{"id":17291,"date":"2017-08-15T01:00:11","date_gmt":"2017-08-15T08:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=17291"},"modified":"2017-08-10T08:18:54","modified_gmt":"2017-08-10T15:18:54","slug":"writing-unlikeable-protagonist-kay-keppler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/15\/writing-unlikeable-protagonist-kay-keppler\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing an Unlikeable Protagonist by Kay Keppler"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Zero<\/a>Let\u2019s\u00a0welcome\u00a0back monthly columnist, editor, and novelist,\u00a0Kay Keppler<\/a>, as she shares with us \u201cWriting an Unlikeable Protagonist.\u201d\u00a0Enjoy!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Do protagonists have to be likeable?<\/strong> Of course<\/em>, because how else can a reader bond with your hero? Of course not<\/em>, because some of the most fascinating protagonists in literature are unlikeable, or indeed, hateful.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at this conundrum more closely.<\/p>\n

Must a hero be heroic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many readers expect the hero of the story to be, well, heroic. If not likeable, many readers want their protagonists to be admirable in some way. That makes sense, because liking a protagonist helps readers engage with the hero\u2019s struggles. And if the hero is perhaps not as likeable or admirable as, say, Santa Claus, then he might have to be at least fascinating to compensate.<\/p>\n

The anti-hero<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many readers (or viewers) will accept hookers (Pretty Woman<\/em><\/a>), con men (anything by Donald Westlake<\/a>), thieves (Leverage<\/em>), or even murderers (Dexter<\/em>) as protagonists, depending on the character\u2019s background and the story context. What makes readers root for an anti-hero is due primarily to two things:<\/p>\n