Read "The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work," in which the author outlines the narrative of the archetypal hero across cultures and throughout the centuries. Campbell breaks the hero's journey into three stages--departure, initiation and return--and within these describes even more sub-stages. This classic, acclaimed book provides an excellent, easy-to-understand primer on character development.
Give your readers a reason to like--and bond with--your hero in the first few pages of your manuscript. Make a list of qualities that typically attract people, such as a sense of humor, strong morals and convictions, a generous heart or an exuberance for life, and write your hero so that these characteristics shine through in his actions.
Develop an underdog hero. "Everybody likes the underdog, because everybody feels like the underdog," says actress Kate Beckinsale. Audiences often are drawn to characters who are basically good people but have found themselves in unfortunate circumstances. They feel a sense of satisfaction and catharsis when an underdog hero beats the odds and comes out on top.
Create one or more believable obstacles your hero must overcome. An underdog is only likable when he attempts to change his circumstances. Perhaps your hero is a great father but is about to lose his custody battle (Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer in the film "Kramer vs. Kramer"), or feels alienated and runs away from home (Holden Caulfield in "The Catcher in the Rye") or is a poor lad in love with a rich, beautiful lady (Pip in "Great Expectations").
Whatever background you give your hero, make his obstacles engaging--and surmountable. Few people will root for a character if they don't think he has the ability to overcome what's keeping him from his heart's desires.
Make your hero imperfect. Some of the most famous--and beloved--literary and film heroes are those with flaws. For example, in the novel "Cyrano De Bergerac," the protagonist has an enormous nose, which keeps him from courting the woman he loves. Shakespeare's Macbeth suffers from pride, which leads to the murder of King Duncan.
Your characters' faults, when carefully crafted, can make your hero likable and advance your plot. "I actually like flawed characters because I find them more interesting--heroes particularly," says romance novelist Linda Gillard. "My characters struggle with inner conflicts rather than external villains so plot complications arise out of the characters' flaws and foibles. I think that makes a story more convincing and a more satisfying read."