Unsympathetic Characters

TikaaniM said:

I fear some characters can be too unsympathetic and perhaps unlikeable. I may give an idea of my characters so anyone may give their opinion if these characters should be altered a bit.

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There is nothing wrong with any character, good or bad, provided s/he is believable and three dimensional (ie, a mix of good and bad and neutral qualities). Even Hitler loved dogs and children.

It is harder to sell a reader on a character who is unlikeable, but it's been done in the past. it depends on the story, and it helps if the character shows some promise of changing for the better as a result of his/er experiences.

Want to see a really loathsome character who you can't help but root for? Donald Westlake's 'The Axe'.

A character who is violent and devious and uncaring, but courageous and clever? Uhtred Uhtredson in Bernard Cornwell's 'Saxon Chronicles' series.

TikaaniM said:

I know everyone is getting tired of me, and I guarantee this is the last you will hear of me, but I have been working on many books. However I fear some characters can be too unsympathetic and perhaps unlikeable. I may give an idea of my characters so anyone may give their opinion if these characters should be altered a bit. I ask of this before proceeding with these books.

Character #1, has anger issues and often take advantage over people weaker than him. His parents and siblings are victims of his violent and heartless tendecies as well as others. He pretends to be nice and uses his attractiveness to guile people, but in reality he is a thief, liar, devious and abusive. He also uses self harm for sympathy.

Character #2, this book is set in the 1800's. This character is not as bad, but have traits of a semi unsympathetic character. He is a bit rebellious, often finds himself snappy and rude, unintentionally but sometimes intentionally he is a heart breaker in romance, he doesn't take most things seriously and because of his bad
habits he prevents people getting to know him.

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That actually serves to make them more human. I think we shouldn't shrug away from the darker side of humanity and attribute it to the "other". People can be amazing, people can be morons.

If you make your characters flawed, they will be more likeable. But you must make them flawed in a manner which is consistent with their overall character.

TikaaniM said:

I agree just hope others would accept them. I believe this is what's realistic. I will make note of consistency.

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The greatest characters often have a lot of unsympathetic traits. Winston Smith in 1984 is an example.

Lucas said:

If you make your characters flawed, they will be more likeable. But you must make them flawed in a manner which is consistent with their overall character.

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That really depends.

I write genre fiction. My MC (four books) is likeable, but has two major flaws -- one, he's lazy, content to drift by and waste his potential.

The other is, to be honest, he's not always that bright. He fails to see things he should and often makes risky choices -- not because he's impulsive, but because he just doesn't always appreciate what he's getting into. He's a very consistent character, and some readers love him.

But I've also gotten more flack about his personality than any other issues in the books. There are readers who hate him, to the point where they stopped reading the series because he drove them crazy.

Many people (at least in genre fiction) don't seem to want to read about someone with realistic qualities -- they really want a hero or heroine.

rugcat said:

That really depends.

I write genre fiction. My MC (four books) is likeable, but has two major flaws -- one, he's lazy, content to drift by and waste his potential.

The other is, to be honest, he's not always that bright. He fails to see things he should and often makes risky choices -- not because he's impulsive, but because he just doesn't always appreciate what he's getting into. He's a very consistent character, and some readers love him.

But I've also gotten more flack about his personality than any other issues in the books. There are readers who hate him, to the point where they stopped reading the series because he drove them crazy.

Many people (at least in genre fiction) don't seem to want to read about someone with realistic qualities -- they really want a hero or heroine.

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OMG!

You're writing about me???

I was thinking of 1984 also.

Rugcat's character that some people like and some hate reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara. I have heard some people say they love her as a strong southern woman, and other's really dislike her for being selfish and conniving.

I think if a character is getting mixed reactions like that, it is a good sign that they are real!

Tikanni, it's hard to say without reading your work, but off the top of my head, if you at least one other character that the reader will like and relate to, it will work. Unsavory characters can help drive the story by providing interest and conflict. (Also no need to stop posting, I don't think anyone is getting tired you. If they are, they will tell you. Ouch, I know. But at least you always know where you stand around here!)

Are these characters going to undergo character development in the course of the story?

By the way, how can we be tired of you when you only have 25 posts?

I don't have to like the characters to enjoy the book. If the story is interesting, I'll keep reading.

Since they undergo character development, you can make the readers love them by the end. People love a reformed sinner, so to speak. I don't think you need to worry.

Some of my favorite characters are total a$$e$...well, almost total. They are usually a lot of fun and quite charming. There is usually a moment where they reveal at least one redeeming quality that gives you hope for them though. Generally followed by another round of misbehavior that reminds you they are still bad boys.

Hi,

My two cents have been touched on here already, but I'll try to word mine differently

I think having characters that have some unsavoury traits is essential to any story, even if that character is the hero/heroine. No body is gonna enjoy reading about this picture perfect character from page one, plus, even some of those nasty traits may click with the readers. (Maybe in themselves or in a person they know) Making a connection with the reader IMO has to be one of the main aims of a story, not in your reason for writing at the start, but if you want to make an attempt at getting your work out there, you need people to relate to it.

So, I think that loading your MC's with flaws is a good idea.

