Material for a book

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on 11/28/2019

Posts: 1

I'm currently writing a book and I'm running out of ideas. I am trying to create an "unlikable" character.

The character plays the stereotype of someone who never had a father figure in life, so he overcompensates. He lifts weights and is obsessed with working out but remains pretty thin and skinny. He’s always got a chip on his shoulder, is never willing to help anyone out if it doesn’t benefit him. He’s basically one of those "I’m a wolf and you’re a sheep" people.

My book has him constantly repeating sexist remarks in the first part of the book. His ignorance is demonstrated well and is actually pretty funny. He gets called out by the other characters, but he doesn’t care yet.

I want to improve the unlikable characters' flaws and turn them into better people by the end of the book. For most of my characters, I’m positive that it can work out. I’m just not sure how the audience will react to a sexist character that improves on his ignorance. I’m not afraid about him being unlikable at the beginning, but I eventually want all of the characters to be likable by the end of the show.

Do people think there's anyone that fits the description here whom I could use for artistic inspiration?

last edit on 11/28/2019 7:52:28 PM

by aubrieta

on 11/28/2019

Posts: 6443

Lol oof

by Blanc

on 11/28/2019

Posts: 9478

Slay

by Spatial Mind

on 11/28/2019

Posts: 3214

These days the loudest critics are SJW's, and their concerns usually revolve around how females are treated and were they as epic or more than a male character, if the cast was diverse enough, or if the story was offensive to them. Not a good idea to focus on making them happy, on the other hand the controversy is good in the grand scheme of things. Look how Joker is outperforming Avengers while it's buried in controversy.

As for the sexest character, make everything else about him likable if he wasn't an asshole, and the only thing you'll have to do to change the viewer's perspective, is to have him do something nice for a woman at a great expense.

For example the sexist sees a girl minding her business and he does a high speed running jump kick and the girl goes flying out of the way, and while he's still in the kicking position in the air, he get's hit by a truck and ends up in a body cast asking if she's okay. Then you'd want to put the final nail in the coffin by having his friends there comforting him like "Shhhh just rest buddy, everything is A OK" and in the background you hear the hospital staff in the distance "that guy is a hero, seems like he works out and if it weren't for that he probably would have died".

by aubrieta

on 11/28/2019

Posts: 6443

Cain maybe but he's a midget, is that ok? knowing he is a midget explains over half of his compensation issues

by Xena

on 11/28/2019

Posts: 2647

Kestrel aka Systematic.

His views are vaguely conservative, with an understandable undercurrent of misogyny due to the circumstances of his early home life.

However, he has some likeable, even admirable qualities that make up for some of his sexist views.

Get to know him and what life experiences he'll share with you. You could easily wrap your character's redemption arc around the better side of Kestrel's personality.

Note: Kestrel is intelligent, and slightly less douchey than your character sounds, so if you use him as a template, you'll have to tone the character down a bit, or maybe add a fictional drinking problem for him to get over.

Stupid guys with mommy issues rarely, if ever redeem themselves from what I've seen. That requires some intelligence, mental flexibility, and hobbies outside of flexing their muscles. None of which can grow, or even exist inside a stupid guy's mindspace.

last edit on 11/28/2019 9:34:08 PM