By allowing your protagonist to be candid, whether he's of the likable nature or not, and by revealing at least one of his vulnerabilities, a writer essentially has the ability to create a character that readers can relate to and will want to learn more about.
So go ahead and reveal the flaws within your characters early on, but consider doing so within that particular character's own POV. Let the reader experience your character's flaws through his or her own perception.
Create real time empathy and your reader will be drawn in. Well, at least the readers with an ounce of compassion will be, even if your character is ugly inside and out. As long as the reader receives a hint of "why" the character is the way he/she is, or that they're disturbed by their own faults, then empathy can be conceived.
How do you make the unlikeable tolerable in your writing?
Blessings,
Eileen
57 days left to reflect and celebrate our Saviour's birth.
1 comment:
Hi Eileen - I lurk here on your blog and am always happily surprised to see people still blogrolling our Purple Hearts even now that we're doing our own things :)
But, I LOVED this question.
I think for me, it's a matter of honestly, deeply knowing my characters. With that deep knowledge comes the understanding of their positive aspects -- no matter how deeply hidden they are in the beginning. And then, as we go, hints and "slips" where we see tiny slivers of that character until we grow with fully.
Just like in life, fall in love slowly :)
-Keep up the wonderful blogs!
bria
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