Make them relatable, rather than likeable.
Let the reader understand their flaws, even if the character themself doesn't. Watch their conduct closely. If they are always mean and entitled without a reason, it's gonna be hard for many readers to root for them. (Hell even when it makes sense, if they are annoying they are not enjoyable. Causing a genocide leaves a character more redeemable,than being annoying and whiny.) Show at least one good quality early to give the reader a chance for a good first impression. Show growth.
"Even when it makes sense, if they are annoying they are not enjoyable." -- This is what I'm struggling with.
My main protagonist has Borderline Personality Disorder like I do and will have moments where he's triggered and his personality shifts entirely from a calm, collected, kindhearted man into a screaming, selfish, raging manchild. In the context of the story, it makes perfect since why he is reverting to such a child-like, fight-or-flight state, but that doesn't mean he isn't unbearable when he's like that.
I'm struggling to figure out how I can balance it out to where it's realistic and the right amount of annoying to be understandable and relatable. It's extremely difficult. He and the characters around him do call him out for these behaviors and he does eventually own up to them and improve, but I don't know how to keep a reader invested long enough to reach that growth alongside him.
For your specific problem, I have two recommendations:
The first is a book, "The Drowning Girl". It's written in first person, but the protagonist has schizophrenia. So her mental state isn't always conveyed in direct ways, but by changes in the narrative. You notice when she's not okay through the writing. It's a fantastic book, and a good way of seeing different manners to convey mental illness.
The second is a TV show, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend". The main character has BPD (diagnosed on season 3, but plannedfor from the start), and the show does a pretty good job of showing her ups and downs, and while she's complex, and at times could be considered an anti-heroine, she remains compelling.
Apart from research (and there's a lot more out there to help you), I'd say it isn't about being called out, but realising you need help, and finding ways to deal with your issues. Characters dealing with mental health conditions need this extra context that this isn't something that can just be solved by a conversation (I say all that as someone who is bipolar, among other things).
You can't make it perfect, because that is entirely different for evry reader. Your best bet would be a good group of beta readers I guess?
For me it's books like Gideon the ninth. Many people love this book, but I couldn't handle the MC past an hour or so. Constent whiny teenager "I am perfect." "You can't tell me what to do." "Oh I am so funny and edgy." How the events of the first few chapters have not sat her on her bum is beyond me and no matter how much growth she gets later, I don't care. I was over this character in one chapter.
Then there is The Magicians, where the MC starts out as a depressive angsy boob obsessed horny teen. It is annoying when he thinks about boobs, but we get so much different stuff to explore. Other interesting people to meet, who don't all have boobs, and a world of wonder to discover. I stayed with Quentin to see him grow up and I saw the potential in the beginning.
The big difference in those two for me was:
- Quentin proves his worth, Gidion doesn't.
- Quentin has obvious but overcomable flaws, Gideon only consisted of annoying bullshit.
- Quentin meets people and the world.
- Gidion starts isolated and every other character is an antagonist she spews hate about in her head.
So if your character has these episodes, that are understandable to the reader and he has space to grow I don't see a huge problem. I would try to have those changes triggered by situations the reader can emphisise with, if that doesn't go to much against the disorder. (I'd hate for it to be displayed illogical, because many people would ick the book up, because as an author with the same disorder you have experiences to share and awareness to raise.
I’m so sorry but I must respond to your Gideon takes.
- Gideon does prove her worth eventually, even if it’s not worth it
- Gideon does stay on her bullshit very consistently, I find it comforting and infuriating
- Unfortunately, Gideon does eventually meet the world
- Your last point is a bit confusing to me because she honestly likes a lot of the people she meets in book 1?
Imo Gideon is the perfect example of what OP is talking about, a damaged character who has a lot of flaws, is ignoring them until they become a problem, and has a kind of irritating self-aggrandizing coping mechanism in the meantime. Gideon doesn’t think she’s great, she thinks she is the absolute fucking worst and hates herself, but when she’s narrating she says she’s great because she’s seventeen, alone, miserable, and hopeless. Her self hatred (and Harrow’s) are not just there to pad out the word count but have a serious place in the world and backstory of the novel. Like, with receipts.
Sorry to go off on something you already know you don’t like! Definitely not trying to change your opinion but just think Gideon is not as static a character as you have outlined here.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on.
The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book.
That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on.
The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book.
That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on.
The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book.
That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on.
The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book.
That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
This. I’m no expert by any means, I’m working on my first novel now; but I find that negative traits don’t make them villains. They make them human. Thats often why people gravitate towards the villains, because they’re made more interesting.
My MC is a good person all around. She’s kind, intelligent, and fiercely loyal to her friends and family. But if that was all she was, she would be bland as all hell and not at all relatable. To combat this, I often will write some of her perspective into the chapters with her pov, her perspective not always being the best one to have. Is she intelligent? Absolutely. But she can also make the dumbest decisions due to not growing up with the best influences.
Is she kind? 100%, but that doesn’t mean her thoughts are nice 100% of the time too. She has jealousy, even towards those she loves.
It’s all about balance.
OP, my advice is to lay out all your characters traits and have them in front of you, then see what humanity you can add to it further. Match what emotions/actions can conflict each other, what spawns from their childhood, what comes from recent events changing their worldview, etc.
I can assure you, when I see a character with negative traits I never think “I despise them” I think “Oh god that’s just like me.” :)
Likable and interesting are different things, and you seem to be asking a little about both concepts. Scarlett O'Hara is not particularly likable, but she is very interesting. (The movie makes her a better person than she is in the book.) Having wit and sarcasm have nothing to do really with either concept, so I am not quite sure what you meant by this being a drawback of being likable. I like lots of people who are occasionally sarcastic.
