In the world of fiction where magic knows no bounds and imaginary science enables characters to travel to different dimensions, it seems daunting to create a character that the audience can relate to when these are experiences that no regular person could possibly live through themselves, let alone a non-human character like an animal or an alien. But there is more to a being than just the worlds they come from and the species they are born as.

Even in a different setting, personalities and values can still align with those of our own. For example, your main character for your fantasy story could be a shy and quiet merman who is actually full of creative ideas; or for your sci-fi novel, a serious, rule-abiding alien from a faraway planet who is protective of her friends and family.  Similarly, you probably have a shy yet creative friend; or a serious classmate who diligently follows all the school rules. 

Perhaps these personalities and values are born from experiences that regular humans of modern-day Earth can relate to. The shy merman might be bullied and isolated for having different-coloured scales. The serious alien could have grown up with her parents putting sky-high expectations on her. In our world, people are still mistreated for their physical appearance, and parents continue to pile their hopes and dreams onto their children.

That means these characters will experience the same emotions because of their values and experiences. Just like how we will feel joy from having our creative work appreciated, the shy merman might feel happy for the same reason. Just like how we would be enraged by our friends being bullied, the serious alien could feel the same way watching her friends being unjustly treated.

There is much more that individuals can find in common than just physical appearances and cultural background in real life, and the same certainly goes for the characters we craft with pen and paper. With a more relatable character, your work will be able to touch hearts and move emotions beyond simple surprise and entertainment from a good plot.