Creating charismatic characters

All fiction needs strong characters.  Even science fiction, that bastion of the ideas story, now wants character-driven stories.

Not all characters in stories are equal. There are broadly three types: minor characters, who walk on, do/say something important, then disappear; type characters like the burly bouncer who act - well - according to type; and major, or three-dimensional characters.

So how do you create charismatic major characters?  By knowing a lot about them.  A character's name is key.  It can show social class, ethnicity, religious affiliation, how formal that person is, and the nature of the character's personality.  You will need to know a bit about their appearance, but don't over-describe them.  The reader wants space to create their own character.  

The questions that really help you to know your character in depth are the ones you ask about his or her motivation.  What relationship does your character find most difficult, and why?  Who does he/she love most?  What is his/ her most precious possession?  What does that person fear most? What is your character's greatest secret?  If your character is afraid of someone unmasking their big secret they're going to be motivated to act to prevent that, and you have a story.

The characters we find most charismatic are individuals who have their own beliefs and values.  How  they relate to the world is shaped by these.  Create charismatic characters that your readers can identify with and you'll have them coming back for more.