What About Unlikeable Characters?

Unlikeable Characters

Talking about Likeable Characters on Monday raises the question, “What about unlikeable characters?” I’m repeating a post that I ran in 2010, with a few updates.

As authors, we want readers to care about our characters. If the protagonists are unlikeable characters, why should they finish reading the book? It’s especially critical for a series, because a reader who doesn’t like the character isn’t likely to read the rest of the books. I know I follow a series when the ch...