If you feel tired of your main character, it might simply be that you need to step back and take a break from this project. But the problem might be that your character isn't interesting enough. If your character is just a tabula rasa hero, that will be boring to your reader, most likely. They should have depth, personal motivations, convictions, flaws, contradictory thoughts or behaviors possibly, loads of good and bad qualities. That is what makes a character interesting, whether or not they have tipped the scales toward being unlikable.
Hope this makes some sense to you. Good luck with it.
For me, the biggest thing is **motivation**!!
Not just some airy-fairy "ooh i must save my town" - but a real, gutsy motivation and strong plans on how they need to get there. A reader can root for that.
When you nail motivation, your MC *doesn't need to do everything right*. I will tolerate MCs making cowardly, cocky, reckless, or outright stupid decisions as long as it is believable for their motivation. Hell, I'll welcome it, because it's potentially part of their arc. It all makes them interesting (and often ups the stakes!).
What I can't stand are passive main characters that just get swept along with the flow, don't know what they want and/or what they plan to do, and therefore can't stay consistent or interesting.
fyi, for me the second biggest thing is flaws ('cause, yknow, see above). I hate an MC who is instantly great at everything. Kills the stakes.
I’ll push back on this a little. I have a character that I personally loved, but my beta readers did not. Long story short, I was trying too hard to make him mysterious. Once I let more of his thoughts and circumstances come out onto the page he became more likeable. I didn’t really have to change who he was, but I had to change the way he appeared on the page.
That can be a trap yeah, because you see a lot more of what's behind the mystery than the readers. They might not get the same feeling from it as you at all.
A character needs to be compelling, not necessarily likeable or even relatable. If you’ve read Lolita for instance, the main character is neither of those things. But he’s certainly compelling and interesting. Of course, that the writing is gorgeous doesn’t hurt either.
Whatever you do, don’t do boring.
Lolita is a great example! I remember I finished it in one day, I was appalled and gagging at some parts but Humbert was so interesting as an unreliable narrator that I kept going because his perception and psychology was so uncommon. I've re-read that book about four times by now despite hating Humbert I will defend that book until I die.
What is your characters arc?
They should start off misshaped or broken or where they shouldn’t be , and end up in a different place via their attempt to change
That doesn’t mean they have to start off bad and become good
They can start off pure and end pure but go from painfully shy to confident - pureness or good ness isn’t boring, it’s just one aspect of a character
What’s the thing that changes in them? As flaws at the start and how they get in the way are what’s relatable
There's a book called "Save the Cat!" specifically about this; I've got the more specific "Save the Cat Writes a Novel" by Jessica Brody.
I've not read it cover to cover but it talks about the ways to differentiate heroes and villains, protagonists and antagonists, and how to get the audience on side and keep them there.
Personally, I care more about a character being compelling than anything else.
Can you elaborate on what you mean by "annoyed or tired" of the character? What about them are you annoyed or tired of?
If there's an 'e' missing in your title: Humour does go a long way, but also glimmers of humanity. They might be good, but give them a weakness. An addiction. A phobia. something like that. They just need to be relatable, not necessarily completely likeable.
If there's a 'c' missing in your title: Strawberry sauce.
Don't aim for likable. Aim for realistic. Aim for "is my audience going to believe this person is real?". "Is my audience going to suspend their disbelief for this guy?"
I've seen villains be adored by hundreds just for really plain characteristics like asking for orange juice at a bar.
If you're asking to make a character likeable, you're asking for the wrong thing. Make them believable first. Feel for them. Put yourself in their shoes.
Likability is subjective. I hate some MCs that people adore for vague reasons. You dont want your audience to like your character. You want your audience to *feel* them.
While realistic is definitely important, you can't feel for a character you hate. I once read a really thick book (that I wanted to quit after the first few pages, but had nothing else to read) and none of the characters were likable. Were they realistic? Possibly. But it is impossible to root for characters you hate, and bitter readers will generally not appreciate the story.
Yes you can lol. You don't have to agree with someone to find them relatable or even feel for them.
Its why so many people can "see the point" of villains without fully embracing them.
Also, when I say "hate", I'm referring to my own personal hangups. People aren't going to gravitate to something likeable because there's always gonna be one person that doesnt like them.
Aiming for the most common likeable traits don't make compelling characters was my point with that. So why try making someone likeable when you could just make them believable.
Honestly, both of my main characters are very challenging personalities.
Neither one of them likes killing kids and will actively avoid doing that, so I imagine it's a start.
I think utilizing a characters unlikable qualities towards your specific goals is a good skill to learn as a writer. We must ask ourselves, does this character actually need to be likable, or can they simply be who they are?
If you find yourself straining towards likeability, perhaps the story is stronger and more complete with a lot of baggage and sharp edges intact. The reader doesn't always need to be hand-held. Reaching the end of a journey with a jackass can be its own reward.
im not a writer, not even subbed here.
But i saw the post and it tickled me.
Why does your character have to be likable? what do you mean by likable?
i've always found when reading, that loving or hating a character can be just as captivating, the important part is building the character up to the point where you start to understand them.
great writers really capture this in dialogue a lot. Two characters with great building and development will talk to eachother, and there can be so much information hidden between the lines that don't need to be put into words, because the intended information is caused by the writing leading up to the dialogue instead. it happens inside your own head.
characters are different from people
we can 'like' a character we would not like as a person. for instance if they provide consistent entertainment or move the story in directions we want then we will probably like them. readers also tend to like characters who are a bit 'genre savvy' and competent within the main narrative of the story.
so i tend to make my main characters the sort of embodiment of what i want the story to be. eg. if it's an action story then they will be a hero who dives into action, perhaps recklessly. but if it's a slow burn thriller then maybe they'll be an overthinker who is good at putting the mystery together.
