When writing a story, do you get attached to the characters you're writing about? If you do, to what level? Do you get sad when your characters get sad, and happy when your characters are happy? Are you more attached to certain characters in your story than others?
How about when reading a story? Of course the story has to be well written, but how well written does it have to be? How easily attached to characters are you?
Just some questions to get that brain thinking. Discuss.
For me, I always look for connections between the characters and myself, directly or indirectly. When it comes to me writing my own stories, I base my main characters off of myself, and then sculpt their friends/families/rivals by using mannerisms from people I know. So for me, I get connected to any of my characters that much more easily, because in a way, they are a part of me. Even the ones that I don't base off of me or people I know, I just feel connected to them in some way.
Sometimes my entire chapters will be focused around a particular mood I'm in, whether it be lonely, hopeless, jolly, joyful, etcetera.
The same principle can be said about characters from other peoples stories. I try to connect with them on a personal level. Let's use Harry Potter as a reference, I can connect on a personal level with Hagrid. No, I'm not bred between a giant and a wizard, but I am generally the tallest person in my immediate area, and at one point in my life was completely and utterly shunned for no apparent reason.
But when I am recognized, much like the jolly giant hybrid, I am generally one of the most kind-hearted individuals and most loyal to my friends.
In short, it's always about the connections I share with a character, based on my personal experiences or attitudes, that bonds me to characters.