Do you like your MC?

McMich · Feb 13, 2012

I’ve been doing a bit of reading this year to improve my writing. One thing I have noticed is that some main characters are more appealing than others, but since I tend to like everyone normally, I like most MC’s also. But not everyone is like that.
So my question is: what qualities make you like the MC?
(either your own from your own novel or from novels you read)

Smish · Feb 13, 2012

I always like my MCs, even when they're being idiots (like cheating on their boyfriends, or betraying their friends, or murdering people).

I think it's important for all characters to have redeeming qualities/characteristics, but also for there to be consequences for bad actions, though not everyone agrees with me.

For example, I have big problem with infidelity. If there's cheating in a book, I'm going to hate it -- unless there are consequences for the cheating.

Others don't have that issue. There are several popular YA novels that have cheating with absolutely no consequences (often with the cheater going on to be blissfully happy in a new relationship). Lots of people love these books. I hate them.

Becca C. · Feb 13, 2012

I always like my MCs, too. Mostly because they're creations I'm happy with. But I'm one of those rather unsentimental writers who doesn't consider their characters real people. No, they are creations, and when they seem real, I'm happy with them.

I usually like MCs in books... usually. If they obsess over dumb things, I get annoyed. If they're slow on the uptake and don't catch onto foreshadowing/hinting in their own stories, I get annoyed.

thothguard51 · Feb 13, 2012

I don't write YA but obviously I like my characters very much.

One of the biggest complimants I got was from my daughter. After reading one of my WIP she asked why guys couldn't be more like my main character. She said if he was real, she'ld bang him...

"Well honey, it is fantasy and by the way, you are still a virgin, right? Right? Ahhh, I will take no answer to mean yes, right?"

Delio · Feb 13, 2012

I like my MC very much even when they do stupid things. I think what I like most in MC's is bravery and self reliance. I really don't like them always having to run to someone else to save them.

tengraceapples · Feb 13, 2012

i love my MC. that helps since "we"have to live with each other for months or even years. I love them bc they tend to be underdogs

CharacterInWhite · Feb 13, 2012

My MC and I both have a perpetual caustic inner monologue going on. We're both mean... in our heads.

But she's a lot more dour than I am. She's an insomniac. She's probably a highly organised schizophrenic, and she has a considerably better visual memory than I do.

It all comes together to make a very fun detective type character to stumble through a mystery.

I'm not sure anyone can write an MC they don't even remotely like.

inspiredbymusic · Feb 13, 2012

I like my MCs, even when they do dumb stuff. If I didn't like them I would consider it a problem.
Occasionally I come across a main character I don't like. It's hard to define exactly what causes this. Once in a while I think a character is annoying, but more often if I don't like an MC I think it's because the novel just isn't working for me. The characters aren't coming alive. I don't care.

missesdash · Feb 13, 2012

I like my MC's. They're all interesting people with unique takes on things. I have a villain protagonist that's a pretty huge prick, and while I don't like him, I do enjoy writing him.

I'm almost like Becca in that I don't consider them real people. But they do feel like pets. That's probably creepier.

Windcutter · Feb 13, 2012

I like most of them. I make them that way--not perfect, but likeable for me, because I write in first person a lot, and writing a novel length story in first person when you dislike the focus character (or find them boring) isn't the most exciting experience.

seedling · Feb 13, 2012

The qualities that I like most in MCs are self-awareness (they don't need this in the beginning of the story but they should gain this over time), kindness, and taking responsibility for their actions.

I haven't been able to finish some books because the MC annoyed me so much - they were either really whiny, annoying, or didn't change or learn from their mistakes. I also can't stand it when the MC does something malicious.

Zoombie · Feb 13, 2012

Considering how much I hurt my MC, I'm pretty sure I hate them a lot >.>

J.S.F. · Feb 13, 2012

I like my MC's, basically because they're decent if somewhat naive and clued out at first. In fact, I love all my characters, even the bad guys (or girls), as for every yin there's a yang and there's dark for the light. When the bad guy/girl gets it in the end, they're so nasty you want to stand up and cheer.

You have to love all the characters, even if they're assholes. You love them, you'll bring them to life. I want my characters to get up and walk right out of the novel. If I can do that, then I'm halfway there.

EnitaMeadows · Feb 13, 2012

As my creation, I'm generally content with them. Would I be friends with all of them? Well, that's a different story.

goddessofthehunt · Feb 13, 2012

I usually like my MCs. They all have a sense of honour, a moral line they won't cross. They also tend to be intelligent and sharp-tongued but, despite their antics, are genuinely good people. Those are probably the traits that I like in other writers' MCs as well.

Marumae · Feb 14, 2012

I usually do as well, for example in my current work in progress, I love Gabe for his naiitivity, his painfully sweet earnesty and kindness. Being rather sheltered as a child until his first big adventure.

Zoombie · Feb 14, 2012

On the topic of hurting my main characters, I want to do this in a novel: Ape Rasputin!

Rasputin was shot

Stabbed

Beaten

Poisoned

Drowned

And finally, froze to death.

