Creating Likable Characters
I watched two movies recently. One featured an ambitious, cutthroat business woman. The other, a happy-go-lucky kind of liar.
Both of these characters had flaws that propelled the story.
I liked heroine A, but not heroine B. Why was heroine A more likable than heroine B?
With heroine A, the watcher is shown almost right away a brief glimpse beneath her hardened shell. Brief, but it makes all the difference.
Heroine B is presented as a "nice" person, but I don't think that made her likable. I think for her to have been more likable the watcher needed to see something early on that showed heroine B actually cared for people around her and just didn't use them for her own purposes all the time.
My conclusion? A likable character may have horrible flaws, but they must also present some form of virtue, and right away, so that we, the reader, can see that this character has potential. And that they're worth rooting for.
Do you have a formula for making likable characters? Is there anything that would make a character unlikable to you, no matter what other virtue he or she might possess?
Both of these characters had flaws that propelled the story.
I liked heroine A, but not heroine B. Why was heroine A more likable than heroine B?
With heroine A, the watcher is shown almost right away a brief glimpse beneath her hardened shell. Brief, but it makes all the difference.
Heroine B is presented as a "nice" person, but I don't think that made her likable. I think for her to have been more likable the watcher needed to see something early on that showed heroine B actually cared for people around her and just didn't use them for her own purposes all the time.
My conclusion? A likable character may have horrible flaws, but they must also present some form of virtue, and right away, so that we, the reader, can see that this character has potential. And that they're worth rooting for.
Do you have a formula for making likable characters? Is there anything that would make a character unlikable to you, no matter what other virtue he or she might possess?
Comments
You're so right, though, you've got to get empathy right away to have a less-than-stellar hero/heroine keep you interested.
You've given me something to think about.
I hate characters who are too self-absorbed. That is a turn-off for me.
I try to make my characters have a good balance of flaws and likeable characteristics, much like any of us out here in the real world!
The heroic must have flaws in order to be believable. Mine struggle with particular issues that cause a flaw in their character. In Surrender the Wind, Seth struggles with the rejection of his British loyalist grandfather. It has hardened him, angered him, to the point he'd rather seclude himself from the world than face it.
The antagonist Edward Darden is evil in his selfishness, in his obsession with having a woman who has rejected him. Yet he saves her from. . .well I cannot tell you if you are reading the book.
I have a secondary character that has been called 'odious' by my editor. He is has a noble job, but he as gluttonous as they come and puffed up with pride.
I don't use a formula for developing my characters. What makes a character unlikeable to me are things like gluttony, selfishness, cruelty, abusiveness, drunkenness, lust, and a total disregard for God with no fear of consequence.
Great question, Jessie!
I also make sure the WHY behind my character's actions, even if they are nasty actions, are clear.
I think all characters must have redeemable qualities. Donald Maass says even the most evil of villans need a soft side peek through. No cardboard characters...they need to be 3 dimensional.
I've had a busy morning and am now heading to gym *groan* so I can't answer each comment individually. Great comments though. I really agree with them, esp. about characters being harsh to animals/children.
Sherrinda, you stinker!!! You're exactly right. :-)
Great post!
Oh, and the one thing that would poison a character in my eyes is if they were physically cruel to kids or animals. Hurting those who are innocent is something I couldn't overlook.
As a SOTP writer, characters reveal themselves as they deal with situations. I'm an observer of people, so I'm sure some of that enters into the picture.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Very true about David. I think a compelling story helps too.
I've had to learn to balance it too. LOL In the past my characters have gone to the extreme, but I'm working on that now.
Congrats on being almost finished!
Real is good. :-) Some real people are incredibly unlikable though! LOL I'm sure your characters are great, based on your character interviews.
Interesting point. I think that's fodder for another post. LOL!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
All of your characters have been very likable, in my opinion. You do a good job balancing them as well as giving them believable motivations.
Thanks for stopping by. :-)
True. I'm like you. Sometimes I don't know what's motivating my characters until later on in the story, then I try to go back and hint at it.
I like what you said. I think for a character to be likeable, they need to be well-rounded, painted in shades of gray rather than black or white. I think it also helps if we can relate to the character in some way.
I couldn't relate to either character, but heroine A I felt bad for. Heroine B I didn't. Makes a big difference, I think. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
I agree with the statement above that characters should be likeable, and by likeable, I mean redeemable. Even in the most flawed characters we should see redeeming qualities during the story. And to be interesting, characters should definitely be flawed. I love it when a writer produces a truly unlikeable character but then turns around and gives us some big reason to cheer them on.
Nice of you to come by too. :-)
I completely agree. Makes me think of Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets. LOL Not very likeable at first, but boy did he make the movie interesting. :-)
I missed that post. I'll have to go check it out. At least I think I missed it...
Anyways, interesting points about some things not being redeemable. That would make an interesting post.
Great post and so very true- a reader needs a reason to like them right off- even if it's only a hint that they can change and grow.
Cheers~
And I like your title by the way. "The Bridegroom's Revenge" is catchy.
You're not alone. I find it very, very hard to be sympathetic to a character who's had an affair. I'm not even sure I'd read a romance novel where the hero or heroine has cheated. It's just hard for me to like that character. (and I wouldn't say I'm that way in real life, but with entertainment...yeah.)
Thank you! :-) I love that title too, though I might have to change it since it doesn't quite fit with most inspy romances. LOL!
Thanks for stopping by. :-)
Do you ever rest???
*grin*
Yes, that's us. Always thinking. YOu know movies are a write-off, right? LOL! Just doing business there.
Interesting point about a character getting worse rather than better. Someone who starts out as a protagonist and then shifts to antagonist. That made me think, and would be interesting to read, as long as there was a "real" protag to root for. LOL
Turn offs: Cruelty, callousness, mockery CAN be. It depends on if the author suggests that character will be put in his place. Of course, these aren't necessarily things that will make me put the book down. If they're the villain's traits, you've got a great villain. Especially so if they're also intelligent and challenging to the hero/ine.
Great topics, btw.