[Lucky Joe]

How much do you have to care about your/somebody else's characters to keep writing/reading about them? Is it possible to hate a character so much you just read about them to see if they get their due?

Do you want to see something of yourself in every character and really care about them, or would you rather they were interesting for good and bad reasons?

Is it better to read about somebody who is completely dispicable and makes you sick to your stomach but makes the story interesting or your blue eyed boy who never puts a foot wrong but still somehow overcomes unsurmountable odds?

[Aidan Aasarin]

I absolutely LOVE to hate a well created villian. The wizard Thrembode and the Padmasan Masters from Rowley's Bazil Broketail series kept me coming back and waiting for the day someone would cut their legs out from under them. Shadar Haran from RJ's WOT is twisted enough to warrant the pleasure of anticipating his future demise.

I have read(and written) of a few decent villians that a reader can identify with that are not evil as much as misguided. Some could be protags in their own storylines as such, but my preference is for the truly despictable ones. The ones who would practice openly and enjoy all the dark thoughts I have ever had and been ashamed off.

[KatG]

I think it probably depends on the writer. Some might absolutely have to put their stamp on every character and some don't bother, and the like. But I do think it's generally true that if you don't find your own main characters particularly interesting, that this might make it difficult for you to write their story effectively.

[Bear]

Some stories are much more plot driven than character driven. If the plot is what matters to you, then you could probably write about characters you don't particularly like. If the characters are what's important, I don't really see how the reader or the writer would maintain interest if there weren't good characters. But if you have a great plot populated by great characters, then you got something special.

[Bardos]

I don't care if the character is likeable.

I don't care if the character is dispicable.

I don't care if he's like me or not.


But I want the character to be interesting!

[I, Brian]

How much do you have to care about your/somebody else's characters to keep writing/reading about them?

Whatever happens, it has to be real. If the story demands a favourite character be killed or hideously mutilated, then so be it. I really dislike predictability - usually, superhuman protagonists. I like to hurt mine. Life is ruthless. So in my writing, so am I.

[milamber_reborn]

It's good to have detestable characters. eg. Tryrion from ASOIAF is a popular character, but there's more to hate than like about him.

However, if you only have one main character and that person is supposed to be hated, then the writer has to weigh up the risk of losing readers.

[juzzza]

I don't need to care about characters, I need to like them, hate them, feel sorry for them, want to know what happens to them.

If I am indifferent, then i stop reading.

[Shanoncia]

Define care. Some characters I despise, and would lend no kind thought, or "care" to, yet the intrigue of their due fate would drive me madly through the book until I found out their end. Is this your sense of care? I'm not quite sure what this thread is about, their is a wide variety of responces.

[Lucky Joe]

Shanoncia you managed to answer the question without my definition but I'll try.

One of the definitions in my dictionary for Care is have a fondness or affection.

But in answering;

Some characters I despise, and would lend no kind thought, or "care" to, yet the intrigue of their due fate would drive me madly through the book until I found out their end.

You've told me exactly what i wanted to know.

:D