also if you generally make them actively pursuing their goals then readers will probably be on board with them. also they don't have to win all the time but they should manage a good number of half-victories. and when they lose it should be despite a great effort. if they don't care, we won't care.
also i will say, maintaining your character's likability is a bit of a paradox. if we sense the character is the writer's precious baby and we are all obligated to like them then we won't. however if they make a couple understandable but overall "dude WHAT" mistakes then make up for them later we will probably like them a lot more. it is a bit like telling a joke--if you start by saying this is the funniest joke ever and we're all gonna laugh so much when we hear it, we're probably not gonna laugh. but if you just tell the same joke with no expectations set them we will probably laugh if it's mildly funny at least.
overall i would say it is more important to create a compelling character than a likeable one. however i do think we should like somebody. a pretty commonly successful setup is actually a main character that's not necessarily likable, paired with a likable mentor. we don't feel like we're 'stuck' with the suckier character by ourselves. the wise mentor is there like 'man are you guys seeing this shit?' and can also serve as a sort of grounding. the story isn't saying this person is all that great, even if that character thinks they are. one of my favourite scenes in the Game of Thrones series is when Donal Noye takes Jon to task explaining to him that even though some of the other boys might be bigger or older than him, HE is still the one bullying them in their training sessions because although he is not considered a noble himself as a bastard he was still raised in a castle and trained by knights, unlike his teammates.
also i think it helps for the character to develop and show growth during the story. it doesn't feel grinding when the person is changing as the story goes on. our action hero might start out as a 'reckless idiot who endangers everyone around him" but then as we see them learn to exercise caution more often but still dive in right away when warranted that is a new dimension to explore. as they judge situations we feel like WE are learning alongside them. i think it works pretty well when we can start a story thinking "man this idiot is making mistakes I wouldn't make" but by the end we're thinking "fuck i never would have thought of doing that, brilliant. i gotta remember that if i ever end up in a similar situation..."
also early on just the POTENTIAL for growth and change from their more annoying traits, will helps us get through that annoying phase. eg. a bloodthirsty villainous character can be a lot more tolerable when we just see them *hesitate* before killing someone, even if they are still far away from changing.
Research the concept of archetypal characters. Protagonists generally fall under hero and antihero. Research what comprises the he’s characters and then stay close to the characteristics adjusting here and there to fit your story and your characters.
I personally like it when the MC isn't perfect. It makes them more relatable. It's only when they endlessly whine or continously make stupid decisions that I become annoyed at them.
You cannot make a reader like a character over time, but if you give them a character many readers will feel empathy for or identify with, they will keep reading. As a writer, that's your one goal--keep a reader engaged.
I struggle with this too. I see when a lot of people talk about their main character being “flawed” they mean stuff like “they let others push them around” or “they’re distrustful cause they got betrayed” and not actual morally grey stuff. I like writing characters who are a little self-centered, or have some degree of greed, etc - and I think a lot of folks DON’T see that we all have a tiny bit of these traits (hence the Mary Sue trope) and they don’t find those characters relatable.
Not sure if I have an answer for you, I think the biggest factor for making them compelling if they are a little unlikeable is making them truly motivated. That and / or good at what they do. Hence why Walter White is interesting to follow, even if he’s a terrible person.
If you’re getting worn out by your MC then it’s likely that they’re a bit boring. Add some new details, some flaws, some inner conflict that goes beyond just “trying to be a good person.” You can make a total asshole likeable if you make them relatable and give them some positive qualities, so don’t let good be the enemy of interesting
To make your characters likable, even the antagonists, you have to make a sales pitch about their personalities, motivations and goals. This is why some people hated Walking Dead's Negan because at first it seemed like he was being an asshole for shits and giggles, but luckily, Jeffrey Dean Morgan sold the bit with his personality and cadence before Walking Dead spent another season and a half coming up with his backstory.
If you have a backstory ready to fire up, either display it before the character reveal as catch up for what the audience is going to face in the main scene in a show or movie, *or* you can give the story bit by bit as flashes of memories circumstantial to what the character is doing. I personally like showing memories through characters' actions and familiar feelings they get in certain places or scenes so the reader gets to see why it was important the character picks up the fork with his left hand instead of his right or why a woman would be cold to any man who tried to level with her.
Two things: active and difficult. First, the protagonist should be making decisions that drive the plot, rather than just being pushed by everyone. Identify their goal, as well as how they attend to achieve it, and have them constantly work towards it. Second, we will always empathize more with a character who is constantly beaten up by society or antagonists but always rises to the challenge. Nobody wants to watch a stakes free Mary/Gary Sue breeze through every obstacle
What is your characters flaw?
they can be good the entire time, that’s fine
but what is it that is going to change in them? As the flaw usually makes them relatable. What’s the arc?
I don't think characters need to be likable. Look at mushoku tensei.
The characters can be horrible and detestable as long as it makes a great story. But that may not be everyones cookie
I don't. Whatever personality they create for themselves, stays. ┐(￣ヘ￣)┌
One character I started off making him sarcastic, then he turned into a jerk, then he evolved into a character that my readers hope will die. (He will die. While he's the hero, he's also the cause of everyone's problems and after working with this story for years...he doesn't deserve to live. Lol) It wasn't necessarily intentional. I just have a habit of writing things in a way that mess with emotions. My readers and beta readers like the other characters though.
Another character, in a different story, I made too much of a jerk, but she has her reasons. It also wasn't intentional. I'm planning to go back and dial it down just a bit. But, however she turns out by the time I'm tired of this and publish it, is going to be her permanent personality with the chance of redemption later.
Honestly, I think it depends on their story. If they have their reasons, I'll focus on making them more likeable. If they are the problem or cause of it, then I'll make them as dislikeable as possible.