And, to go totally against what I've just said, I think there is a limit to the amount of damage you can inflict on the character. It's ok for the reader not to like the MC at the beginning, but from an early stage I think it is wise to hint at the potential for change within the MC.

Their nasty traits do not have to remain hidden after the first three chapters, but in the back of your mind, try to have a get out clause should you reach 80% of the way, only to realise that your MC is a douce, and even you are getting sick of writing about him/her!

Also, ask a friend to read through the story, with the aim of assessing how likeable the character is. (at the end)

I agree with previous posts, that MC's can be likable, yet still have nasty habits/traits. It's just that I'm not that talented to juggle all that as I write.

That said, I could be way off the mark!!

Your first character sounds like an absolute bellend. I don't like him already. BUT I don't know the context, and I've happily read even "worse" characters. There are a lot of ways to keep the character on the readers' good side.

1) Are the antagonists of the story eviller?

2) Does the character redeem himself in some way, or at least flirt with redemption?

3) Does the character have a "good" trait or two?

4) Is the character funny or satirical?

5) Is the character eventually punished?

6) Does the character have a sympathetic backstory explaining his behavior?

7) Is the character meant to appeal to fans of darker or exploitative fiction?

8) Are the character's actions done for philosophical or political reasons that a segment of readers may relate to?

9) Are the character's actions or behaviors so unique that readers may continue out of sheer curiosity?

10) Is the character part of a larger cast, or from an interesting time or place that may draw readers in?

Hope this gives people some ideas.

Is it just me or do "good guys" get the short shrift on this site?

Adding to the questions: Do these bad characteristics turn out to have redeeming value? Sometimes that selfish, nasty guy saves the day, even if by accident.

Is this a world where these traits are expected by others or common? Thieves World for example.

I see no reason in having a character that is completely unlikeable, especially if the story is told from one character's point of view.

The key is not to make the character out to be so reprehensible that he/she becomes a ridiculous pillar of evil.

Really, its hard to judge different characters without the accompanying story. It's like trying to judge the worth of a few medallion onions sitting outside of the stew that they are destined to be in.

That being said, I actually liked the sound of the characters that you described. Unsympathetic characters can be a nice change of pace in my opinion. Sometimes I cheer for the bad guy simply because he is that unbelievably bad.

But that's just me.

Laura

for bad characters, Id like to refer you to a tv show. Yes that seems strange considering this is a literary board, but "once upon a time" is phenomenal when it comes to characterization. I don't want to spoil anything, but the antagonists of the series are very 3-dimensional. They have been wronged, betrayed, made poor decisions, have wants, act desperately, have love, lost love. If you want to see sympathetic antagonists, then watch that show, its a master of a story!

even the pro tags are dynamic and gray. one character is partaking in an affair, the other had a delinquent teenage life and history of crime/promiscuity. they play unfair, act a little corrupt, but you want to excuse them because they're so likable!

I love unsympathetic characters.

Go read The Killer Inside Me or POP. 1280 by Jim Thompson. In both books you will find yourself rooting for a killer to get away with murder.

I don't care if a character is unlikeable as long as they are interesting and fully-drawn. If they're a panto bad guy with a twirly tache, I won't carry on reading. But if they're human, count me in.

The protagonist doesn't have to be sympathetic. The protagonist of A Clockwork Orange isn't at all sympathetic. But he's an anti-hero. For the hero of the book, I would say there has to be at least some redeeming qualities, or at least the negative qualities should not be so overwhelming that no positive qualities could balance it.

I think it is quite possible to go overboard with faults. Humans have faults, but most of us won't associate with someone whose faults are too great, most people's faults are rather ordinary. A book with Jeffrey Dahmer as the hero of the book would be difficult to pull off.

TikaaniM said:

I have been working on many books. However I fear some characters can be too unsympathetic and perhaps unlikeable. I may give an idea of my characters so anyone may give their opinion if these characters should be altered a bit. I ask of this before proceeding with these books.

Character #1: Science Fiction, has anger issues and often take advantage over people weaker than him. His parents and siblings are victims of his violent and heartless tendecies as well as others. He pretends to be nice and uses his attractiveness to guile people, but in reality he is a thief, liar, devious and abusive. He also uses self harm for sympathy. seems something like the protagonist of Choke, both the guys in Nip/Tuck, the dude in American Beauty, Gregory House, etc.....the point is, this isn't something terribly novel. Can you give him other attributes to make him interesting/redeem him, or even just make the ones you present interesting? Ever read Misery? That was one crazy, scary bitch....but she had almost no self-doubt...and you could see how screwed up she was....something fascinating about a lady who'd cut a leg off to punish someone for snooping, but says "cockadoodie" instead of "shit"

Character #2, this book is set in the 1800's. This character is not as bad, but have traits of a semi unsympathetic character. He is a bit rebellious, often finds himself snappy and rude, unintentionally but sometimes intentionally he is a heart breaker in romance, he doesn't take most things seriously and because of his bad
habits he prevents people getting to know him.

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bad people populate books.....your first guy isn't too bad, your second especially makes me think you should just step back a bit and think about the last ten protagonists you've read about in other works....if none of them are close to this, you're being fairly careful to cherry-pick your reading materials.