The Risk in Writing Unlikable Characters

What kind of fictional characters do readers enjoy most? Good-hearted people who somehow find themselves in trouble? Or shady characters who create mayhem? Likability in fictional characters can be a complicated matter, especially for a writer.In an essay from last year, author Jennifer Weiner noted that some writers are being urged by their agents and editors to make their charactersmorelikable, in the interest of sales. Yet, writer Mohsin Hamid confesses,“I read fiction to fall in love. And...