Characters make or break a novel, especially for agents. When agents get 100s of manuscripts submitted per month, what is it that draws us to some books and not others? Characters.

What agents look for in a main character:

• Degree of likability
• Interesting
• Honest
• Have a strong and unique voice
• They feel like they had a real life before the book started and after the pages are done
• No coincidences
• Motivation for what they do
• That we meet them at an interesting point in their lives
• Most importantly: They must have a secret. What are they hiding?

All strong and interesting characters carry a secret with them. A secret that is slowly revealed to the reader. A secret that some find controversial always helps. A secret that the character has to explain and is the reason why they do what they do and why they are the way they are. And