Note: The Following pertains particularly to dynamic characters. Sometimes you may wish to create a static character that breaks all these rules just to drive you readers crazy, or annoy your others characters.
What makes a good fiction character? Many things go into creating a multi-faceted character that captures your readers interest, but without believability or "relatability" your character will fail.
Believability and "Relatability"
Skills and abilities
Billy is really smart and has good grades. (believable)
Billy is really smart, has good grades, and is a very good singer in the school choir. (believable)
Billy is really smart, has good grades, is a very good singer in the school choir and is on the varsity soccer team. (still pretty believable)
Billy is really smart, has good grades, a very good singer in the school choir, on the varsity soccer team, plays ten instruments at a virtuosic capacity, a gourmet chef, eagle scout, speaks five languages, runs the local animal shelter, baby sits for free every night, and works three jobs. Oh, he's also never stressed or tired, and he's NEVER EVER crabby, mean, selfish, or reactive (NOT believable)
No one is perfect, and no one can do everything well. Just because your character is fictional, doesn't mean he has to seem fake. Your reader will quickly loose interest if there is nothing Billy cannot do. Does that mean your character can't do a lot of things? No, "jack-of-all-trades" characters that dabble in many things, and may be fairly good at quite a few, are believable. Just as long as while they are bouncing from hobby to hobby, they aren't crazy good at all of them. Most likely, they will specialize in a few certain areas (for example, Jim enjoys sailing, woodworking, hunting, fishing and basketball. He is particularly good at fishing and sailing.)
Your character, if in some sort of fantasy or sci-fi, might possess some ability(s) that allow him or her to do things other people can't. The may even have a power to enable then to do many things (For example, how the wizards in Harry Potter can use magic to apparate, transfigure, modify objects, and a million other things). Again it's important that your character still remains beleivable through your protrayal and limiting the amount of powers he possesses. It's also important that your character isn't infallible, which brings us to...
Character Flaws and Weaknesses
The man of steel becomes naught but a helpless babe at the sight of Krypotonite. Harry Potter and friends can't do diddly squat (magically) without their wands. Even though these character are powerful, they still have weaknesses. Because your character can become vulnerable, your readers won't just set down the book knowing the main character will beat the villain since he's invincible. Rather you will have your reader so enthralled and questioning whether or not they really can do it. HP Spoiler Warning Speaking of Harry Potter he even has to die before good can triumph. I personally prefer keeping characters special abilities at a minimum, but whatever you do, be sure they can be beat.
If your character is perfect in skills, you can still pull off believability under one condition, your character is can be related to through character flaws. Real people have feelings and react to situations. Real people are selfish. Real people, no matter how nice they are will have times where they are angry, mean, prideful, or jealous. You will not ruin your character because they snap at people for no reason, or can act selfish, on the contrary, your character will be enriched because your readers feel the can RELATE to the character and how the feel.
Your readers will also feel a disconnect if your character never struggles to do things, or those struggles are minor. If your character was illiterate, and suddenly is reading fluently in by three days, you've lost believability AND "relatability". Stories are so much more engaging if nothing ever seems to go right for the character. Your readers will understand what it is like to grapple with a difficult task or new skill, and thus through relating, you get believability.
Dealing with Trauma and Tragedy
One of my biggest pet peeves are characters that despite a horrendous past, or a terrible tragedy, are completely normal and un-scarred. If your character was abused as a child, orphaned, had all their siblings die, lost their dog, and became crippled in the left foot due to a terrible accident (which it so happens also killed the character's one and only friend), Are they going to just stand up, smile, and bounce off happily like nothing happened? Heck no! They are going to be intrinsically changed, because of the trauma.
The first half of this is the initial reaction. For example, if your character sees someone die that is close to them (or just witnesses someone's death), they will react in some way. The may cry, go numb, act like nothing has happened, blame somebody, or lash out. The tragedy/trauma will effect them. It's understandable if the character is in the middle of a battle and sees his friend die, he may not have much time to process if he's preoccupied fighting, but you can be sure it will hit him eventually.
The second (and very often overlooked) part of the trauma reaction is the long term ramifications. Ever heard of Post Traumatic Stress (PSTD)? If not, look it up. People are permanently affected by trauma. Even if the event may only be traumatic to your character, or be not so "traumatic" as to cause something such as PSTD, it still can affect and change your character. If your character has more of a long term tragic life, that was hard and/or abusive, and they haven't known any other way, they still will find ways to cope. They may become withdrawn, stifle their feelings, have anxiety or anger problems, depression etc. For example, I have a character who's reaction to trauma and tragedy was to go intermittently mute.
Another important part of good writing and character development is portrayal of the grieving process. Your character will react (Hannah cries and cries when her dog gets hit by a car), go through a mourning and grieving period (Hannah has trouble sleeping because she misses her dog, she cries a lot, and doesn't want to be around other dogs, she may get angry and lash out at others), and reconciliation (Hannah begins to talk about her dog to others, she begins to interact with dogs again,and may eventually get another dog.). Even when your character comes to the point where they are at terms with their grief, they still will be affected (Hannah still misses her dog, and sometimes becomes very sad).
Characters that can be related to and are believable are the first step in creating a good story.
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