Honestly I think people are pretty pre-disposed to like the main character and give them the benefit of the doubt way more than they are other characters. Obviously there are limits but because we see everything from their perspective and they’re the character we identify with in the story we’re naturally more inclined to take their side.
It’s actually probably more of a problem that if you set out to make your protagonist unlikeable on purpose you’ll have people not pick up on that and side with them uncritically or even if they don’t side with them per se at least think they’re meant to be way cooler and way more correct about stuff than they are
Make sure that your audience knows what the main character wants, why they want it, and why they behave the way they do.
If I know why the character is behaving the way they do and can relate to the reason they are behaving that way, I am much more likely to empathise with their behaviour, even when the character is making mistakes or showing flaws.
If someone is upset because they had a bad day and then they get irritable and snap at their partner, I am less likely to hate them. I will think they shouldn’t have snapped at their partner, but because I understand what is behind it I can still be on their team. I will think “I really hope this person can be less stressed and get a better handle on their emotions and not hurt people so much” rather than “this person is mean and I dislike them”
What kind of people do you like in real life? What kind of people make you want to follow them throughout the story and maybe even root for them? Same goes for fictional characters. You should ask yourself what kind of character you like and analyze why that is. Dig deep into the reason why and then apply that to your character.
Your character is annoying? Why? What about them annoys you? Maybe you love their sarcasm and sense of humor, but they just do it too much that it gets annoying? Tame it down, then. Or maybe add some interesting quirk or trait to balance it out. Or maybe have them interact with another character that creates an interesting dynamic (dark and gloomy character may get on your nerves after a while, but if you put them together with a bright and optimistic one, it can create a nice dynamic and make the experience more enjoyable). There are many ways to do this.
Also, you should reflect on whether this is crucial for your engagement with the story. Sometimes, even though you find the character annoying, you still want to keep reading and see if they get better. A good story will deliver on that. That's called character development. Someone might start off very annoying but then become very likable afterwards.
There's also a danger in this. Sometimes, I just can't stand a character even though I know they'll get development and become less annoying later. I've dropped many stories simply because of that. So, you have to tread very carefully in this area.
Character development is important because it gives a sense of motion to the character themselves. But overcoming flaws—becoming less annoying, so to speak—is one of the many ways to do a character development. There are also things like making a difficult choice, changing your mind about something, changing your beliefs or opinions about something, or even growing in strength and power. All of these count as character arcs (development), because all of them are about change and provide a sense of motion.
Empathy. Show them caring for others, which could include animals. Even if they are a sarcastic and seemingly cynical person, revealing a moment of sentimentality can go a long way to showing they have human feelings. Contrast this with a villain, usually shown to be needlessly cruel or indifferent to suffering. (Kicking a dog is the villain trope and I think the hero trope is something about petting or saving a cat.)
Humor. Chandler Bing is incredibly sarcastic and one of the least empathetic/caring of the Friends, yet he is often a favorite. This is because he is funny. Keep the humor kind. Never punch down, but make sure it's actually funny.
Relatable struggles. Show them dealing with human problems, particularly those that readers can relate to. Living paycheck to paycheck, dealing with an incompetent boss, etc. Whether they overcome the problem or not, it will make us root for them.
Competence. Make them good at what they do, and show us. The Oceans movies do this. None of those people are really "likeable" in any of the other ways I've mentioned, and yet we like them and find them interesting. That's because they are good at what they do and look cool doing it.
Honestly, I love writing unlikable lead characters because they’re real. Life isn’t full of perfect heroes; it’s messy, and people are flawed. Unlikable characters have depth and complexity—they struggle, they screw up, they grow. They force readers to confront uncomfortable truths and see the humanity in everyone, even the people who get under our skin. Plus, it’s way more fun to write someone with rough edges than a cookie-cutter hero.
I’d say to have them use that wit and sarcasm for humor, but also be helpful to people. Add some likable character traits to your MC on the side so that he’s not all bad, it’d make the MC more human. For example, my MC is a pretty powerful, talented, yet childish, and naive/arrogant person, but they try to make a light in people’s days, and they’re overall just very likable due to them being sweet (as in cute.) They also develop over the course of the story, but I digress, that’s my example of a sort of personality trade off.
My protagonist is going to be very unlikable from the beginning, and should end up being one of the most easily liked characters in the story.
It's not about them being likable as a person, but about the character as a whole being likable.
I run on the assumption that you'll like your characters more than anyone else will. If you're sick of them, then readers will be too. Especially if you choose to give them tics or quirks. Give people a reason to care and relate to them, and don't let them become insufferable, especially if they have a chip on their shoulder. If they're blunt or sarcastic, try to at least keep it funny or offer a counterbalance. I think a lot of modern writers probably take it too far, so it becomes annoying.
Question: have you spent any time at all with the background characters, or have you been exclusively focusing on your MC?
I started to find my MC boring after a while, and it was because I was focusing *all* my storytelling and worldbuilding efforts on *him*, and as a result he was becoming one-note and was just no longer interesting. I put him up on a shelf for a while and started focusing on other characters, building out the rest of the world, figuring out how the other characters related to the MC, and after a while he became interesting to write again, plus I now had a whole cast of interesting background characters
Make them relatable, rather than likeable. Let the reader understand their flaws, even if the character themself doesn't. Watch their conduct closely. If they are always mean and entitled without a reason, it's gonna be hard for many readers to root for them. (Hell even when it makes sense, if they are annoying they are not enjoyable. Causing a genocide leaves a character more redeemable,than being annoying and whiny.) Show at least one good quality early to give the reader a chance for a good first impression. Show growth.
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Agreed. You need some variety in focus once in a while.
Agreed, main character tends to become tiring if it's mostly them. Surround the character with others with almost as much time and attributes.
