteers first. Tells a hard truth politely. Returns to help after securing their exit.
Micro beats you can drop anywhere
U: is blamed for a mistake they did not make.
N: stops to help an injured cyclist even though they are late.
F: a dry line that eases tension.
O: skips a meal to run one more test.
L: text from a sibling that says Proud of you.
D: crosses out a row in a failure log.
I: notification that an account is flagged.
N: unique tool flashes in a pocket.
G: says I will go first.
Using UNFOLDING inside StorySteps
Apply UNFOLDING directly to your draft
StorySteps gives you a clear dashboard for UNFOLDING: select traits, map scenes, and see which beats you’ve covered at a glance.
Start using UNFOLDING in StorySteps for freeWant more like this?
If you enjoyed our take on UNFOLDING character traits in a story, then you might find our blog section interesting. If you’d like ongoing craft tools, scene breakdowns, and structure tutorials, browse our writing blog for more step-by-step help.