So, at some point, I need to write a book where the MC has all of that happen to them...not all at once, obviously, but over the course of the entire novel...

Oh, yes, almost forgot, MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

The_Ink_Goddess · Feb 14, 2012

Becca C. said:
But I'm one of those rather unsentimental writers who doesn't consider their characters real people. No, they are creations, and when they seem real, I'm happy with them.

I'm like Becca here, but I admit that I sort of have a thing with my MCs where I kinda love them (or else, why would I be writing them?) but they're often quite unpleasant people with some glaring flaws. I guess I like my MCs...but I still wouldn't want to be friends with some of them.

WalpurgisQuill · Feb 14, 2012

I do like my main character. I've always preferred his best friend and team member Dante over him, simply because he's more interesting and has a certain depth, but it is not Dante's story. However, as generally and sometimes frustratingly normal as my MC is, he really is a brave, smart person who will always be there for people. He is a really good-hearted guy, no matter how much he sometimes thinks to the contrary.

lookitsandrea · Feb 14, 2012

I do not always like the main characters. I like them based off of how well I can relate to them, what decisions they make (whether they are, in my opinion, rational or not), and the cliches that come along with the main character. It is difficult for me to like female main characters especially, as the super-feminine, but helpless victim are hard to avoid, it seems. Sometimes their reactions do not seem realistic to the situation.\

I love my main character in my series. He is a fifteen year old who is stubborn, impatient, adventurous, an idealist, creative, imaginative, blunt, rude, and altogether a touch character to get along with. But his mind is filled with such capability that I can't help but adore him.

KateSmash · Feb 14, 2012

I've mulled over the original questions for a few days and decided that, what it all really boils down to for me, is that I'm quite attracted to a character's imperfections. I like it when characters have scares, or are a little bit neurotic, or have a whole lot that will stand in their way if they don't find the inner reserves to overcome themselves.

Would I go grab a beer with my MCs (pretending they were old enough, of course *cough*)? It would depend on the character. Some, sure. But I've always been more attached to characters I can't imagine myself being friends with. And, as an extension, I tend to be much more in love with my villains and antagonists.

Actually, I can't think of a single antagonist or villain I've come up with that I didn't love right down to the toes.

Leanna · Feb 14, 2012

Being a newbie to writing, I was about to reply that I like my MC too, but then I looked up the definition and realized who I thought was my MC is actually the Protagonist. But I still like my MC because, well, she is basically me under a different name. On the outside she appears stubborn, obnoxious and conceited but deep down she is faithful, smart and passionate.

rendezvous_with_leon · Feb 14, 2012

I love all my characters, including my MC. I think it's impossible for me to hate them, because to me, they already have these defined personalities. I think another factor in why I love them is that even the COMPLETE douche bags have either redeeming qualities or a reason for being such a jerk. I also do veeeeeery detailed character analysis for every character whose name I mention (which includes minor characters.) A bit too thorough, maybe. Useful? Definitely.

Sometimes I even make my characters do things that I hate MYSELF for making them do (i.e. MC's girlfriend MC2 just slept with MC's best friend. My inner personal thoughts were Nuuuu! She would never do that to poor Lee-Lee! But my inner WRITER thoughts were It's important to the plot that this happens.)

My MC and I have an odd relationship. He's probably the kind of guy I would either swoon over or hate passionately in real life, but via novel, I love him like my baby and would not change a thing about him!

The Seanchai · Feb 14, 2012

I always like my MC's. What makes me like them is relatability, and "human-ness" even if they aren't human. IE they are flawed and not perfect. I don't want to read about a perfect god, I want to read about someone like me that I can relate to. And those are the types of books I tend to write as well.

jmlee · Feb 14, 2012

I have a professional relationship with my characters. I don't necessarily think of them like "real" people, but they do have a certain level of autonomy simply by virtue of the fact that, if they're well built, they would do or say things that I wouldn't necessarily have thought of or wanted them to do.

I feel often like I'm the director and the autonomous part of them is the part that is the actor. But I get to tell them what to do because it's my damned movie. They can interpret how they want, and if I like it I let it slide, but at the end of the day, what I say is how it goes down.

Anyway, the original question: Do I like my MCs? Some of them I like more than others. But I find that unless I really like who I'm writing about, I can't sustain enough energy to get my readers to like them. Sometimes it still doesn't happen, but it never happens when I hate a character.

And I can't sustain the words necessary to finish a manuscript unless I REALLY like them.

Do you like your MC?

McMich

Smish

Reads more than she writes.

Becca C.

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Delio

tengraceapples

CharacterInWhite

Kind of a big deal

inspiredbymusic

missesdash

You can't sit with us!

Windcutter

seedling

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

J.S.F.

Red fish, blue fish...

EnitaMeadows

goddessofthehunt

Queen of inane tangents.

Marumae

Queen of Quixotica

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

The_Ink_Goddess

we're gonna make it out of the fire

WalpurgisQuill

lookitsandrea

KateSmash

this was a triumph

Leanna

rendezvous_with_leon

The Seanchai

jmlee

MIA