{"id":794825,"date":"2025-05-27T11:07:53","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T10:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=794825"},"modified":"2025-06-18T12:50:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T11:50:58","slug":"do-characters-have-to-be-likeable-and-what-does-it-really-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/do-characters-have-to-be-likeable-and-what-does-it-really-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"Do characters have to be \u2018likeable\u2019 \u2013 and what does it really mean?\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once you\u2019ve submitted your manuscript \u2013 for a critique, or even to an editor \u2013 you will receive a number of responses. Amongst the most common is: \u201cBut I just didn\u2019t like the main character.\u201d This can be very dispiriting to hear, particularly if you\u2019ve put enormous amounts of effort into your hero. But if somebody feels it, there\u2019s a good chance that they\u2019re right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tricky thing, of course, is understanding what it is that makes<\/em> a character likeable.\u202f A corollary to this is \u201crelatable\u201d. There is a maxim that a reader must be able to \u201crelate\u201d to a main character; that is, put him or herself into that character\u2019s shoes. I don\u2019t particularly subscribe to this theory \u2013 I no more relate to Achilles in the\u202fIliad \u202f<\/em>than I do to Dorothea in\u202fMiddlemarch<\/em> \u2013 but I still want to read about them. However, this is something that concerns editors and readers alike, and in order to work within the modern book market, it’s absolutely something that must be considered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also the case that you want your protagonist to be human: that is, to err, to be impulsive, jealous sometimes, angry when things don\u2019t go well. Think of Bridget Jones and her pratfalls. A character who is entirely good is simply flat, like a pious child in a Victorian children\u2019s book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many examples of protagonists whose very weaknesses are what make us empathise with them: this is often the case in tragedy.\u202f Othello\u2019s jealousy is something we can understand, and in him we see it extending far beyond the usual bounds. Yet we also see someone whose jealousy we\u202fdon\u2019t <\/em>understand: that is, the villain, Iago.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the difference? It\u2019s the age-old distinction between protagonist and antagonist. They will have similar qualities: bravery, quick-wittedness perhaps, intelligence certainly. But it\u2019s how they use those qualities which compels us either to like or to despise them. If the intelligence is used for selfish or cowardly ends, as with Iago, then we hate him; if the intelligence is blinded by love, as with Othello, then we empathise and, indeed, sympathise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some pointers, then, to consider, when you\u2019re crafting your likeable protagonist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Situation <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Your character can be in a position of power, or in a more relative position of weakness. It is often suggested that protagonists in positions of power are not \u201crelatable\u201d. Again, I don\u2019t like this line of thought, as fiction is about exploring other worlds, including those of people who hold power. We need to be able to explore what the rich think, as well as the poor; all minds and all milieus are the realm of fiction.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, it\u2019s still important to render your protagonist likeable within that role. A king can be kindly, for example, and still be a king \u2013 and through him, we can still explore what it means to be a king.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Resist the temptation to put your character in a bad situation simply in order to engender sympathy. Writers can go too far in this direction, by loading misfortunes onto the protagonist. Keep it straightforward and remember that it\u2019s about emotional connection: we want the protagonist to be in a better place by the end, which means psychologically, not necessarily in physical terms.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    2. Actions <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In order to be likeable, the protagonist should…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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