There are many things readers admire about storytelling, but it’s always the characters they fall in love with. Our job as writers is to ensure our characters take center stage, and that we work especially hard to fashion a hero or heroine who is unique, authentic, and worth rooting for.

Taking the time to build our characters from the ground up requires time, thought, and planning. We must dig around in their pasts to understand who and what shaped them, what type of personalities they have, and what needs and desires motivate them within the story.

Another facet of character creation is deciding what special skills or talents a character might have. On the surface, skills and talents make a character interesting, but choosing the right abilities can also strengthen your story and make your characters memorable to readers. Here are a few ways that a special ability can elevate a character and add punch to the story itself.