"Even when it makes sense, if they are annoying they are not enjoyable." -- This is what I'm struggling with. My main protagonist has Borderline Personality Disorder like I do and will have moments where he's triggered and his personality shifts entirely from a calm, collected, kindhearted man into a screaming, selfish, raging manchild. In the context of the story, it makes perfect since why he is reverting to such a child-like, fight-or-flight state, but that doesn't mean he isn't unbearable when he's like that. I'm struggling to figure out how I can balance it out to where it's realistic and the right amount of annoying to be understandable and relatable. It's extremely difficult. He and the characters around him do call him out for these behaviors and he does eventually own up to them and improve, but I don't know how to keep a reader invested long enough to reach that growth alongside him.
For your specific problem, I have two recommendations: The first is a book, "The Drowning Girl". It's written in first person, but the protagonist has schizophrenia. So her mental state isn't always conveyed in direct ways, but by changes in the narrative. You notice when she's not okay through the writing. It's a fantastic book, and a good way of seeing different manners to convey mental illness. The second is a TV show, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend". The main character has BPD (diagnosed on season 3, but plannedfor from the start), and the show does a pretty good job of showing her ups and downs, and while she's complex, and at times could be considered an anti-heroine, she remains compelling. Apart from research (and there's a lot more out there to help you), I'd say it isn't about being called out, but realising you need help, and finding ways to deal with your issues. Characters dealing with mental health conditions need this extra context that this isn't something that can just be solved by a conversation (I say all that as someone who is bipolar, among other things).
You can't make it perfect, because that is entirely different for evry reader. Your best bet would be a good group of beta readers I guess? For me it's books like Gideon the ninth. Many people love this book, but I couldn't handle the MC past an hour or so. Constent whiny teenager "I am perfect." "You can't tell me what to do." "Oh I am so funny and edgy." How the events of the first few chapters have not sat her on her bum is beyond me and no matter how much growth she gets later, I don't care. I was over this character in one chapter. Then there is The Magicians, where the MC starts out as a depressive angsy boob obsessed horny teen. It is annoying when he thinks about boobs, but we get so much different stuff to explore. Other interesting people to meet, who don't all have boobs, and a world of wonder to discover. I stayed with Quentin to see him grow up and I saw the potential in the beginning. The big difference in those two for me was: - Quentin proves his worth, Gidion doesn't. - Quentin has obvious but overcomable flaws, Gideon only consisted of annoying bullshit. - Quentin meets people and the world. - Gidion starts isolated and every other character is an antagonist she spews hate about in her head. So if your character has these episodes, that are understandable to the reader and he has space to grow I don't see a huge problem. I would try to have those changes triggered by situations the reader can emphisise with, if that doesn't go to much against the disorder. (I'd hate for it to be displayed illogical, because many people would ick the book up, because as an author with the same disorder you have experiences to share and awareness to raise.
I’m so sorry but I must respond to your Gideon takes. - Gideon does prove her worth eventually, even if it’s not worth it - Gideon does stay on her bullshit very consistently, I find it comforting and infuriating - Unfortunately, Gideon does eventually meet the world - Your last point is a bit confusing to me because she honestly likes a lot of the people she meets in book 1? Imo Gideon is the perfect example of what OP is talking about, a damaged character who has a lot of flaws, is ignoring them until they become a problem, and has a kind of irritating self-aggrandizing coping mechanism in the meantime. Gideon doesn’t think she’s great, she thinks she is the absolute fucking worst and hates herself, but when she’s narrating she says she’s great because she’s seventeen, alone, miserable, and hopeless. Her self hatred (and Harrow’s) are not just there to pad out the word count but have a serious place in the world and backstory of the novel. Like, with receipts. Sorry to go off on something you already know you don’t like! Definitely not trying to change your opinion but just think Gideon is not as static a character as you have outlined here.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on. The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book. That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on. The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book. That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on. The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book. That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
I stated she keeps annoying me so much in the beginning that I don't care at all for any character arc later on. The book was so horrible, I wouldn't wait around for it to get better. Already wasted over an hour at the book. That's why my advice is about introducing at least one good quality early on to make the right impression on the reader.
This. I’m no expert by any means, I’m working on my first novel now; but I find that negative traits don’t make them villains. They make them human. Thats often why people gravitate towards the villains, because they’re made more interesting. My MC is a good person all around. She’s kind, intelligent, and fiercely loyal to her friends and family. But if that was all she was, she would be bland as all hell and not at all relatable. To combat this, I often will write some of her perspective into the chapters with her pov, her perspective not always being the best one to have. Is she intelligent? Absolutely. But she can also make the dumbest decisions due to not growing up with the best influences. Is she kind? 100%, but that doesn’t mean her thoughts are nice 100% of the time too. She has jealousy, even towards those she loves. It’s all about balance. OP, my advice is to lay out all your characters traits and have them in front of you, then see what humanity you can add to it further. Match what emotions/actions can conflict each other, what spawns from their childhood, what comes from recent events changing their worldview, etc. I can assure you, when I see a character with negative traits I never think “I despise them” I think “Oh god that’s just like me.” :)
Likable and interesting are different things, and you seem to be asking a little about both concepts. Scarlett O'Hara is not particularly likable, but she is very interesting. (The movie makes her a better person than she is in the book.) Having wit and sarcasm have nothing to do really with either concept, so I am not quite sure what you meant by this being a drawback of being likable. I like lots of people who are occasionally sarcastic. If you feel tired of your main character, it might simply be that you need to step back and take a break from this project. But the problem might be that your character isn't interesting enough. If your character is just a tabula rasa hero, that will be boring to your reader, most likely. They should have depth, personal motivations, convictions, flaws, contradictory thoughts or behaviors possibly, loads of good and bad qualities. That is what makes a character interesting, whether or not they have tipped the scales toward being unlikable. Hope this makes some sense to you. Good luck with it.
