Introducing Characters

Just like introducing the story with action and intrigue, characters must also enter the scene with a splash, or a bang or a HUZZAH! and they must capture the readers before they can get away.  They do this by being engaging: not necessarily nice or likeable... but they must get the reader's interest.  Call it the character hook: each character, even minor ones, needs to grab interest.

To be interesting, they have to be at least in some way, recognizeably like ourselves, even if they are horribly dreadfully different, too. There must be some familiarity we can connect to.

And they must have dimension.  So... yes... that means you have to know what kind of person you are writing about: you have to have a clear idea of their history and demeanor, their psychology and where they got it, and most of all, you can't tell us! Once again, these things must show in the character's actions and speech, not be laid out like a report.

Finally, it helps if each character is distinct from the rest.  It isn't smart to carelessly, gratuitiouosly confuse your readers:  It distracts, it annoys, it destroys the rapport that allows the reader to connect with the story.  Distinct names help, and distinct features.

Also, be wary of throwing too many characters in at the beginning: this dilutes the impact of the first moments, the first meetings.  So--focus on your primary character, or characters, bring in no more than you need to introduce by name, on that first page, or the second.  Maybe even the third.