Morally Grey But Still Likable?
Writing morally grey characters readers will love.@coinsanddeadlypoisons asked:
Do you have any tips about writing from the point of view of a manipulative character? I don’t want him to be an asshole but i am afraid the readers would see him as such.
The large majority of the characters in The Warlord’s Contract are morally grey in one way or another, with one in particular being rather manipulative, and I’ve found that the same basic principles and tricks apply to them all, no matter which negative “asshole” attributes they exhibit.
1. Why do they do what they do?
Readers will forgive most morally gray actions if they feel the character has a good reason for it. This reason can be anything number of things, often compounded. These include, but are not limited to:
The character’s goal is worth the sins they commit in the process.
Their past has conditioned them to do what they do.
They believe that they (or someone else) will suffer if they don’t.
They believe everyone else is already doing the same and they’re evening the playing field.
They believe their actions will benefit others in the long run.
They’re convinced they’ll be hurt if they don’t do it.The reason(s) you character has do doing what they do should also make sense within the context of the story itself. Thematically, it should match or mirror other cause and effect situations you’re presenting, and it should fit (and often intertwine) with the character’s backstory and personality.