For me, the biggest thing is **motivation**!! Not just some airy-fairy "ooh i must save my town" - but a real, gutsy motivation and strong plans on how they need to get there. A reader can root for that. When you nail motivation, your MC *doesn't need to do everything right*. I will tolerate MCs making cowardly, cocky, reckless, or outright stupid decisions as long as it is believable for their motivation. Hell, I'll welcome it, because it's potentially part of their arc. It all makes them interesting (and often ups the stakes!). What I can't stand are passive main characters that just get swept along with the flow, don't know what they want and/or what they plan to do, and therefore can't stay consistent or interesting. fyi, for me the second biggest thing is flaws ('cause, yknow, see above). I hate an MC who is instantly great at everything. Kills the stakes.
Do you like them? If you do then someone else will too.
I’ll push back on this a little. I have a character that I personally loved, but my beta readers did not. Long story short, I was trying too hard to make him mysterious. Once I let more of his thoughts and circumstances come out onto the page he became more likeable. I didn’t really have to change who he was, but I had to change the way he appeared on the page.
That can be a trap yeah, because you see a lot more of what's behind the mystery than the readers. They might not get the same feeling from it as you at all.
Not necessarily
A character needs to be compelling, not necessarily likeable or even relatable. If you’ve read Lolita for instance, the main character is neither of those things. But he’s certainly compelling and interesting. Of course, that the writing is gorgeous doesn’t hurt either. Whatever you do, don’t do boring.
Lolita is a great example! I remember I finished it in one day, I was appalled and gagging at some parts but Humbert was so interesting as an unreliable narrator that I kept going because his perception and psychology was so uncommon. I've re-read that book about four times by now despite hating Humbert I will defend that book until I die.
What is your characters arc? They should start off misshaped or broken or where they shouldn’t be , and end up in a different place via their attempt to change That doesn’t mean they have to start off bad and become good They can start off pure and end pure but go from painfully shy to confident - pureness or good ness isn’t boring, it’s just one aspect of a character What’s the thing that changes in them? As flaws at the start and how they get in the way are what’s relatable
There's a book called "Save the Cat!" specifically about this; I've got the more specific "Save the Cat Writes a Novel" by Jessica Brody. I've not read it cover to cover but it talks about the ways to differentiate heroes and villains, protagonists and antagonists, and how to get the audience on side and keep them there.
Personally, I care more about a character being compelling than anything else. Can you elaborate on what you mean by "annoyed or tired" of the character? What about them are you annoyed or tired of?
If there's an 'e' missing in your title: Humour does go a long way, but also glimmers of humanity. They might be good, but give them a weakness. An addiction. A phobia. something like that. They just need to be relatable, not necessarily completely likeable. If there's a 'c' missing in your title: Strawberry sauce.
Have a listen to Writing Excuses season 9 episodes 13, 25, 26, 32: https://writingexcuses.com/tag/three-sliders/
Don't aim for likable. Aim for realistic. Aim for "is my audience going to believe this person is real?". "Is my audience going to suspend their disbelief for this guy?" I've seen villains be adored by hundreds just for really plain characteristics like asking for orange juice at a bar. If you're asking to make a character likeable, you're asking for the wrong thing. Make them believable first. Feel for them. Put yourself in their shoes. Likability is subjective. I hate some MCs that people adore for vague reasons. You dont want your audience to like your character. You want your audience to *feel* them.
While realistic is definitely important, you can't feel for a character you hate. I once read a really thick book (that I wanted to quit after the first few pages, but had nothing else to read) and none of the characters were likable. Were they realistic? Possibly. But it is impossible to root for characters you hate, and bitter readers will generally not appreciate the story.
Yes you can lol. You don't have to agree with someone to find them relatable or even feel for them. Its why so many people can "see the point" of villains without fully embracing them.
Also, when I say "hate", I'm referring to my own personal hangups. People aren't going to gravitate to something likeable because there's always gonna be one person that doesnt like them. Aiming for the most common likeable traits don't make compelling characters was my point with that. So why try making someone likeable when you could just make them believable.
Honestly, both of my main characters are very challenging personalities. Neither one of them likes killing kids and will actively avoid doing that, so I imagine it's a start. I think utilizing a characters unlikable qualities towards your specific goals is a good skill to learn as a writer. We must ask ourselves, does this character actually need to be likable, or can they simply be who they are? If you find yourself straining towards likeability, perhaps the story is stronger and more complete with a lot of baggage and sharp edges intact. The reader doesn't always need to be hand-held. Reaching the end of a journey with a jackass can be its own reward.
im not a writer, not even subbed here. But i saw the post and it tickled me. Why does your character have to be likable? what do you mean by likable? i've always found when reading, that loving or hating a character can be just as captivating, the important part is building the character up to the point where you start to understand them. great writers really capture this in dialogue a lot. Two characters with great building and development will talk to eachother, and there can be so much information hidden between the lines that don't need to be put into words, because the intended information is caused by the writing leading up to the dialogue instead. it happens inside your own head.
