What Makes A Good Character?

Characters play a vital role in a book. The story practically revolves around one or more of them. But there are many types of characters out there, all with their own story to tell. Different types of characters appeal to  people for multiple reasons. Some like a character that they can relate to, whereas others prefer a character they wish they could be. There are characters who are out of this world perfect and others who appear more plain and ordinary.

But it's not just the personality and appearance of a character we learn to love but also their development over the time in the book. There's the classic story of a villain turning good or a hero descending into madness, or the tales of a character exploring deep thoughts on their ideas of the world.

Thinking about the different kinds of characters made me start thinking - what do I like in a character?

I live for development and watching the growth over the period of time. I love a character that after time I am able to picture how they would act in different scenarios because I feel like I know them inside and out. One story in particular where I like seeing how a character copes is through a time of grief. Seeing how they process their thoughts and feelings will always bring a tear to my eye.
I'm looking at you John Green.

I believe the characters that appeal to us also reflect on who we are as people. I love seeing characters grow and learn and cope because it feels real to me. I love all things real and I think that is reflected in the characters that I enjoy most. 

The only problem with the characters I like is that I end up sobbing like a mad woman 80% of the time.