: Re: How can I get readers to like a character they’ve never met? Okay, so in my story, a character goes missing, however you never actually meet them. How can I get readers to like them even

@Smith147

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I have a major character in my novel who is dead, and appears only as a spiritual entity. The ghost interacts with people by sending dreams and visions. She is also one of the most sympathetic characters in the story. Sendings and visions are not a material way of showing up, but can work. Dream sendings operate like a flashback, introducing the character with things that happened long ago.
Sometimes you have someone who will show up later in the story and play a prominent part. You want your readers to know them and to know their importance. Relate the character by the actions of the other characters. Have them talk about the missing character, remember the things they did together. Have the things they do center around helping the missing character, or have them say how the missing character changed their life.
Try to imagine The Lord of the Rings with Gandalf as an unseen presence. The characters talk about him, refer to the things he is doing and has done, how he changed their lives and fought evils. Without actually seeing him, you can see how you can set him up as a great hero and savior. If/when he shows up, you wouldn't need to develop his personality unless you wanted it to clash with the vision you had created.

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