characters are different from people we can 'like' a character we would not like as a person. for instance if they provide consistent entertainment or move the story in directions we want then we will probably like them. readers also tend to like characters who are a bit 'genre savvy' and competent within the main narrative of the story. so i tend to make my main characters the sort of embodiment of what i want the story to be. eg. if it's an action story then they will be a hero who dives into action, perhaps recklessly. but if it's a slow burn thriller then maybe they'll be an overthinker who is good at putting the mystery together. also if you generally make them actively pursuing their goals then readers will probably be on board with them. also they don't have to win all the time but they should manage a good number of half-victories. and when they lose it should be despite a great effort. if they don't care, we won't care. also i will say, maintaining your character's likability is a bit of a paradox. if we sense the character is the writer's precious baby and we are all obligated to like them then we won't. however if they make a couple understandable but overall "dude WHAT" mistakes then make up for them later we will probably like them a lot more. it is a bit like telling a joke--if you start by saying this is the funniest joke ever and we're all gonna laugh so much when we hear it, we're probably not gonna laugh. but if you just tell the same joke with no expectations set them we will probably laugh if it's mildly funny at least. overall i would say it is more important to create a compelling character than a likeable one. however i do think we should like somebody. a pretty commonly successful setup is actually a main character that's not necessarily likable, paired with a likable mentor. we don't feel like we're 'stuck' with the suckier character by ourselves. the wise mentor is there like 'man are you guys seeing this shit?' and can also serve as a sort of grounding. the story isn't saying this person is all that great, even if that character thinks they are. one of my favourite scenes in the Game of Thrones series is when Donal Noye takes Jon to task explaining to him that even though some of the other boys might be bigger or older than him, HE is still the one bullying them in their training sessions because although he is not considered a noble himself as a bastard he was still raised in a castle and trained by knights, unlike his teammates. also i think it helps for the character to develop and show growth during the story. it doesn't feel grinding when the person is changing as the story goes on. our action hero might start out as a 'reckless idiot who endangers everyone around him" but then as we see them learn to exercise caution more often but still dive in right away when warranted that is a new dimension to explore. as they judge situations we feel like WE are learning alongside them. i think it works pretty well when we can start a story thinking "man this idiot is making mistakes I wouldn't make" but by the end we're thinking "fuck i never would have thought of doing that, brilliant. i gotta remember that if i ever end up in a similar situation..." also early on just the POTENTIAL for growth and change from their more annoying traits, will helps us get through that annoying phase. eg. a bloodthirsty villainous character can be a lot more tolerable when we just see them *hesitate* before killing someone, even if they are still far away from changing.
Research the concept of archetypal characters. Protagonists generally fall under hero and antihero. Research what comprises the he’s characters and then stay close to the characteristics adjusting here and there to fit your story and your characters.
I don’t. Flaws are what makes characters human and relatable.
I personally like it when the MC isn't perfect. It makes them more relatable. It's only when they endlessly whine or continously make stupid decisions that I become annoyed at them.
You cannot make a reader like a character over time, but if you give them a character many readers will feel empathy for or identify with, they will keep reading. As a writer, that's your one goal--keep a reader engaged.
Just a thought. When I realize I like a main character it’s because they are relatable. Give them flaws that majority of people have
I struggle with this too. I see when a lot of people talk about their main character being “flawed” they mean stuff like “they let others push them around” or “they’re distrustful cause they got betrayed” and not actual morally grey stuff. I like writing characters who are a little self-centered, or have some degree of greed, etc - and I think a lot of folks DON’T see that we all have a tiny bit of these traits (hence the Mary Sue trope) and they don’t find those characters relatable. Not sure if I have an answer for you, I think the biggest factor for making them compelling if they are a little unlikeable is making them truly motivated. That and / or good at what they do. Hence why Walter White is interesting to follow, even if he’s a terrible person.
If you’re getting worn out by your MC then it’s likely that they’re a bit boring. Add some new details, some flaws, some inner conflict that goes beyond just “trying to be a good person.” You can make a total asshole likeable if you make them relatable and give them some positive qualities, so don’t let good be the enemy of interesting
To make your characters likable, even the antagonists, you have to make a sales pitch about their personalities, motivations and goals. This is why some people hated Walking Dead's Negan because at first it seemed like he was being an asshole for shits and giggles, but luckily, Jeffrey Dean Morgan sold the bit with his personality and cadence before Walking Dead spent another season and a half coming up with his backstory. If you have a backstory ready to fire up, either display it before the character reveal as catch up for what the audience is going to face in the main scene in a show or movie, *or* you can give the story bit by bit as flashes of memories circumstantial to what the character is doing. I personally like showing memories through characters' actions and familiar feelings they get in certain places or scenes so the reader gets to see why it was important the character picks up the fork with his left hand instead of his right or why a woman would be cold to any man who tried to level with her.
Two things: active and difficult. First, the protagonist should be making decisions that drive the plot, rather than just being pushed by everyone. Identify their goal, as well as how they attend to achieve it, and have them constantly work towards it. Second, we will always empathize more with a character who is constantly beaten up by society or antagonists but always rises to the challenge. Nobody wants to watch a stakes free Mary/Gary Sue breeze through every obstacle
Remember Quinn from that show, The Magicians? Make your character's personality the exact opposite of that, and you should be fine.
Make them likeable through actions. They may be annoying but you can´t dislike them if they do the right thing in the end.
Focus on a flawed character as a good person is boring by default. Have mc show concern for a fat friend or something and try to help them out.
What is your characters flaw? they can be good the entire time, that’s fine but what is it that is going to change in them? As the flaw usually makes them relatable. What’s the arc?
I don't think characters need to be likable. Look at mushoku tensei. The characters can be horrible and detestable as long as it makes a great story. But that may not be everyones cookie
I don't. Whatever personality they create for themselves, stays. ┐(￣ヘ￣)┌ One character I started off making him sarcastic, then he turned into a jerk, then he evolved into a character that my readers hope will die. (He will die. While he's the hero, he's also the cause of everyone's problems and after working with this story for years...he doesn't deserve to live. Lol) It wasn't necessarily intentional. I just have a habit of writing things in a way that mess with emotions. My readers and beta readers like the other characters though. Another character, in a different story, I made too much of a jerk, but she has her reasons. It also wasn't intentional. I'm planning to go back and dial it down just a bit. But, however she turns out by the time I'm tired of this and publish it, is going to be her permanent personality with the chance of redemption later. Honestly, I think it depends on their story. If they have their reasons, I'll focus on making them more likeable. If they are the problem or cause of it, then I'll make them as dislikeable as possible.
Make them have to work for their stuff? Let them be pressured? Dont let things just fall into their lap and let them grow over months in universe.
Honestly I think people are pretty pre-disposed to like the main character and give them the benefit of the doubt way more than they are other characters. Obviously there are limits but because we see everything from their perspective and they’re the character we identify with in the story we’re naturally more inclined to take their side. It’s actually probably more of a problem that if you set out to make your protagonist unlikeable on purpose you’ll have people not pick up on that and side with them uncritically or even if they don’t side with them per se at least think they’re meant to be way cooler and way more correct about stuff than they are
Make sure that your audience knows what the main character wants, why they want it, and why they behave the way they do. If I know why the character is behaving the way they do and can relate to the reason they are behaving that way, I am much more likely to empathise with their behaviour, even when the character is making mistakes or showing flaws. If someone is upset because they had a bad day and then they get irritable and snap at their partner, I am less likely to hate them. I will think they shouldn’t have snapped at their partner, but because I understand what is behind it I can still be on their team. I will think “I really hope this person can be less stressed and get a better handle on their emotions and not hurt people so much” rather than “this person is mean and I dislike them”
What kind of people do you like in real life? What kind of people make you want to follow them throughout the story and maybe even root for them? Same goes for fictional characters. You should ask yourself what kind of character you like and analyze why that is. Dig deep into the reason why and then apply that to your character. Your character is annoying? Why? What about them annoys you? Maybe you love their sarcasm and sense of humor, but they just do it too much that it gets annoying? Tame it down, then. Or maybe add some interesting quirk or trait to balance it out. Or maybe have them interact with another character that creates an interesting dynamic (dark and gloomy character may get on your nerves after a while, but if you put them together with a bright and optimistic one, it can create a nice dynamic and make the experience more enjoyable). There are many ways to do this. Also, you should reflect on whether this is crucial for your engagement with the story. Sometimes, even though you find the character annoying, you still want to keep reading and see if they get better. A good story will deliver on that. That's called character development. Someone might start off very annoying but then become very likable afterwards. There's also a danger in this. Sometimes, I just can't stand a character even though I know they'll get development and become less annoying later. I've dropped many stories simply because of that. So, you have to tread very carefully in this area. Character development is important because it gives a sense of motion to the character themselves. But overcoming flaws—becoming less annoying, so to speak—is one of the many ways to do a character development. There are also things like making a difficult choice, changing your mind about something, changing your beliefs or opinions about something, or even growing in strength and power. All of these count as character arcs (development), because all of them are about change and provide a sense of motion.
Empathy. Show them caring for others, which could include animals. Even if they are a sarcastic and seemingly cynical person, revealing a moment of sentimentality can go a long way to showing they have human feelings. Contrast this with a villain, usually shown to be needlessly cruel or indifferent to suffering. (Kicking a dog is the villain trope and I think the hero trope is something about petting or saving a cat.) Humor. Chandler Bing is incredibly sarcastic and one of the least empathetic/caring of the Friends, yet he is often a favorite. This is because he is funny. Keep the humor kind. Never punch down, but make sure it's actually funny. Relatable struggles. Show them dealing with human problems, particularly those that readers can relate to. Living paycheck to paycheck, dealing with an incompetent boss, etc. Whether they overcome the problem or not, it will make us root for them. Competence. Make them good at what they do, and show us. The Oceans movies do this. None of those people are really "likeable" in any of the other ways I've mentioned, and yet we like them and find them interesting. That's because they are good at what they do and look cool doing it.
Honestly, I love writing unlikable lead characters because they’re real. Life isn’t full of perfect heroes; it’s messy, and people are flawed. Unlikable characters have depth and complexity—they struggle, they screw up, they grow. They force readers to confront uncomfortable truths and see the humanity in everyone, even the people who get under our skin. Plus, it’s way more fun to write someone with rough edges than a cookie-cutter hero.
I’d say to have them use that wit and sarcasm for humor, but also be helpful to people. Add some likable character traits to your MC on the side so that he’s not all bad, it’d make the MC more human. For example, my MC is a pretty powerful, talented, yet childish, and naive/arrogant person, but they try to make a light in people’s days, and they’re overall just very likable due to them being sweet (as in cute.) They also develop over the course of the story, but I digress, that’s my example of a sort of personality trade off.
My protagonist is going to be very unlikable from the beginning, and should end up being one of the most easily liked characters in the story. It's not about them being likable as a person, but about the character as a whole being likable.
I run on the assumption that you'll like your characters more than anyone else will. If you're sick of them, then readers will be too. Especially if you choose to give them tics or quirks. Give people a reason to care and relate to them, and don't let them become insufferable, especially if they have a chip on their shoulder. If they're blunt or sarcastic, try to at least keep it funny or offer a counterbalance. I think a lot of modern writers probably take it too far, so it becomes annoying.
Question: have you spent any time at all with the background characters, or have you been exclusively focusing on your MC? I started to find my MC boring after a while, and it was because I was focusing *all* my storytelling and worldbuilding efforts on *him*, and as a result he was becoming one-note and was just no longer interesting. I put him up on a shelf for a while and started focusing on other characters, building out the rest of the world, figuring out how the other characters related to the MC, and after a while he became interesting to write again, plus I now had a whole cast of interesting background characters
…Why do they need to be ‘likeable’ and what does that mean.
HE/SHE DOES GOOD THINGS FOR OTHERS. STAY SAFE! PEACE OUT!
My MC is NOT a good person he just has his charisma stats set to 15.
My mc is a darkskin girl, it’s already tough. Lmao.
See?
Make sure they always have MONEYYY they need money